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2. Cooperation with other migration related processes and partners
Under Sri Lanka’s Chairmanship of the CP we also sought to strengthen relationships with other Processes and Partners.
Prominent among these has been the CPs cooperation within the Abu-Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), a forum which brings together both Asia’s labour migrant sending CP countries and receiving GCC countries. In this period there have been several important initiatives that we have cooperated on involving clusters of CP and GCC countries - the ADD Skills Development, certification and mutual recognition pilot project involving UAE with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, the Comprehensive Information Orientation Programme (CIOP) involving Saudi Arabia with Bangladesh and UAE with the Philippines, ethical recruitment research involving UAE with Kerala in India and Nepal.3 We must increase joint activities through replicating existing clusters involved in thematic projects to all members of the CP in the Asia-GCC Corridors and also consider appropriately on how to respond to any future policy developments in the GCC on labour mobility. Additionally, as the CP countries further operationalise the Colombo Ministerial mandated initiative to seek to collaborate in Consular Support for Migrant Workers in GCC countries and in sharing best practices, our enhanced engagement within the ADD would be of particular significance. Sri Lanka which assumed the Chair of the ADD in January 2017 looks forward to actively contribute to move forward the ADD agenda for the mutual benefit of both the labour sending and receiving countries.
In order to enhance the CP’s Cooperation with the European Union (EU), the third Asia-EU Dialogue was held in Colombo following the 2nd SOM from 15-16 October 2014. The two-day meeting focused on discussions on access to EU markets in semi-skilled and seven skilled categories; labour market assessments in Europe; policy aspects and regulation of labour migration to Europe; enhancing the employability of Asian skilled labour and professionals in the EU market; practical tools to promote labour migration between Asia and EU; and good practices in Asia-EU Labour Migration. At the 3rd SOM, the CP Members revisited the need to enhance cooperation with the EU, not only through an Asia-EU Dialogue, but through exploring options to expanding the EU market for migrant workers from the CP countries. The EU has also continued to support some of the project activity of the CP. Despite the EU’s current migration focus having been extensively aimed at handling the large scale flows into the European region itself, the CP has continued to express its interest to map out areas where concrete steps can be taken between the two groups of countries.
The CP has also worked towards enhancing cooperation with the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), a government-led process to advance understanding and cooperation on the mutually reinforcing relationship between migration and development and to foster practical and action- oriented outcomes. The Philippines and Sri Lanka have had opportunity to share the experience of CP on the social impact of the ongoing Global Compact on Migration (GCM) discussions at the GFMD dialogue held in New York in November last year. The CP must continue to remain engaged on this issue both directly, and as part of the ADD.
Regarding the initiatives on the GCM, particularly in the lead up to holding of the thematic sessions and finalisation a Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration by September 2018, CP as an active Regional Consultative Process would be able to further contribute. I have been invited to Chair a Working Session on Irregular Migration and regular pathways, which is the 6th Thematic Cluster Proposed in the GCM, at the forthcoming 2nd Preparatory Meeting of the GFMD 2017, which will be held on 6 April in Geneva. We will take this opportunity to share the progress and best practices of CP in managing labour mobility in our region, as well as on our cooperation with the ADD.
Over the past three years Sri Lanka has also been honoured to represent the CP at the IOM’s Global RCP meeting in Cairo in November 2015 and in Geneva in October 2016. Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Employment Talatha Atukorale, as Chair-in-Office of the CP attended the Geneva Meeting last year, where the Colombo Processes was commended for the many tangible actions it had taken to better the lot of migrant workers, and also for being the first RCP which had sought to operationalise the migration-related goals in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
In our capacity as the Chair of the CP, I also had the opportunity to engage with Francois Crepeau, the then Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, and at his invitation, participated as a keynote speaker at the Expert Consultation on Recruitment Practices and their impact on human rights of migrants, organised by the OHCHR on 31 October 2014, pursuant to the mandate given to the Special Rapporteur vide the Human Rights Council Resolution 26/19.
