9 November 2009
Joint Ministerial Statement
We, the Foreign Ministers of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Commonwealth of Australia, reaffirm our continuing commitment to work together to combat people smuggling, the financing of terrorism and related organised criminal activities.
People smuggling remains a high priority transnational issue for source, transit and destination countries in our region. It presents a threat to the integrity of border security processes and procedures and undermines the ability of States to manage migration in a regular and orderly manner including in situations of humanitarian need. We note that people smugglers and people smuggling syndicates work without regard for human safety or national legal frameworks.
We acknowledge our ongoing constructive bilateral cooperation between key domestic operational agencies and underline our commitment to work together in practical ways to address people smuggling issues in a cooperative and comprehensive manner.
Sri Lanka and Australia commit jointly to:
- enhance cooperation against the criminal organisers of the people smuggling trade, including through increased operational assistance, information sharing and identifying measures to prosecute people smuggling organisers successfully
- take a leading role to promote cooperation among regional countries to act against transnational people smuggling networks, including under the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crimes, recognising that this is a shared problem for all Governments in the region
- undertake a public information campaign to alert Sri Lankan citizens to the dangers of maritime people smuggling.
Australia welcomes the end of the conflict situation that prevailed for over two and half decades in some parts of Sri Lanka. Our two countries will actively work for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces, to facilitate the return of displaced civilians to their homes in conditions of dignity, peace and freedom. Australia therefore pledges to strongly support the resettlement and reconstruction programs being led by the Sri Lankan Government. Sri Lanka remains committed to the early resettlement of displaced civilians, while building on recent returns, and to the continued strengthening of the current post-conflict process of reconciliation.
| Hon Stephen Smith MP | Hon Rohitha Bogollagama MP | |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| Australia | Sri Lanka |
- Mr Smith's office 02 6277 7500
- Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555