The Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime

How the Bali Process works

Established in 2002, and co-chaired by the Governments of Australia and Indonesia, the Bali Process is a non-binding, international and multilateral forum – supporting global efforts to combat people smuggling and trafficking in persons and related transnational crime. The Bali Process helps Member States to develop policy, build capacity, and promotes good practice to tackle these regional challenges.

Our Member States

The Bali Process brings together 45 Member States and 4 Member Organisations – the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime and the International Labor Organization – as well as 18 Observer States and 9 Observer Organisations. Our Member States cover a wide geography across the Asia Pacific and reaching across to Europe and North America.

Bali Process Working Groups

The Bali Process Working Groups bring together practitioners and experts from Bali Process Member States and Organisations to progress work around key issues. The four working groups advance dialogue and establish collaborative approaches on Trafficking in Persons, Disruption of Criminal Networks involved in People Smuggling and Human Trafficking, Returns and Reintegration, and Planning and Preparedness.

The challenges we address

crime-of-people-smuggling-image-1-1 Image

Trafficking in Persons

Trafficking in Persons involves the use of deception, force or fraud to recruit, transport, harbour and ultimately receive and hold people against their will, with the aim of exploiting them for profit – through forced labour, marriage or sexual exploitation. This $150 billion a year global industry can take place both within, and across borders, and men, women and children of all ages and from all backgrounds and nationalities can become victims of this crime.

People Smuggling

People smuggling, also referred to as the smuggling of migrants, refers to the facilitated, illegal movement of people across borders. Complex criminal networks take advantage of those seeking opportunities and a better life, charging high prices for dangerous and illegal journeys, with migrants extremely vulnerable to related forms of crime including trafficking.

Transnational Crime and Technology

The use of technology by transnational crime networks has become a growing concern for Bali Process Members and Observers. Criminal groups are increasingly exploiting digital tools to conduct operations across borders, creating new challenges for law enforcement in detection, investigation, and disruption.

Upcoming: Nineteenth Meeting of the Bali Process Ad Hoc Group Senior Officials

The Bali Process Ad Hoc Group Senior Officials’ Meeting will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 28 August 2026. The meeting will bring together senior officials from Bali Process member governments and organisations to discuss regional migration issues and strengthen cooperation on people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crime. Further information, outcomes and meeting materials will be published following the event.

Ad Hoc Group Meetings

The Regional Support Office of the Bali Process

The Regional Support Office of the Bali Process (RSO) provides a unique function and resource – delivering practical, on-the-ground support for the Bali Process and its Working Groups.

The RSO works to strengthen cooperation across Member States, and to translate ambitions into action and real-world impact – through knowledge transfer and the sharing of information and best practices.

As the only mechanism of its kind in the Asia–Pacific region, the RSO leverages policy expertise, technical skills, and operational experience from Bali Process Members and partners to design and deliver practical initiatives that address regional challenges in migration management, trafficking in persons, and related transnational crime.

Find out more

The Bali Process: 20 Years

In the 20 years since the first meeting of the Bali Process Ministerial Conference in 2002, the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime has evolved and grown to match the changing scale and complexity of the issues within its mandate.

Today, the Bali Process provides its 45 Member States, four Member Organisations, 18 Observer States and nine Observer Organisations with a crucial forum for policy dialogue, information sharing and capacity building, supported by four Working Groups, the Regional Support Office and the Government and Business Forum.

Read the Publication