Hong Kong’s Office of The Ombudsman has reported remarkable results in all three strategic focuses championed by the Ombudsman in the past year, further stepping up its supervisory role to bring about tangible improvements in public administration.

The office exceeded all its service targets in handling enquiries, complaints, reassessment and review of complaints, according to the 2025-26 Annual Report of The Ombudsman released on Wednesday.

During the reporting year, the office resolved by mediation 1,145 cases, more than double the number of the previous year and accounting for 72 percent of all cases pursued, it said in a statement, adding that the average time taken to resolve a complaint by way of mediation was just 7.94 days.

In support of the office's mediation efforts, government departments and public organizations used mediation more extensively to handle complaints and promptly address public grievances, it added.

According to the report, the office completed 10 direct investigation operations and concluded 46 cases by full investigation during the year. A total of 573 recommendations, more than double the previous year's figure, were made to drive substantive reforms across various areas of public administration, all of which were accepted by the departments and organizations concerned.

During the same time, the office received 5,167 complaints on various topics and completed 5,012 cases, of which 3,421 were assessed and closed and 1,591 were pursued and concluded, the report added.

Since taking office in April 2024, the Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi has championed three strategic focuses: enhancing mediation to swiftly resolve complaints, effectively address public concerns and improve people's livelihood; fostering interdepartmental collaboration to improve administrative efficiency; and cultivating a positive complaint culture within the community, according to the office.

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“The three strategic focuses aim at improving the overall quality of public administration and bringing tangible benefits to the public. At the same time, we encourage the government and society to work together towards building a more harmonious, liveable and progressive city. In the second reporting year of my tenure, all three initiatives have already yielded significant results,” said Chan.

During the 2025-26 reporting year, the office promoted interdepartmental collaboration, actively advocating seamless service delivery by all departments and organizations under the "One Government" approach, the statement says, adding that the office's efforts were fruitful in completing five direct investigations and 396 important complaints on this front.

Committed to fostering a positive complaint culture in all sectors of society, particularly among the youth, the office organized 17 talks at universities, tertiary institutions and secondary schools, and participated in seven career fairs, reaching out to more than 66,000 young people.

During the reporting year, the office also established the Hong Kong International Ombudsman Academy. Through lectures and seminars, it created diverse interactive platforms to deepen exchanges with local, Chinese mainland and international counterparts, while promoting a positive complaint culture and the concept of maladministration prevention, it added.