The second meeting of the Taskforce on Planning and Preparedness included the delivery of a Tabletop Exercise on Irregular and Mixed Migration Movements, to encourage greater awareness, cooperation, and coordination across Member States.
The meeting brought together officials representing immigration, law enforcement, search and
rescue, and other pertinent services from Bali Process members, along with experts from other
relevant organisations involved in migration management.
The meeting was attended by representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Thailand, along with representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Bali Process Regional Support Office (RSO). The Asia Dialogue on Forced Migration participated as observers, and apologies were received from the governments
of Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
Tabletop Exercise
The meeting, organised around a realistic but fictitious and hypothetical scenario, explored the systems, sequencing, and sharing of resources responding to mixed maritime migration movements. Discussion focused on the importance of clarity, coordination, and cooperation in defining relevant needs, capacities, and appropriate responses. Delegates shared experiences, knowledge, tools and methodology towards building greater awareness and timely responses.
Through the sessions, participants demonstrated how they could strengthen their own situational awareness and cooperation in reaching pragmatic solutions by proactively collecting and sharing information in order to identify and locate distressed refugees and migrants at sea; clarifying and harmonising operational responsibilities and capabilities during search and rescue, disembarkation, and reception; coordinating responses both within and among member states that address concerns over safety, security, health, and welfare; and, when possible, sharing costs and assets to ensure timely and life-saving responses.
