globeSKOPJE, Macedonia – The meeting within the Programme for the Enhancement of Anti-trafficking Responses in South Eastern Europe – Data Collection and Information Management was held in the MARRI Regional Centre on 15 March 2007.

The objectives of this meeting were as follows:

– to present the DCIM Project to the participants, namely the proposal for the establishment of two databases on trafficking in human beings, one for judicial data and one for victim-centered data;

– to discuss data collection on trafficking in human beings in Macedonia (status of data collection on trafficking in human beings at country level, sources of trafficking related data, planning for data collection under the project);

– to collect relevant information on legal framework of trafficking in human beings and for data collections at country level;

– to discuss the proposed indicators and quality assurance in data collection;

– to discuss the database maintenance.

The twelve-month Programme has started in September 2006 and is implemented by ICMPD in partnership with EUROPOL, ACTA (Network of NGOs against Human Trafficking and Corruption) and the MARRI Regional Centre in Skopje. The Programme is funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The countries participating in this programme are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia.

The objective of the Programme is to contribute to harmonisation, improved quality as well as reliability of data related to trafficking in persons in Southeastern Europe in the areas of prevention, protection and prosecution. In order to achieve this goal, a database will be developed for each participating country to be installed within the relevant national institutions. This database will be based on previously elaborated regional criteria to allow for a uniform data system.

In addition, a handbook and comprehensive trainings to be held in all participating countries will ensure efficient usage of the database.

MARRI Contact: Sasa Kragulj, State Official of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Email: sasa.kragulj@marri-rc.org

Meeting on ATR Data Collection and Information Management, Skopje, 15 March 2007