MARRI - MIGRATION, ASYLUM, REFUGEES REGIONAL INITIATIVE

The Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI) was formed in 2003 by merging the Migration and Asylum Initiative (MAI) and the Regional Return Initiative (RRI) – both established within the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.
MARRI Member States are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia.
MARRI was set up in line with the basic guidelines of the concept of regional ownership. This proves the capabilities of the above states to independently cooperate and harmonize their own policies with the very important segments of European integration, migration, asylum and refuges, that is, to reach European standards in these areas.
The Initiative’s highest body is the Regional Forum which provides political support to the Initiative’s work. It engages ministers and high representatives responsible for the issues of migration, asylum, border management, visa regime and return of displaced persons. It serves also for exchange of information, experiences and for making decisions of common interest of its Member States. The Regional Forum is supported by the MARRI Regional Centre in Skopje, which serves as a liaison office through which Forum decisions are implemented.
The Centre also provides logistic support for contacts between the President of the MARRI Regional Forum and MARRI Member States. The current Director of the MARRI Regional Centre in Skopje is Trpe Stojanovski.
The MARRI Regional Committee was reactivated under the Montenegrin chairmanship of MARRI (May 2009 - May 2010). Members of the Regional Committee are representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of MARRI Member States. The institution of the Regional Committee is envisaged in the MARRI Statute (Article 13).
Regional Committee is tasked to determine the guidelines for the work of MARRI, to coordinate activities and propose ways of putting into action the ideas and projects within MARRI. The Committee meets at least twice a year, as a rule, on the eve of Regional Forum meetings.
The advantage of participation in the MARRI Initiative is primarily that it enables Serbia’s relevant institutions to pursue direct communication with their respective partners in the region, international organizations dealing with migration (IOM, UNHCR) and the EU, thus not only acquiring new necessary experiences, but also expanding cooperation in areas of vital importance for the stability of the region.

Serbia's chairmanship of the MARRI regional initiative 2011/2012

Contact

Web site of MARRI Regional Centre based in Skopje is: www.marri-rc.org