On 9 March 2011, the Co-Chairs of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime hosted the fourth Meeting of Ad Hoc Group Senior Officials in Bali, Indonesia.
In attendance were representatives from Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, as well as representatives from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration. The Philippines, Canada, the United States of America, the ASEAN Secretariat and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime attended the meeting as observers.
The purpose of the fourth Meeting of Ad Hoc Group was to:
- take stock of activities and achievements since the Third Bali Regional Ministerial Conference, held in April 2009
- to make recommendations to the Fourth Bali Process Ministerial Conference on 30 March 2011, and the Bali Process Senior Officials’ Meeting on 10 March 2011
Agenda
1. Meeting opening by Co-Chairs, adoption of agenda and programme of work, and reiteration of the agreed-upon tasks of the Ad Hoc Group mechanism of the Bali Process
2. Review of activities undertaken since the third meeting of the Ad Hoc Group Senior Officials in June 2010
3. Review and reflections on the Ad Hoc Group Progress Report prepared by the Co-Chairs
4. Acknowledgment of the regular program of activity of the Ad Hoc Group at the senior official and working group level and progress made
Key Themes
- Participants affirmed that smuggling and trafficking in persons are related but distinct crimes, and that each requires a targeted response with additional cooperation to assist member states to strengthen capacity to address trafficking in persons, including victim assistance and protection.
- Participants recognised the vulnerability of victims of trafficking and agreed on the importance of a victim- centered approach to law enforcement.
- Participants agreed on the need for strong national legislation and law enforcement, criminalising people smuggling and trafficking in persons mechanisms, and intensified cooperation in the prosecution of these in accordance with domestic law and international human rights principles.
- Participants agreed that border control and law enforcement initiatives must be balanced with practical cooperative solutions that also address the humanitarian and protection needs required to address complex irregular migratory flows.
- Participants welcomed a cooperative framework approach to accommodate the interests of all states involved and ensure collective responsibility in responding to complex migratory movements.
- Participants agreed to establish the UNHCR paper presented at the Workshop on Regional Cooperation and Irregular Migration in Manila on 22 to 23 November 2010, as a foundation for future cooperation to address irregular movement in the region.
Outcomes
Participants committed to progress the work of the Ad Hoc Group by organising:
- workshops on regional approaches to protection resettlement and repatriation, maritime safety in the context of irregular maritime migration, measures to combat trafficking in persons, best practices on Immigration Intelligence Analysis, Integrity of visa processes at overseas missions
- meetings with the Technical Experts Working Group on Irregular Movement by Air and Technical Expert Meeting on Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) and Law Enforcement
- bilateral exchanges by Bali Process AHG members with other member countries
Participants reaffirmed the relevance and utility of the Regional Immigration Liaison Officer Network (RILON) concept, requested that countries continue to progress the establishment of the RILON through their internal mechanisms and recommended broadening the existing RILON concept.
Participants agreed to recommend to Ministers and Bali Process Senior Officials the following:
- retaining the Ad Hoc Group as an effective cooperation mechanism;
- expanding Ad Hoc Group membership as determined by the Steering Group, to other interested Bali Process members and participants;
- establishing an inclusive but non-binding regional cooperation framework as an effective way for interested parties to cooperate to reduce irregular movement through the region, functioning to address refugees, asylum seekers and irregular movement;
- considering how Bali Process officials should be tasked to operationalize a regional framework, supported by UNHCR and IOM.
2011 Workshops
Second Meeting of Bali Process Ad Hoc Group Technical Experts Working Group on Irregular Movement by Air – Colombo, Sri Lanka, 10-11 May 2011
Third Meeting of the Bali Process Ad Hoc Group Technical Experts Working Group on Irregular Movement by Air - Negombo, Sri Lanka, 14-16 November 2011
From 14 to 16 November 2011, the Third Meeting of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process) Ad Hoc Group (AHG) Technical Experts Group on Irregular Movement by Air was held in Negombo, Sri Lanka. The Meeting was co-chaired by Sri Lanka and Australia.
