By Charles Gladden
BELMOPAN, Fri. Oct. 10, 2025
An event was held to observe Ombuds Day 2024 at the Belmopan Civic Center in Belmopan on Thursday, October 9, under this year’s theme, “Empowering Voices, Resolving Challenges.”
The day is observed on the second Thursday of October and was first recognized in Belize last year when Major (Ret’d) Herman Gilbert Swaso was appointed as the country’s Ombudsman.
The role of the Ombudsman is to provide a check on government activity in the interests of the citizens, and to oversee the investigation of complaints of improper government activity against citizens.
“We are of firm view, then, that as stipulated by Ombudsman Day or is required by the International Ombudsman Association, that we make this day open so that then we can bring more awareness and promote the role of the Office of the Ombudsman to the country and the community at the respective communities at large,” remarked Swaso on Thursday.
“The Office of the Ombudsman is a bridge that any member of the public [can access], whether a citizen of Belize or any visitor to Belize, who believes that they have been treated unjustly, have been abused, or otherwise they have seen any corrupt act by any authority, which is any ministry, any government, any public authority. And the office is there to ensure that we investigate those complaints that are lodged at the office with a view to certainly ensure that the public office remembers what their oath is, in a view to serve the people with respect and dignity,” he explained.
Representatives of key local institutions and organizations were present at the event on Thursday.
“The University of Belize is recently embarking on a project that promotes human rights. They will also be having free online training so that the general public is in a better position to understand what are their fundamental rights and freedoms, and… so that we better understand that we can empower ourselves with a view then to know when we are being abused or when we are not treated with the respect and the dignity that we so deserve as a regular person within the society … we collaborate with UB, we collaborate with the Good Governance desk, we collaborate with the Disability Desk, we also collaborate with different civil society [organizations] that have anything in support of any vulnerable groups,” Swaso said.
