H.E. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, will attend the inaugural Bali Process Government and Business Forum during 24 – 25 August 2017 at the Government House, Perth, Western Australia. 

The proposal to convene the Forum was a tangible result of the discussions held at the 6^th Bali Process Ministerial Conference in March 2016, in Bali, where Ministers jointly recognized the need to engage constructively with the private sector in a genuine partnership to combat human trafficking and related exploitation in our region, including by promoting and implementing humane and non-abusive labor practices throughout the supply chains. The Forum will become a permanent track of the Bali Process and offers a mechanism for consultation amongst members and business representatives in responding to human trafficking and modern slavery.

The Bali Process Government and Business Forum will bring together representatives from 24 Bali Process Member States, including 2 Vice President/ Deputy Prime Minister level from Palau and Malaysia, 10 Ministers from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Thailand, Myanmar, Vanuatu, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Australia, 5 Vice Ministers from Japan, Mongolia, Nauru, Turkey, and Afghanistan, 27 business leaders from 26 countries including high level representative from Thai Union Group and 3 international organizations.  All stakeholders will jointly consider and map out effective ways to prevent and combat human trafficking and related exploitation in terms of policy and best practices in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). 

Thailand’s participation at the inaugural Bali Process Government and Business Forum demonstrates its commitment to combat human trafficking in the fishery and manufacturing industry in accordance with the “Zero tolerance” policy framework on human trafficking which has been a national priority since 2014.  It will also highlight the holistic approach Thailand has undertaken against human trafficking in all forms under effective coordination and cooperation involving all stakeholders including the private sector.