3. Institutional reform
While the Colombo Process was re-invigorated, Sri Lanka also took the view that the institutional and financial mechanisms of the CP must also be strengthened. The CP took advantage of the physical presence of all its Member States here in Geneva, and through a series of meetings by our experts and later at Ambassador level, Colombo Process evolved a self-funding mechanism which is now in operation. Following the endorsement at the 5th Ministerial Meeting in Colombo in August 2016, with your concurrence, I signed an MOU with IOM in January this year on the TOR regarding management of the CP Fund. The purpose was to ensure predictability of our regular meetings and rotation of the Chairmanship, and also to ensure some flexibility to engage in the agreed substantive work. I invite all Member States who are yet to deposit their annual contributions to do it early.
Similarly, the amended Operating Modalities of the CP were adopted bringing more clarity on issues such as the Self-financing mechanism, membership, rotation of chairmanship and on participation of observers and civil society in the work of CP.
The collective progress shown by this Group has indeed been an inspiration to our neighbours to join our work. We have also grown in number with Cambodia joining during the last Ministerial Meeting held in Colombo as the twelfth member of the CP.
The last Ministerial meeting also formalised the Geneva engagement done through Experts and Ambassadors, so that we now have the mandate to conduct the CP work in the intercessional period of SOMs. Over the past 3½ years under Sri Lanka’s Chairmanship, we have had over eight PR Meetings and more than 14 Expert Level meetings here in Geneva.
Considering the importance of keeping networked at all levels, the Minister of Labour Promotion Talatha Atukorale hosted an informal briefing with the Heads of CP diplomatic Missions based in Colombo in January 2017, which provided an opportunity to discuss and exchange notes on various activities of the CP.
The August 2016 Ministerial Meeting also approved the setting up of the Colombo Process Technical Support Unit (TSU) in Colombo-Sri Lanka, in support of the CP goals, and also to provide support to all the CP Member States in pursuing the goals and actions set in the current five thematic priorities of the CP and any other areas that the CP would agree in the future.
The TSU presently headed by a technical expert recruited by IOM, while servicing all five Thematic Area Working Groups has also upgraded the CP website http://www.colomboprocess.org/, which in addition to material available to the public, also has a Restricted Interface and since 29 September 2016 registered CP Member States officials has been provided access to this Restricted Interface, which is regularly been updated, especially the TAWG section, while some pages remain work in progress. As of date, 47 CPMS officials (both at the capital and Geneva levels) are registered through receiving login credentials.
The future
As we turn a new chapter in the Colombo Process today, I wish to thank the Government of Nepal for agreeing to lead us for the next two years. Nepal has shown a keen interest and commitment on contractual labour migration and Ambassador Deepak Dhital’s role in our PR level meetings has been particularly constructive. We are happy to hand over to him
a well-functioning process, which I am sure will grow from strength to strength over the coming years. Please be assured that as the outgoing Chair, the Government of Sri Lanka, as well as the Sri Lanka Mission in Geneva, will continue to extend its unwavering support to the Government of Nepal and to the Nepal Mission team in Geneva towards your endeavours.
Before I hand over, let me pay tribute to a few individuals and organisations that deserve our appreciation for their understanding and cooperation on the common cause that we have embarked upon in the CP;
nTo Minister of Foreign Employment Talatha Atukorale, whom all of you have come to know through the past few years, I am grateful for her support and commitment shown in guiding the challenging agenda that has been before us. My colleagues and I also appreciate the considerable trust and confidence the Minister and Secretary G.S Withanage have continued to place in the Geneva Mission for operationalising the CP agenda on a day to day basis, availing of the presence of the Geneva based Migration related expertise of CP Member States and the IOM. That Minister Athukorale is presently the Chair of the larger migration platform of Asia – the ADD, will no doubt be a matter of reassurance to Member States of the CP that Sri Lanka will continue to work for the welfare of the Asian migrant workforce with even greater vigour.
