Budapest Process is a good example of cooperation between countries of two regions; Europe and Asia. A successful process, it gathers over 50 countries and more than ten international organisations. It aims to foster dialogue and share best practices in managing migration flows in order to achieve concrete and results-oriented outcomes.

In the course of the last 10 years, the Budapest Process has seen thematic and geographical growth and has come to master the balance between political dialogue and operational action, with concrete projects flanking the dialogue and creating tangible outcomes of the political objectives established. Policy advice and capacity building, in the Silk Routes region especially, are in direct correlation with the dialogue’s activities and outputs.

Main aim

With over 50 governments and 10 international organisations aiming at developing comprehensive and sustainable systems for orderly migration, the Budapest Process is one of the longest-standing cooperation frameworks on migration for Europe and its eastern neighbours. It was started as an informal political setting, creating the possibility to agree on policy targets and standards for cooperation without legally binding the participating states. Through dialogue and the exchange of information and experience, a common understanding of migration concepts and policies is promoted. 

Success factors

The Budapest Process provides an informal and flexible framework for states and other stakeholders to meet on an equal footing and address issues of common concern. Adhering and adjusting to the priorities of participating states is a key feature of the Process and has substantially contributed to its success. The Budapest Process also offers a platform for coordination and operational cooperation on projects in the regions of interest. In 2013, the Budapest Process adopted the Istanbul Ministerial Declaration on a Silk Routes Partnership for Migration which focuses on six priority goals. These have also contributed to the renewed relevance and impetus of the dialogue and offered a thematic structure to the exchanges and cooperation opportunities engaged in by the countries.
The dialogue has also led to projects on the ground in the Silk Routes region. Initially pilot projects on capacity building actions short term assistance projects or flagship initiatives; these have developed into fully-fledged projects funded by the European Union.

Constraints and challenges

Priorities of the partners are often not coinciding but it is important to keep a balanced dialogue. The flexibility of the dialogue also affects the planning of activities.

Dates

Officially launched in 1993, the Budapest Process dialogue has been facilitating exchanges between regions and countries for over 25 years.