SKOPJE, Macedonia – The first Steering Group Meeting announcing the launch of the two-year Programme to Support the Development of Trans-national Referral Mechanisms (TRM) for Trafficked Persons in South-Eastern Europe was held at the MARRI Regional Centre in Skopje.
The meeting was addressed by Mrs. Gordana Jankuloska, Minister of Interior of the Republic of Macedonia, who expressed support for this joint effort to fight trafficking in persons in South Eastern Europe.
The Programme to Support the Development of Trans-national Referral Mechanisms (TRM) for Trafficked Persons in South-Eastern Europe is funded by USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and implemented by ICMPD (International Centre for Migration Policy Development) in partnership with the Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria, the MARRI Regional Centre in Skopje and ACTA (Network of NGOs against Human Trafficking and Corruption). The countries/territories participating in the programme are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and the UN-administered territory of Kosovo. The objective of the programme is to empower trafficked persons to restart a self-determined life, being aware of their rights and of the role they might play in criminal proceedings. For this purpose, mechanisms necessary for comprehensive trans-national victim support and institutionalized co-operation on trans-national cases between countries/actors in South Eastern Europe will be developed and implemented in the course of the programme.
The meeting was concluded with the signature of co-operation agreements between ICMPD and the National Anti-trafficking Co-ordinators of the participating countries, who thus reassured their commitment to the implementation of this regional initiative against trafficking in persons.