IOM to extend assistance to Sri Lanka in training and capacity building

The International Organisation on Migration (IOM) has expressed readiness to further enhance its assistance to Sri Lanka by providing training and capacity building support for the Foreign Employment and Foreign Affairs Ministries and to the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment 
Bureau (SLBFE). 

It was agreed to extend cooperation in the areas of countering human trafficking and people smuggling operations, providing short-term internship opportunities with the IOM for the relevant officials as well as supporting the upgrading of the consular services of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. 
The IOM also pledged to continue technical and secretarial support for the Colombo Process (CP) - the regional consultative forum of contractual labour originating countries in Asia, currently chaired by Sri Lanka.

These assurances were given when Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Atukorale, who was in Geneva last week to attend the sixth Global Meeting of Chairs and Secretaries of Regional Consultative Processes on Migration met with IOM Director General Ambassador William Lacy Swing to discuss and follow up progress on Sri Lanka’s bilateral cooperation with the IOM.