nTo all CP Member States, my fellow Ambassadors, as well as those colleagues who have participated at the Expert level, let me say that all we have achieved over the past 3½ years would not have been possible, if not for the very committed constructive engagement shown by all delegations during our meetings, and your ability to get the attention of your capitals and linking between Colombo, Geneva and your respective capitals. Complementing the four SOMs and the Ministerial Meeting held in Colombo and the several Thematic Areas Working Group (TAWG) sessions in Bangkok and in Colombo, as also earlier noted that we have done all the strategising needed through only eight meetings at the level of Permanent Representatives and 14 expert level meetings, is a tribute not only to the commitment we have all brought to this task, but if I may say so, also to the efficiency with which it has been done.
nAmbassador Swing, true to your mandate as the Head of the leading International Agency for Migration which is now part of the UN System, over these years you have not only inspired us to do what we did, but also been ready to roll up your sleeves and help do the hard pulling whenever the going got tough – and there were multiple occasions. To Ambassador Laura Thompson and the Heads of Departments of the IOM, in particular to the International Partnership Division (IPD) and Labour Mobility and Human Development Division (LHD), I am most grateful for the support you provided and the priority you placed on our work, as did IOM Head of Mission in Colombo Giuseppe Crocetti, Shantha Kulasekera and all the staff, who supported the CP related work and the many related meetings held in Sri Lanka.
nA special word of thanks to all experts from across the various departments of the IOM – particularly Tauhid Pasha, Maureen Achieng, Meera Sethi, Nicoletta Giordano, Akio Nakayama, Marina Manke, Mailan Thai and Rachel Velasco, as well as Masako Ueda -the Head of the CP-TSU in Colombo, and Mohamed El Zarkani, Head of IOM in Kuwait, for their collective spirit in helping me and the Sri Lanka Mission in executing the mandate given to us by the CP Ministers and the SOMs. They have earned our highest professional respect and personal affection for going way beyond their call of duty.
nWe also wish to take this opportunity to thank the experts in ILO, WHO and UNWOMEN, who on various occasions have contributed to strengthen the work of CP thematic areas by their valuable inputs, research work and expert opinions.
nTo Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), I would request Patricia Pfister, the representative of SDC to convey our deep appreciation to the Swiss Government for your support, in particular for your generous financial assistance which has considerably helped in sustaining the momentum of our activity. The roles played by Shabrinath Nayar the Regional Director in Dhaka, and Stefan Bieglar, the former SDC focal point are particularly appreciated.
nWe also acknowledge the support provided to us by the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) and its Head of Secretariat Alex Zalami and staff in furthering the CP agenda.
nAs for my Colleagues in the Mission, I am thankful to former DPR Manisha Gunasekera for helping in re-energising the CP activity at the initiation of Sri Lanka’s Chairmanship, and to current DPR Samantha Jayasuriya, who over the past 2½ years has led the CP Experts Group in Geneva during which time we have seen much of the expansion and operationalisation of the CP’s ambitious agenda and administrative and financial reform. They together with one other officer from the Mission supporting migration at any given time have proved that you don’t need large armies to do good, provided there was sufficient empathy and commitment.
Distinguished colleagues, in conclusion, while we must be under no illusion that the problems faced by labour migrants of our region are appreciably less, Sri Lanka can look back with satisfaction to this period of stewardship of the Colombo Process - confident that we sought to tackle some of the most pressing issues faced by labour migrants of CP member countries, put in place some of the best practices to mitigate and overcome their problems, developed some of the most vital linkages between the sources of supply and demand that could help, and strengthened both the institutional and financial capacity for the CP to be better prepared for the future.
It is my sincere hope that as the Colombo Process moves on in the coming years under the leadership of Nepal, that we will be able to collectively continue to make an even more meaningful difference to the lives and welfare of over 45 million of our migrant workforce from Asia, and the additional several millions of their families, who have been a considerable lifeline to our national economies and development efforts. At a time migration is centre stage globally, let us also hope that our collective efforts will contribute to the process of norm setting and institution building in this field, which will ensure safe, orderly and regular migration for all.
Footnotes
3 ADD SOM report to 4th Ministerial Meeting January 2017-Colombo
