Monitoring and reporting are powerful levers to drive smarter and stronger responses to human trafficking. These efforts are crucial for protecting and supporting victims, and to increase regional cooperation across borders.
To monitor progress of the region’s five-year roadmap (2023-2028) to combat trafficking – the ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Work Plan Against TIP 2023-2028 (Bohol TIP Work Plan 2.0) – Australia through the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking program supported the development of a monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning framework.
This framework offers a structured approach for ASEAN Member States and Sectoral Bodies to measure results, strengthen accountability, and align national and regional efforts.
To support ASEAN stakeholders to apply the Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (MERL) Framework, the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Organised Crime (SOMTC) hosted its inaugural regional workshop in Kuala Lumpur in July 2025. The workshop gathered officials from all ASEAN Member States and relevant bodies, exploring crucial discussions on data harmonisation, reporting tools and coordination.
Opening the workshop, SOMTC Malaysia HE Azalia Mohamed – as 2025 ASEAN Chair – stressed its importance,
“It is a tool that encourages consistency, accountability, and evidence-based planning across all ASEAN Member States,” she said.
SOMTC Philippines Assistant Secretary Lilian De Leon highlighted,
“Today signifies a meaningful transition - from awareness to action, from dialogue to data-driven implementation. It is a call for deeper engagement, stronger collaboration, and shared accountability as we turn commitments into concrete results.”
The workshop also underscored the critical need to integrate gender equality, disability rights, and social inclusion into reporting – highlighting ASEAN’s commitment to inclusive, rights-based approaches.
Anita Baleda, Deputy Executive Director for Operations at the Philippines Commission on Women (ACW Philippines), shared:
“We have yet to fully assess the impact of our advocacies and campaigns. While we believe that they have contributed to positive change, we need concrete data and evidence to determine whether they have effectively influenced behaviour change of our target population. Through data and analysis, we can make informed decisions on whether to continue these annual campaigns or explore alternative strategies that may yield greater impact.”
Through Australia’s support, ASEAN is progressively establishing a network of focal points to support ACTIP reporting. This growing collaboration not only enhances transparency and coordination but also signals ASEAN’s commitment to transparency, coordination, and inclusive approaches in addressing complex crimes.
The ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Work Plan Against Trafficking in Persons 2023–2028 (Bohol TIP Work Plan 2.0) was adopted by the 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia on 21 August 2023. The Bohol TIP Work Plan 2.0 serves as a comprehensive guiding document for SOMTC and nine other ASEAN Sectoral Bodies to counter TIP in the region and support the effective implementation of the ACTIP.
The Bohol Work Plan 2.0 further address the recommendations from the Final Review Report on the first Bohol TIP Work Plan, including an effective monitoring and reporting mechanism. SOMTC-Philippines, as the SOMTC Voluntary Lead Shepherd for TIP priority area, led the development of a Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (MERL) Framework. The final MERL Framework is available and published on the ASEAN website among other key documents.