The Ombudsman's Role: Vanuatu's Experiment

Abstract

This paper is an edited version of a paper presented by Kalev Crossland at a conference – “Accountability and Corruption in the Pacific: Evaluating the Roles of Ombusdmen and Leadership Codes” – held at The Australian National University, 6-10 November 1998. That conference was the first occassion in which Ombusdmen, heads of Leadership Code Commissions and their legal and technical advisers from the Pacific Islands region had met to discuss the broader roles of their institutions – including anti-corruption activities, oversight functions and role in governance more generally – as well as their traditional functions of dealing with mal-administration. The conference also provided the first occassion for Ombudsmen to discuss their roles specifically in relation to the cultural, economic and political systems of the Pacific Islands. A key objective of the conference was to evaluate the effectiveness of these institutions and their role in governance.