Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-10-11

Establishment of a Secretariat and an Advisory Committee for the Colombo Process and the Abu Dhabi Dialogue during the period of Sri Lankan chair

- The Colombo Process was established in the year 2003 as a regional consultative process on contractual labour for Asian countries. Similarly, in 2008, the Abu Dhabi Dialogue was founded by stakeholders engaged in the process of recruiting labour with the objective of accepting the joint responsibility of the members states to enforce compliance with international law and regulations relating to the employing of temporary contractual labour. Recognizing Sri Lanka's commitment towards promoting the safety of emigrant workers, Sri Lanka has been unanimously selected for the next Chair of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue for a period of two years. Accordingly, with a view to providing facilities for the functions of the above International Forums, the proposal made by Hon. (Mrs.) Thalatha Atukorala, the Minister of Foreign Employment, for the establishment of a Secretariat and an Advisory Committee for the Colombo Process and the Abu Dhabi Dialogue for the period that Sri Lanka holds the Chair of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, was approved by the Cabinet.