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Bali Process to engage private sector

Indonesia and Australia will lead the way for business leaders and private sector players to actively engage in the global fight to end people smuggling, trafficking in persons (TiP) and related crimes, as the two nations prepare to co-host the newly initiated Bali Process Government and Business Forum in Perth, Australia, on Aug

Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, August 22, 2017

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Bali Process to engage private sector

I

ndonesia and Australia will lead the way for business leaders and private sector players to actively engage in the global fight to end people smuggling, trafficking in persons (TiP) and related crimes, as the two nations prepare to co-host the newly initiated Bali Process Government and Business Forum in Perth, Australia, on Aug. 24 and 25.

The forum, set to be a permanent Track 1.5 diplomatic initiative gathering stakeholders from government and the private sector from countries most affected by human trafficking, seeks to promote “safe and legal labor opportunities for migrant workers”, the Foreign Ministry revealed.

“The goal is simple — we aim to [collaborate with] the private sector,” ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told reporters at a weekly press briefing in Jakarta on Monday.

“I think that the whole purpose is that Indonesia and Australia recognize that, from the very beginning, collaboration is needed to address the issue of people smuggling and irregular migration.”

Since its inception in 2002, the Bali Process has provided a vehicle for raising regional awareness of the consequences of people smuggling, human trafficking and related transnational crimes.

The Bali Process policy dialogue is co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia and has more than 48 members, comprising relevant international organizations and countries from where victims of TiP often originate, as well as countries of transit and countries of destination.

During the sixth Bali Process ministerial meeting in 2016, the ministers recognized the need to engage the private sector to combat human trafficking, forced labor and related exploitation.

“We started with strengthening cooperation among governments in the countries of origin, countries of destination and in countries of transit. Five years on we realize the business sector could help in addressing many of the issues faced by the irregular migrants,” Arrmanatha said.

He said that Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi would be co-hosting the forum with her Australian counterpart, Julie Bishop, as well as two other representatives from the private sector.

Andrew Forrest, chairman of Fortescue Metals and founder of the Walk Free Foundation, is to represent businesses from Australia, while Eddy Sariaatmadja of the Emtek Group diversified media conglomerate is to spearhead private sector collaboration on the Indonesian side.

Grata Endah Werdaningtyas, the ministry’s recently appointed director for international security and disarmament, said the forum is expected to produce two main outcomes, namely a co-chair statement and the so-called Perth Work Plan, which would be “independently and voluntarily developed by the participating business leaders.”

Grata said the Perth Work Plan would focus on initiatives in four areas: ethical recruitment, supply chain transparency, ethical business practices for the private sector and safeguards.

These four initiatives would in turn be applicable in four sectors: education, regulation, incentivization and innovation.

“After the forum in Perth, each government will work on the proposal under the work plan and will create their own program of cooperation with business leaders from other countries or within their own countries,” Grata told the press briefing.

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