Q. Consider the following statements about platforms for multilateral co-operation:
1. The 'Colombo Process' is a regional consultative process in which member states take binding decisions by consensus.
2. 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.
3. 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?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 2 only

Answer : C

Explanation:

Statement 1 is not correct:
The Colombo Process (2003) is a voluntary, non-binding Regional Consultative Process (RCP) among 11 Asian labour-sending countries, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, etc.

• Member states share experiences and best practices on labour migration.
• They do not take binding decisions.
• The process is consultative in nature.

Statement 2 is correct:
The Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) was launched in 2008 as an inter-regional consultative platform between Asian labour origin and destination countries, bridging the Colombo Process origins and Gulf/East Asian destinations.

• It is explicitly voluntary, non-binding, and consultative.
• It aims to facilitate orderly and ethical contractual labour mobility.

Statement 3 is correct:
The Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD) was established in 2007 following a proposal by then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during the 2006 High-Level Dialogue on Migration.

• It operates as a voluntary, informal, non-binding, government-led forum outside the formal UN system.
• It allows frank discussions among governments on migration and development issues.

Source: mea.gov.in/multilateral-co-operation.htm