New Delhi: India has assumed the Chair of Colombo Process for 2024-26, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Wednesday. It is the first time India has assumed the Chair of the Colombo Process since its inception.

Randhir Jaiswal stated that Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process of migrant worker origin countries from South and Southeast Asia. India has been member of Colombo Process since its inception in 2003, according to MEA statement.

In a post on X, Jaiswal stated, "India assumed the Chair of Colombo Process for 2024-26, for the first time since its inception. Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process of migrant worker origin countries from South and SE Asia. It serves as a forum for exchange of best practices on overseas employment."

The Colombo Process comprises 12 Member States of Asia (countries of origin of migrant workers and provides an important for consultations on the management of overseas employment and contractual labour, according to MEA statement.

The Process is non-binding and decision-making is by consensus, according to MEA statement. The Process is coordinated through Permanent Missions of Member States at UN in Geneva. The Process is governed by Ministerial Consultations wherein recommendations and action plans are discussed and adopted by the Ministers of the participating countries.

So far, ministerial consultations have been held in Colombo, Manila, Bali, Dhaka, Colombo and Kathmandu. India has been actively participating in the ministerial consultations, senior Officers Meeting and Meetings of Thematic Area Working Groups (TAWGs), according to MEA statement. India has also contributed to various studies undertaken under this process on remittance framework, rating mechanisms of recruitment agencies, social protection for migrant workers etc.

(With Agency Inputs)