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

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.

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 practice.

The RSO is the only cooperation mechanism of its kind in the Asia Pacific region and draws on policy knowledge, technical expertise and operational experience from Bali Process Members and other key stakeholders to develop practical initiatives.