The Working Group on Trafficking in Persons is co-chaired by Australia and Indonesia and reports annually to the Bali Process Ad Hoc Group. It serves as a platform for experts from the sixteen member states and three international organizations of the Ad Hoc Group to collaborate on trafficking-related issues. The group enables Bali Process members to exchange information, share best practices, discuss emerging trends, and explore opportunities for international cooperation and capacity building in combating trafficking in persons.

The establishment of the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons was an outcome of the Fifth Bali Process Ministerial Conference, held on 2 April 2013. Terms of reference for the Working Group were endorsed at the Eighth Bali Process Ad Hoc Group Senior Officials Meeting in August 2014.

In 2022, the Working Group released a two-year forward work plan outlining five high-level objectives: enhancing information sharing on trafficking trends and issues, building legal and policy capacity among Bali Process members, promoting cross-border cooperation, strengthening collaboration with other regional organizations, and increasing private sector and civil society engagement, including through the Bali Process Government and Business Forum. These objectives set the groundwork for the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons Forward Work Plan: 2024-2026, which outlines key priorities for the next two years, in line with the 2023 Adelaide Strategy for Cooperation and the Working Group’s Terms of Reference. The 2024-2026 plan focuses on:

• Enhancing information sharing on trafficking trends and related issues.
• Supporting the development and implementation of robust legal and policy frameworks.
• Fostering practical cross-border cooperation.
• Strengthening collaboration with multilateral and regional organizations addressing trafficking.
• Expanding engagement with the private sector and civil society, including through the Bali Process Government and Business Forum.

The Working Group’s co-chairs are committed to fostering collaboration across the Bali Process, ensuring a focus on prevention, disruption, protection, and sustainable reintegration. This Forward Work Plan is a dynamic, “living” document, allowing for adjustments to reflect emerging priorities and developments in the fight against trafficking in persons.