Mozambique Justice Ombudsman Office launched its first strategic plan (2020 -2024) in Maputo on Friday, August 28, 2020. The plan seeks to address the various challenges citizens face in accessing justice services in the country. The strategic plan, which has a strong communication component was developed with support from UNDP Mozambique Country Office.

In the Ombudsman’s view, the challenges Mozambican citizens face to have their rights protected are enormous, therefore the improvement of care to safeguard their rights are massive. Among the enlisted challenges are: Poor service delivery, excessive delays in providing the demanded services and corruption. Challenges that need to be faced with determination and a sense of duty to reverse the situation.  

The Ombudsman Office noted that in a country such as Mozambique, where financial and material resources are extremely scarce, institutions that defend human rights are susceptible to marginalization in the name of other sectors considered to be priorities and mentioned in the political manifestos of Governments.

Aware of this reality, and considering that the issue of citizens' fundamental rights, freedoms and guarantees, goes beyond national borders, in our view, cooperation partners that work in the field of promotion and protection of human rights and good governance, should look at national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights with special attention, thus contributing to their institutional capacity building. Those are some of the values we protect.

“Among the list of our values we are responsible for protecting are zero tolerance to corruption, because we understand that if corruption persists in the dimension in which it exists today, we will have great difficulties in placing any public service to the citizens,” observed Isac Chande, Mozambique Justice Ombudsman, at the strategy launch ceremony.

“We are committed to denouncing all manifestations of corruption, in any and all public institutions, but we are also committed to making our own office, a stronghold of the fight against corruption in our country, contributing to greater effectiveness, efficiency and justice in the public service performance” said the Ombudsman.

Habiba Rodolfo, Head of UNDP Governance Unit, who represented the organization at lunch said: ′′Accountability, the ability to respond to petitions and complaints from citizens, the monitoring of the provision of public services and the monitoring of institutional delivery are essential to guarantee a society based on the rule of law."

It is expected that the strategic plan will assist the Ombudsman Office in advancing a set of values ​​it stands for and seeks to implement in ensuring that that citizens’ rights are observed by responsible and impartial institution that render quality services to all citizens and address and correct any violations of their rights in a timely manner.