The Senior Officials Meeting served as a preparatory forum for the Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crimes, held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2003.
H.E. Dr N. Hassan Wirajuda, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, highlighted the progress achieved by the two Bali Process Ad-Hoc Experts’ Working Groups, which implemented their work programmes through a series of meetings, surveys, assessments, and workshops.
The Ad-Hoc Experts’ Working Group on Regional and International Cooperation focused on strengthening information sharing and exchange among participating countries. The group conducted studies on the feasibility of establishing a regional information network, promoted public awareness campaigns, and identified key capacity gaps along with practical approaches to address them. These efforts were aimed at improving regional coordination and fostering a more unified response to irregular migration, people smuggling, and trafficking in persons.
The Ad-Hoc Experts’ Working Group on Legislative Framework, Policy Issues, and Law Enforcement undertook a comprehensive survey and assessment of national legislation across participating countries. It established networks of cooperation among relevant law enforcement agencies and began developing model laws to criminalise the activities of smugglers and traffickers. The group also identified areas requiring further capacity building and cooperation, including measures to strengthen identity verification, document examination, and overall law enforcement effectiveness.
Collectively, the work of the two Working Groups provided a foundation for informed discussions at the Ministerial Conference, ensuring that policy and operational responses were grounded in evidence, regional collaboration, and practical experience.
