News and Press Releases

Vanuatu’s New Ombudsman Mr Hamlison Bulu and a team from the Office of the Ombudsman completed an awareness program from the 24th to the 31st of July 2013 on the Island of Pentecost. The Team started the awareness on South Pentecost, moved on to Central Pentecost and then to North Pentecost.

The Week of Monday 1st of July to Friday 5th of July marks an important milestone for the Office of the Ombudsman. Staff members along with the outgoing Acting Ombudsman, Alain WAI MOLGOS undertook a review on the current structure of the office, a proposed new office structure, all job descriptions of senior managers and other officers, a review of the 2019 staff business plan and a also produced a draft office business plan and budget for the year 2020.

The Head of State, His Excellency President Obed Moses Talis has signed the Instrument of Appointed for Mr Hamilson Bulu to become the Country’s 6th Ombudsman. The Ombudsman Position has been vacant since December 2017. On March 14th 2014 the President appointed Mr Alain WAI MOLGOS to as Acting Ombudsman and Mr Molgos has been taking charge of the Ombudsman Office since then.

This marks an important occasion for both the two agencies; the Vanuatu Ombudsman Office and the Vanuatu Police Force as the Acting Ombudsman Mr. Alain WAI MOLGOS and the Acting Police Commissioner Colonel Robson Iavro, signed an MOU for both Institutions to work together in certain investigations and also facilitation by way of exchange of information between both agencies.

The Vanuatu Ombudsman’s Office, in collaboration with the Director and staff of the Department of Correctional Services, had successfully carried out a visit to all the Correctional Detention Centers in Port Vila on 05 April 2019. The visit came about after a two-days workshop conducted by the New Zealand Ombudsman Office in late March on Prison Inspections. The Ombudsman Team visited the High Risk Facility, the Medium Risk / Remand facility as well as the Low Risk facilities for both men and women.

On the 7th of May 2019, the Office of the Ombudsman delivered a Leadership Code Awareness presentation to the newly appointed Directors from over 20 Government Departments. It was part of the Induction Program for the Directors that was organized and staged by the Public Service Commission.

The current Acting Ombudsman, Mr Alain Wai Molgos and his senior management team met on Wednesday 17th of April 2019 to complete a review on the current structure of the Ombudsman Office.

The Right to Information Act has a great benefit to assist the work of the Ombudsman in dealing with issues of Corruption and ensuring Transparency and Good Governance prevails in Vanuatu.

On the 10th of April 2019, the Office of the Ombudsman completed a Leadership Code Awareness with the newly appointed Director Generals for 13 Government Ministries of the Republic of Vanuatu.

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The Vanuatu Office of the Ombudsman has built expertise to conduct prison inspections through a learning exchange with the New Zealand Office of the Ombudsman. The workshop was funded by the Government of Australia and New Zealand Office of the Ombudsman with technical assistance provided by the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP).