On 26-27th June, over 80 participants from 42 countries and six international entities met in Stockholm, Sweden for the 10th Reference Group Meeting and the 34th Senior Officials Meeting of the Budapest Process (BP) dialogue. The meetings attracted a great interest of the participating stakeholders and offered constructive dialogue on the forthcoming Ministerial Texts to be adopted later this year.
Under the guidance of the Chair (Türkiye) and the Co-Chair (Hungary), with support of the meeting host and the Reference Group Rapporteur (Sweden), as well as the BP Secretariat, the meetings reviewed the draft Ministerial Declaration and Call for Action that are expected to be adopted at the 7th Budapest Process Ministerial Conference on 12th November 2024. Significant progress was made in aligning the views of all participating stakeholders on the drafts of the two Ministerial Texts. The Texts, once adopted, will set a roadmap for the Budapest Process dialogue for the next five years (2025-2030).
The purpose of the 10th Reference Group Meeting on 26th June, that preceded the Senior Officials Meeting, was to reach agreement on the outstanding differences in the draft wording with the aim to maximise efficiency and ensure a productive Senior Officials’ Meeting the following day. Notably, consensus was reached on several proposals for the changes in the wording of the text.
Following constructive deliberations in the 34th Senior Officials Meeting on the next day, an agreement was reached that revised texts would be sent to all BP partners, followed by an ultimate round of revision in the run up to the Ministerial Conference over the summer. Once endorsed, the new Ministerial Declaration and the Action Plan will define the strategic direction for the Budapest Process dialogue for the next five-year period (2025-2030).
N.B. The Senior Officials Meetings are the main decision-making body of the Budapest Process Dialogue, that provide strategic guidance and play a pivotal role in the shaping of the dialogue’s priorities. The year 2024 marks the end of the implementation of the previous Ministerial Declaration and the Call for Action adopted at the 6th Budapest Process Ministerial Conference, back in 2019.
