MARRI Regional Centre hosted International Conference “Acting together in Migration Management – Enhancing Coordination among Local and Central Level” on 17th March 2016 in Skopje. The event was organized under Montenegrin Presidency-in–Office.
Over 80 participants – representatives of central and local authorities from 14 European countries, international organizations and NGO’s gathered in order to exchange experiences and best practices in migration crisis management.
Vice President of the European Parliament for the Western Balkans Ms. Ulrike Lunacek addressed the participants via video message. She stressed the importance of solidarity and cooperation in migration crisis management. Lunacek also pointed out that Europe has not reached the common response yet, underlining the importance of Dublin principles full implementation in finding balanced solutions. She praised invested efforts of the countries on the Balkan route, assessing that migration crisis has shown the absurdity of the fact that six Western Balkan countries are still not part of the EU. She stated that the Union support should not be simple delegation of responsibility to the countries of the Region that, according to her opinion, showed extraordinary level of European solidarity in recent months. Affirming the need of fast and efficient support to local authorities, Lunacek invited the participants of the Conference to focus their discussion on the principles of solidarity, cooperation and mutual respect at local, national, regional and European level.
Panellists from Austria, Italy and Croatia shared their experience with colleagues- representatives from Interior Ministries, Ministries of Labour and Social Affairs and local authorities from: Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo*.
Special attention has been given to possibilities of acquiring stronger support of international community in the process of the European integration of the Western Balkans, through strengthening of overall capacities in managing migration crisis in the Region.
The event has been co-financed by Central European Initiative, while the implementing partner was NALAS. Conference was additionally supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia and GIZ- German and Swiss cooperation- founders of Open Regional Fund for SEE Modernization of Municipal Services.
Participants assessed one of key topics in actual migration crisis has been identified, as well as that Conference represented excellent example of efficient cooperation among regional initiatives.
The Conclusions highlighted the need of further upgrading of regional coordination mechanisms aimed at: support to regional, central and local authorities, horizontal and vertical networking, permanent consultations in defining national policies, continues needs assessment of local authorities and further overall capacity-building supported by international donors.
MARRI Regional Centre will publish Best Practices Review summarizing the presentations of best practices and identified functional models of cooperation and coordination between local and national authorities in migrant crisis management, which will be distributed to MARRI Participants, Conference participants and other relevant actors. The Review will be a direct output of the Conference and will focus on two-way productive and collaborative communication and coordination between the authorities involved in the migrant crisis at different level.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence