On 28 February – 1 March 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Department of ASEAN Affairs and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) co-organised the ‘Border Management Cooperation Dialogue for the ASEAN Region’ in Pattaya, Thailand.

This Cooperation Dialogue was aimed to provide a platform for ASEAN Member States to share information on the latest trends of transnational crime and discuss the preparedness of the region to tackle the issues, as well as on the implementation of the ASEAN Border Management Cooperation Roadmap, adopted at the 15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) on 29 September 2021.

Over 70 participants from ASEAN Member States’ relevant agencies, such as border management, immigration, police, public security, foreign affairs, as well as trade and customs, were engaged in sharing experiences, best practices, obstacles, and challenges, as well as views on the possible way forward—with recommendations such as capacity building and information sharing, to complement the Roadmap.

One of the common concerns was the increasing number of victims of trafficking in persons relating to online scams. Addressing such issues require closer border management cooperation as well as for ASEAN to develop a region-wide integrated approach.

Thailand is committed to working closely with all ASEAN Member States in combating transnational crime and illicit cross-border activities through both ASEAN mechanisms as well as bilaterally, to contribute to a safer, more secure, prosperous, and sustainable ASEAN Community.