Consultations on multi-year strategic planning were held in Ashgabat for the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan.

The consultations were organized at the invitation of the Ombudsman and in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Regional Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central Asia (OHCHR).

Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF) experts Jill Crisp and Ahmed Shahid visited Ashgabat from 16 to 20 October 2023 and held consultations with the Office of the Ombudsman, representatives of civil society organizations and the UN country team in Turkmenistan.

During the visit, working meetings were also held with the participation of the Authorized Representative for Human Rights in Turkmenistan (Ombudsman) and employees of the Ombudsman’s Office to develop strategic priorities, results, activities and indicators.

Following the visit, an initial draft of the Multi-Year Strategic Plan was presented to the Office of the Ombudsman, and the final draft will be submitted for approval by the end of November 2023, according to a joint press release from ATF, UNDP and OHCHR.

Multi-year strategic planning for the Office of the Ombudsman was organized through the Global Tripartite Partnership to Support National Human Rights Institutions, consisting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), UNDP and OHCHR.

The purpose of the multi-year strategic planning was to provide comprehensive support to the Office of the Ombudsman in identifying strategic priorities within the Office's mandate and resources, goals, activities and work plan for the next five years (2024-2028).

The development of a Multi-Year Strategic Plan was one of the key recommendations provided by the October 2022 capacity assessment of the Office of the Ombudsman conducted jointly by ATF, UNDP and OHCHR as part of the Global Tripartite Partnership.