Key Takeaways
- India assumes chair of the Colombo Process, focusing on safe, orderly, and regular migration.
- India’s priorities for the Colombo Process include reviewing financial sustainability, broadening membership, and reconfiguring technical-level collaborations.
- The Colombo Process continues to play a pivotal role in enhancing regional cooperation on migration issues, with India’s leading role renewing the commitment to engaging all member states actively, improving migration governance, and fostering safe, orderly, and regular migration for organised overseas employment.
New Delhi/Geneva: India chaired its first meeting as Chair of the Colombo Process at the Permanent Representative Level Meeting in Geneva on Friday during which it presented an outline of an action plan for the next two years.
The meeting was held at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Headquarters in Geneva. The Secretariat of the Colombo Process is hosted by IOM with its headquarters in Geneva, a statement said.
India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva posted on X:
“India’s Leadership for safe, orderly, legal migration
@SecretaryCPVOIA presents India’s vision & priorities in 1st #ColomboProcess meeting after India became its Chair
We thank all Member States for endorsing India’s plan to revitalise the process &
@UNmigration for Sectt. support.”
Muktesh Pardeshi, Secretary (CPV and OIA), Ministry of External Affairs, delivered the special address as the incoming Chair-in-Office. He emphasised India’s commitment to advancing the objectives of the Colombo Process and enhancing collaboration among member states.
India presented its vision for the Colombo Process, outlining key priorities and initiatives to strengthen the process over the next two years. Key priorities included reviewing financial sustainability, broadening membership, and reconfiguring technical-level collaborations.
India’s priorities for Colombo Process (2024-26) include (a) Reviewing the financial sustainability of the Colombo Process, (b) Broadening the membership by including new member states and observers,(c) Reconfiguring technical-level collaborations,(d) Implementing a structured rotation for the chairmanship,(e) Conducting a regional review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) and (f) Engaging in dialogues with the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) and other regional processes.
The Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process comprising 12 Member States from Asia, which primarily serve as countries of origin for migrant workers. The forum facilitates the exchange of best practices on managing overseas employment.
The meeting was marked by a spirit of cooperation and a shared vision towards the goals of the Colombo Process.
In May 2024, India assumed the chair of the Colombo Process for the first time since its inception.
The Process continues to play a pivotal role in enhancing regional cooperation on migration issues, and with India’s leading role, there is a renewed commitment to engaging all member states actively, improving migration governance, and fostering safe, orderly, and regular migration for organised overseas employment, it said.
