Since its inception in 2002, the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process) has effectively raised regional awareness of the consequences of people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crime. It is a forum for policy dialogue, information sharing and practical cooperation to help the region address these challenges. The Bali Process, co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia, has more than 48 members, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as well as a number of observer countries and international agencies. It also includes the Ad Hoc Group, bringing together those most-affected member countries, and relevant international organisations, to address specific people smuggling, trafficking in persons, and irregular migration issues in the region.  

The core objectives of the Bali Process include the development of more effective information and intelligence sharing;  improved cooperation among regional law enforcement agencies to deter and combat people smuggling and trafficking networks; enhanced cooperation on border and visa systems to detect and prevent illegal movements;  increased public awareness in order to discourage these activities and warn those susceptible;  enhanced effectiveness of return as a strategy to deter people smuggling and trafficking through conclusion of appropriate arrangements; cooperation in verifying the identity and nationality of illegal migrants and trafficking victims; the enactment of national legislation to criminalise people smuggling and trafficking in persons; provision of appropriate protection and assistance to the victims of trafficking, particularly women and children; enhanced focus on tackling the root causes of illegal migration, including by increasing opportunities for legal migration between states; assisting countries to adopt best practices in asylum management, in accordance with the principles of the Refugees Convention; and advancing the implementation of an inclusive non-binding regional cooperation framework under which interested parties can cooperate more effectively to reduce irregular movement through the region.