Ombudsmen from all over the world arrived in Bermuda yesterday to take part in a week-long conference on good governance.

Steel drums heralded the arrival of guests from as far afield as South Africa and Denmark at the welcome ceremony of the Caribbean Ombudsman Association's (CAROA) fifth biennial regional conference at the Fairmont Hamilton last night.

Bermuda — which got its own ombudsman in 2005 — is hosting the conference for the first time and the public is invited to attend today to hear about the role of ombudsmen elsewhere around the globe.

Olara Otunnu — a former UN special representative for children of armed conflict — will be the lunchtime keynote speaker at 12.30 p.m.

The Ugandan, who now lives in the States, became the first World's Children's Ombudsman in 2006 at the request of the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child, an organisation based on the UN Child Convention and aimed at strengthening the voices of children.

This week's conference will also hear from M.L. Mushwana, the public protector for the Republic of South Africa, and Baroness Rennie Fritchie, the former UK Commissioner for public appointments.

Other countries represented include Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Cayman, Curaçao, Denmark, Gibraltar, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and the US.

Governor Sir Richard Gozney welcomed the international guests and suggested their role was one of "humanising administrative practice".

He joked that the public in Bermuda was largely assured of good service from civil servants because of the size of the Island and the fact that most people are related or know one another.

"If you are insensitive and it turns out you have been talking to a senior member of your in-laws' family you are going to hear about it," he said.

On a more serious note, he said Ms Brock had already produced a couple of reports highlighting the need for an ombudsman to represent the interests of the public in their dealings with government.

The conference begins at the Fairmont Hamilton today at 8.45 a.m. with an opening address from Premier Ewart Brown.