Recently, Thailand and Australia co-organized two technical activities under the Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (the “Bali Process”) to strengthen regional cooperation to combat trafficking in persons and people smuggling in Bangkok. The two activities which were actively supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are as follows:
1. Bali Process Technical Expert Workshop on Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) and Law Enforcement Cooperation
The Workshop was co-hosted by the Office of the Attorney-General of Thailand and the Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department, during 30 May — 1 June 2011 at the Siam City Hotel, Bangkok. Over 50 participants and experts representing 20 Bali Process member countries, as well as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) attended the workshop.
Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, in his welcoming remarks, called for the enhancement of work to harmonize laws, enhance the effectiveness of investigations and legal cooperation to break the business model of transnational criminal networks. H.E. Mr. Kriangsak Kittichaisaree, Ambassador of Thailand to Australia, also delivered a special presentation on international legal cooperation against transnational organized crime and urged participants to build on the work of the Bali Process on Counter-Terrorism on matters of mutual legal assistance and international legal cooperation.
The Workshop involved discussion of the following topics — the concept of MLA and extradition; MLA core principles and conditions in making and responding to MLA requests and the challenges involved; the linkages between domestic, regional and international frameworks; updates on the latest developments regarding domestic laws; bilateral and regional arrangements on trafficking in persons and people smuggling in ASEAN, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), and extradition issues arising from trafficking in persons and people smuggling cases.
2. Bali Process Technical Workshop on Immigration Aspects of Airport Security
The Workshop was co-hosted by the Thai Immigration Bureau and the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship, during 7 — 10 June 2011 at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok. Police General Wichean Potephosree, Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, and H.E. Mr. James Wise, Australian Ambassador, delivered welcoming remarks to representatives of 39 Bali Process members and observers, including the IOM, the UNODC and the UNHCR.
The Workshop highlighted the following topics - the changing and more complex nature of air travel which required a multi-pronged approach to anticipate and manage border security and challenges, including terrorism and drugs smuggling; the importance of document examination to manage passengers at points of arrival and departure, while balancing service and security, as well as ensuring protection for those in need; the value of partnerships to collaboratively bring illicit networks to justice; the importance of further sharing best practices, information and intelligence, technology and data analysis; and the call for common standards and a comprehensive approach to address irregular movement by air.
The outcome of the two Workshops will be reported to the Bali Process Steering Group meeting on 17 June 2011 in Brisbane and the Bali Process Ad Hoc Group Senior Officials Meeting later on this year. The outcome documents will be made available on the Bali Process website http://www.baliprocess.net/
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th