18ᵗʰ International Conference of Ombuds Institutions for the Armed Forces - Conferences

This year’s ICOAF will be held under the theme “Military Ombuds Institutions in the Evolving Geo-strategic Environment”. It aims to raise awareness, foster peer exchange of knowledge and best practices, and help shape future policy responses related to the mandate, powers, and functioning of ombuds institutions for the armed forces.

The conference will consider how profound shifts in the global security environment amid renewed geopolitical competition and strategic uncertainty, increasing defence expenditures, new technologies, and the changing character of warfare, are reshaping the conditions under which armed forces operate and are overseen. To this end, participants are invited to reflect on how they may respond to changes in the geo-strategic environment in light of the questions they raise for armed forces oversight.

Across the panel sessions and spaces for dialogue throughout the conference, 18ICOAF aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences among ombuds institutions operating in diverse regional, political, and military contexts. Key takeaways and good practices shared during the conference will be compiled and endorsed by participants in a non-binding Conference Statement at the conference’s closing.