The Seventh Ministerial Conference brought Bali Process Member States together in Bali, Indonesia over 6-7 August 208. Ministers agreed on the following objectives and priorities:
Objectives:
- To address people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crime and to disrupt criminal networks through:
- The advancement of regional dialogue and other engagement mechanisms, the facilitated collaboration to strengthen capacity and to learn from each other’s experiences and best practices.
- The continued, inclusive humanitarian and development cooperation within the region to enhance safe and orderly migration pathways, including for migrant workers.
- The provision of practical assistance by the Regional Support Office to affected countries.
Priorities:
- Improved strategies for victim identification and victim protection consistent with relevant international legal instruments.
- Enhanced cooperation on sustainable return and reintegration strategies including supporting source countries’ initiatives to enhance their absorption capacity.
- Criminalisation of people smuggling and trafficking in persons, in accordance with relevant international law, and regional instruments.
- Capacity building of the relevant agencies in search and rescue operations, and in law enforcement including the financial incentives of related transnational crimes.
- A universal and responsive civil registration and vital statistics system in Asia and the Pacific.
- Constructive private sector engagement to expand legal and legitimate opportunities for labour migration and to combat human trafficking and related exploitation.
- Build engagement and opportunities with relevant civil society organizations in policy dialogue and joint learning to increase capacity including on returns and reintegration.
- Increased links with other related regional and international consultative processes including ASEAN for the sharing of information, intelligence, expertise and best practices.
- Public information campaigns to raise awareness of the risks of irregular migration, the existing regular migration pathways, and the serious determination of law enforcement authorities to bring smugglers and traffickers to justice.
