India moots more member states for ‘Colombo Process’

New Delhi, June 29

Chairing its first meeting of the “Colombo Process”, India has suggested the broadening of membership by including new countries. The meeting was conducted at the permanent representative level in Geneva late evening at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Headquarters.

The Colombo Process is a regional consultative process comprising 12 countries from Asia, which primarily serve as countries of origin for migrant workers. The forum facilitates the exchange of best practices on managing overseas employment.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam are the member states.

Bahrain, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the manpower destination countries.

Muktesh Pardeshi, Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs, emphasised India’s commitment to advancing the objectives of the Colombo Process and enhancing collaboration among member states.

He presented an outline of the action plan for the next two years. An MEA press note said India’s priorities for Colombo Process included “broadening the membership by including new member states and observers”.