BANGKOK, 25-26 MARCH 2015 – NEXUS participated in the Bali Process Symposium on Trafficking for the Purposes of Labour Exploitation in Bangkok, Thailand (co-hosted by Thailand and Australia). The Bali Process Regional Symposium was held back-to-back with the first meeting of the Bali Process Working Group on Trafficking in Persons and brought together counter-trafficking experts from Bali Process member countries and organizations. NEXUS Senior Researcher Rebecca Surtees presented on trends and issues in labor trafficking in Southeast Asia, focusing on the different forms of labor trafficking in and from the region, as well as the general trend for victims of labor trafficking to be unidentified and unassisted.

The symposium was attended by 117 participants, including officials from 35 Bali Process member countries and observers, and experts from academia, international organizations, industry and NGOs. It facilitated a rich discussion on labor trafficking issues, focused on examining emerging trends in labor trafficking in the region, and identifying areas for cooperation between Bali Process members to address the issue. Participants identified key themes that Bali Process members could further explore.