In a press conference held today (11), Labor and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara announced the commencement of the Colombo Process meeting, scheduled to begin tomorrow (12). The meeting, hosted by Sri Lanka, will address critical issues related to the rights of migrant workers, opportunities in the international labor market, and the proper methods for bringing foreign workers’ remittances into the country.
The Colombo Process Meeting, set to take place in Colombo from December 12 to 14, will be organized under the leadership of Sri Lanka, covering three key areas: skill and qualification identification, cost-effective and secure remittance transfer, and fair and ethical recruitment practices.
Chaired by the governments of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, these thematic areas aim to address crucial aspects of labor migration. The third day of the conference will witness the establishment of a knowledge forum, fostering discussions on the challenges and opportunities in supporting the sustainable socialization of migrant workers returning home after working abroad.
One of the highlights of the event is the launch of the “Regional Handbook on Reintegration for South Asian Migrant Workers.” Developed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with the support of the Ministry of Labor and Foreign Employment and the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, this handbook provides guidelines for the reintegration of returning migrant workers.
Representatives from eleven member countries of the active Colombo Process, along with observers from civil society, the private sector, trade unions, academics, and UN agencies implementing the South and Southeast Asia Labor Migration Control (GOALS) program, as well as other development partners, are expected to participate in the event.
