From 20 to 22 October 2026, the Bali Process held a series of events in Colombo, Sri Lanka, bringing together members and observers to strengthen regional cooperation on trafficking in persons, irregular migration, and preparedness and response. The programme included the Ninth Meeting of the Taskforce on Planning and Preparedness (TFPP), the Twelfth Meeting of the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons (WG-TIP), a Joint Regional Event, and site visits to key Sri Lankan institutions.
The Ninth TFPP Meeting on 20 October focused on emerging migration trends, irregular maritime migration movements, preparedness and response arrangements, and operational challenges. A tabletop exercise provided participants with an opportunity to explore regional information sharing and coordination in response to a large-scale irregular maritime migration scenario, with discussions highlighting the importance of situational awareness, information exchange, regional cooperation and preparedness.
The Twelfth WG-TIP Meeting on 21 October provided a platform for members and observers to share national developments, emerging trends and challenges in responding to trafficking in persons. Discussions addressed regional trafficking trends, engagement with the private sector and civil society, financial investigations, law and justice responses, and regional responses to trafficking associated with online scam centres.
On 22 October, the Joint Regional Event brought the WG-TIP and TFPP mechanisms together to consider issues of shared regional importance. Discussions covered saving lives at sea, the exploitation of lawful migration pathways by transnational serious and organised crime, the impacts of natural and humanitarian disasters on irregular migration, people smuggling and trafficking in persons, and practical support available to Bali Process members through the Regional Support Office.
Following the Joint Regional Event, delegates took part in site visits to four Sri Lankan institutions, offering a practical look at national approaches relevant to the work of the WG-TIP and TFPP. The visits explored border control, risk assessment and trafficking-related investigations at the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE); maritime information sharing and regional cooperation at the Sri Lanka Navy Information Fusion Centre; counter-trafficking initiatives related to overseas employment at the Counter Trafficking Unit of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (CTU-SLBFE); and efforts to prevent and respond to abuse against children and women, including law enforcement responses, at the Police Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women (BPACW).