Regional Protection

• Australian Red Cross, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Home Affairs have organised three roundtables to discuss trends and evidence from the Asia Pacific Migration Network (APMN, of which Australian Red Cross is Co-Chair) that supports the exploration of opportunities to engage on regional protection for vulnerable migrants, and to build on existing regional cooperation.
• Australian Red Cross and the Home Affairs International Division engaged during the negotiation phase of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees.
• In addition, Australian Red Cross continues to engage on regional issues associated with Trafficking, People Smuggling and other related issues through the National Roundtable on Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery, and the Home Affairs NGO Dialogue.

Collaboration has been particularly strengthened with regard to Human Trafficking and the Bali Process, including:

• The Governments of Australia and Indonesia, in collaboration with Australian Red Cross, co-hosting a regional roundtable on the Trafficking in Person Working Group of the Bali Process.
• Alongside government representatives, NGOs and civil society, 9 National Society representatives, including the APMN Secretariat, attending the Bali Process workshop on Human Security and Trafficking, with support of the Regional Support Office of the Bali Process and Home Affairs.
• Four National Society representatives being invited to attend the Bali Process Symposium on Supply Chain Transparency in Jakarta in June 2019, and Australian Red Cross as well as Philippines Red Cross presenting on their experiences and expertise at the forum.
• Additional increased regional and global engagement on Modern Slavery, included supporting Home Affairs Modern Slavery Unit to prepare for and facilitate a study visit involving four delegates from the newly established Sri Lankan Victim and Witness Protection Unit for people who are at risk of or have experienced Modern Slavery, presenting to a visiting Thai delegation, and engaging with representatives from the UK Home Office visiting Australia to explain the Support for Trafficked Persons program and the victim centred approach. The UK delegation indicated that they are interested in learning more about the Red Cross Strengths and Needs Assessment.

Supporting the broader Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, Australian Red Cross has also:

• Supported the Asia Pacific Migration Network (APMN), which now engages 35 National Societies, as co-chair and by providing the Secretariat function;
• Contributed to the IFRC Global Migration Taskforce, including by taking a lead role in policy work and representation from an Asia Pacific perspective in global migration issues, in particular the Global Compacts for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees.; and
• Worked closely with Asia Pacific migration advisors from ICRC and IFRC.