On 7 August 2018, H.E. Mr. Virasakdi Futrakul, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, led the Thai delegation to attend the 7^th Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process) in Bali, Indonesia. The Thai delegation comprised representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Immigration Bureau. The participation emphasized Thailand’s efforts in addressing irregular migration, people smuggling, trafficking in persons, and related transnational crimes, together with other countries in the region.

          The Ministerial Conference adopted the Declaration of the Seventh Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process, which reaffirms the joint commitment of the Bali Process members to forge regional cooperation to tackle irregular migration in an inclusive, effective, and sustainable manner based on international burden sharing principle. The Declaration also reflects the determination of the members to further enhance their collaboration in accordance with the Bali Declaration from the 6^th Bali Process Ministerial Conference in 2016.

          At the Conference, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs gave an assessment on the success of the Bali Process in the past 2 years, introduced Thailand’s progress at the national level, including the ratification of Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention (P29) and the finalisation of the draft Prevention and Suppression of Migrants Smuggling Act, as well as suggested that the Bali Process consider assisting its member states in the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

          The Thai delegation also attended the 2^nd Bali Process Government and Business Forum. The AAA (Acknowledge, Act, Advance) Recommendations were introduced by the business leaders as a future platform to tackle the forced labour issue. On this occasion, H.E. Mr. Songphol Sukchan, Ambassador of Thailand to Indonesia, informed the participants of various collaborations between the Royal Thai Government and the business sector to raise awareness on the issue, including to strengthen the legal framework and develop long-term partnership. Representatives from the private sector expressed their readiness to continue working on eradicating forced labour and modern slavery from the supply chain. In the meantime, the Conference confirmed the Government and Business Forum as a permanent track of the Bali Process.

          The 7^th Bali Process Ministerial Conference was attended by representatives from 43 member states and international organisations, of which 26 countries/organisations were represented at the ministerial level, the highest number since the Bali Process was established in 2002. The Conference was co-chaired by the Hon. Julie Bishop, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, and H.E. Mrs. Retno Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia.

          During the Conference, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs also held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Both sides discussed various migration situations in the region.