At the 19th Steering Group Meeting, senior officials from Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and New Zealand, The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reflected on progress made against the Adelaide Strategy for Cooperation and identified opportunities to continue to enhance and focus progress for Bali Process Member efforts.  

This was followed by broader updates from Members of the Ad Hoc Group at the 18th Bali Process Senior Officials’ Meeting, with Bangladesh, Malaysia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also in attendance.

RSO Co-Managers David Scott (Australia) and Fuad Adriansyah (Indonesia) provided updates on activities led by the Regional Support Office of the Bali Process (RSO) to support Member States against the 2024-2026 Work Plan, including through an expansion of the RSO’s research portfolio, support for capability development, policy dialogue and development, and through opportunities to strengthen cross-border networks and mutual understanding on issues related to international migration.  

Discussions over the two days acknowledged the ever-increasingly complex and unpredictable environment Member State governments must navigate in considering international migration challenges, and noted irregular maritime movements in the Andaman Sea, and trafficking in persons into online scams, as the two continued priority challenges for the region. 

Bali Process Senior Official Co-Chairs Australia and Indonesia highlighted the active support provided by the RSO, and the progress made in particular towards progressing the Adelaide Strategy Areas of Law Enforcement, Stakeholder Engagement and Border Management.  

Co-Chairs called on all Members to continue to enhance efforts in line with the Adelaide Strategy for Cooperation, particularly in the areas of information sharing and public information campaigns, victim protection and migration management.

At the Ad Hoc Group meeting, the RSO provided a thematic presentation to Senior Officials, outlining challenges related to the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to support trafficking operations, as well as considerations for governments around how to harness AI to counter trafficking.  

Examples of potential positive uses of AI identified included:  

• Searching huge volumes of online activity and identifying suspicious recruitment patterns online  

• Using facial recognition technology to compare images from online adverts with missing persons technology, particularly useful in sex trafficking cases  

• Processing unstructured data from victim testimonies to identify themes that can support improved policy and operational responses  

The presentation outlined a roadmap for governments in enhancing adoption of AI, including upskilling officials, governance considerations that can support targeted and ethical usage, effective collaboration with private sector, and support public trust.

IOM and UNHCR presented a joint update on mixed migration movements in the region, reflecting complex drivers of movement and vulnerability, and systemic barriers resulting from limited access to regular pathways, and the high administrative burden and cost associated with regular migration routes.  

The presentation emphasised rising maritime fatalities—with 2024 one of the deadliest years on record. Conflict, persecution, economic hardship, climate displacement, and a lack of legal migration pathways continue to drive irregular movements.  

Worsening conditions compounded by diminished humanitarian aid and heightened risks of forced returns, are increasing secondary movements and vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation. 

Regional cooperation and evidence-based action to protect vulnerable populations and support orderly migration management remains critical.  

Cross-border counterparts will have the opportunity to continue to facilitate progress in regional cooperation as officials gather in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia the week following the Bali Process meetings.  

The RSO and the Government of Malaysia, as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Voluntary Lead Shepherd for People Smuggling, will bring together senior law enforcement and border management officials from ASEAN Member States, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste and Australia to discuss opportunities for cooperation to strengthen regional responses to counter maritime smuggling and transnational crime. 

The RSO, through its 2024-2026 Work Plan, will continue to work closely with Member States and Organisations, including through the continued expansion of the RSO Secondment Program. In the past year, the RSO has hosted five secondees from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Sri Lankan Department for Immigration and Emigration.  

The secondment programme with Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration, funded by the government of New Zealand, has focused on fostering information sharing around aviation people smuggling and trafficking in persons, and their placement in the RSO has supported enhanced coordination, in particular between Sri Lankan officials, Thai Immigration Bureau and regionally based Airline Liaison Officers. 

There are opportunities to build on this model – and the RSO welcomes interest from other Bali Process members who may wish to explore this model and embed officers in RSO offices in Bangkok on relevant issues. 

As RSO Co-Managers David Scott and Fuad Adriansyah noted in their remarks to Ad Hoc Group Members, “As we look ahead, we remain committed to strengthening these partnerships, building on the achievements of the past year, and working collaboratively to advance shared objectives in line with the Adelaide Strategy for Cooperation. 

“It is important to reflect that it is ultimately Member States as Sovereign Actors that hold the power to legislate, operationalise, and lead action on the ground. The RSO stands ready to support and add value across these efforts.”