SKOPJE, Macedonia – The MARRI Regional Centre organised the Third Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Document Security and Establishment of Identity titled Authenticity of Identification Documents, which took place at the MARRI Regional Centre in Skopje on 20 – 21 September 2007.
This meeting is part of the Project on Document Security in the MARRI Region, as financed by the UK Government.
The Project on Document Security in the MARRI Region, whose duration is from January to December 2007, is in line with the MARRI Strategy and Programme of Action for 2006/2007 and its objectives are as follows: Enhance regional co-operation and information exchange mechanisms and promote harmonisation of standards in the area of irregular transit migration in the field of document security in the MARRI region; Support the process of harmonisation with the standards in JHA field, improve regional co-operation and support process of visa facilitation, as part of reforms under the EU integration process; Improve regional migration management system to address issues of combating irregular migration on sustainable and permanent basis, thus contributing to the regional efforts to channel irregular flows to regular ones.
This event is the follow-up of the Workshop on Document Security and Establishment of Identity (Skopje, 23-24 November 2006), which resulted in the establishment of a Regional Working Group on Document Security and Establishment of Identity, the First Meeting of the Regional Working Group titled Regional Assessment on Types of Identity Documents (Skopje, 5-6 February 2007) and Second Meeting of the Regional Working Group titled Registration of Birth, Nationality and Residence in Country and Abroad (Skopje, 18-19 June 2007).
The aim of the third meeting was to exchange the best practices, identify gaps and solutions for the detection of forged identification documents, verification of authenticity of identification documents, prevention of possible misuse of legal channels in the procedures of handling and issuance of identity documents as well as to develop indicators for recognizing abuse of identification documents and to elaborate follow-up strategies.
In order to accomplish the best results of the third meeting, the MARRI Regional Centre invited national institutions managing topical areas in the MARRI region, to choose two senior officers per national delegation with extensive experience in national institutions responsible for producing/issuance of ID and one expert from forensic department (laboratory for examining of forged documents) to the Third Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Document Security and Establishment of Identity.
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Toni Jakimovski, MARRI Regional Centre(toni.jakimovski@marri-rc.org.mk; Tel. +389 2 32 35 700; Fax: ++389 2 32 35 711).