Consider the following statements about platforms for multilateral co-operation:
- The 'Colombo Process' is a regional consultative process in which member states take binding decisions by consensus.
- The 'Abu Dhabi Dialogue' is a voluntary non-binding consultative process among Asian countries of labour origin and destination to facilitate regional cooperation on contractual labour mobility.
- The 'Global Forum for Migration and Development', created upon the proposal of a former UN Secretary General, is a voluntary forum whose decisions are non-binding in nature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect — the Colombo Process, a regional consultative process of Asian labour-sending countries (initiated 2003, hosted by IOM), is voluntary and non-binding; it does not take binding decisions. Statement 2 is correct — the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (2008) is a voluntary, non-binding consultative forum between Colombo Process member states and the major Gulf/Asian destination countries on contractual labour mobility. Statement 3 is correct — the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) was set up in 2007 following a proposal by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and operates as a voluntary, informal, state-led process with non-binding outcomes. Hence only 2 and 3 are correct. Read more: Delimitation in India: Process, Issues & Southern States Debate.