I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ombudsman Dr. Nilda Arduin and all members of the Caribbean Ombudsman Association (CAROA) with the celebration of their 15th anniversary. Thank you for choosing Sint Maarten to host this conference.
Congratulations to all keynote speakers for making their invaluable contribution towards making more aware to our citizens the critically important role of the institution of the Ombudsman in our community.
Without a doubt the conference created an arena for thought and for sharing experiences between the visiting Ombudsmen. I too share the view that the role of the Ombudsman’s will become more and more important in a diverse and complex society.
The Ombudsman has to focus on various forms of complaints; however, its primary focus is first and foremost on the protection of such values as accountability, equality and fairness.
The Ombudsman first originated in Sweden with the Parliamentary Ombudsman instituted in 1809 to safeguard the rights of citizens by establishing a supervisory agency independent of the executive branch. The word Ombudsman is not gender specific.
The concept of the Ombudsman as an independent person who can investigate and resolve disputes between citizens and government has spread to cover 120 countries and is seen to be an essential accountability mechanism in democratic societies.
I am proud to see a vision I had since 2004 as an Island Council member became a reality under our new status since 10-10-10 and anchored in our Constitution.
I wish all participants a safe trip from Sint Maarten to wherever their final destination may be.
Drs. Gracita Arrindell
Member of Parliament
United People’s (UP) Party