MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. Jeremiah Manele says Solomon Islands remains committed to the Bali Process.
The Minister made the assurance at the 8th Bali Process Ministerial Conference held in Adelaide, South Australia recently.
The Ministerial Conference was preceded by a Senior Officials Meeting and a Business Leaders meeting.
The Ministerial Conference was Co-Chaired by the Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi.
The Bali Process, initiated in 2002 is a forum for policy dialogue, information sharing and practical cooperation to help countries in the Asia/Pacific region to address issues and challenges relating to people smuggling, human trafficking in persons and related transnational crimes.
Speaking during the plenary, Foreign Minister Manele stated, “as a Small Island Developing State in the Blue Pacific continent, Solomon Islands faced huge challenges to police and protect its borders”.
Despite the challenge, Solomon Islands remain committed to address the issues relating to people smuggling, human trafficking and related transnational crimes. For example, Solomon Islands is working towards acceding to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and is currently implementing its 2020-2050 National Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling, developed in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The 8th Bali Process Ministerial Conference saw the adoption of the Adelaide Strategy for Cooperation.
In welcoming the adoption of the Strategy, Minister Manele calls on Bali Process members to work in collaboration with each other to share information, data, resources and support training for law enforcement agencies and responsible authorities to detect, prevent, stop and prosecute those who facilitate and sponsor people smuggling, human trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation.
