In order to ensure the effective roll-out and use of the WB-MIDEX Platform, IOM hires Participant-level experts to develop Road Maps for Migration Statistics in each of the MARRI Participants. The WB – MIDEX Platform has been developed by IOM, within the EU-funded IPA II project ‘Regional Support to Protection-Sensitive Migration Management in the Western Balkans and Turkey’ in order to support migration management authorities of the Western Balkans in aligning their migration data frameworks, procedures and practices with EC

Skopje – IOM Skopje Head of Office Ms Sonja Bozinovska Petrushevska and MARRI Regional Centre Director Mr Sashko Kocev signed a Donation Agreement for the Regional Migration Data Exchange Platform (WB – MIDEX). The WB – MIDEX Platform has been developed by IOM, within the EU-funded IPA II project ‘Regional Support to Protection-Sensitive Migration Management in the Western Balkans and Turkey’. It has been presented and validated by Western Balkan migration data authorities at three Regional Meetings on Migration Statistics

Skopje – The regular mid-term MARRI Regional Committee meeting under the Presidency-in-Office of Kosovo* was held at the premises of the Regional Centre in Skopje and it was attended by MARRI Committee Members, MARRI Coordinators, representatives of MARRI Participants and MARRI RC staff. As per usual practice, MARRI RC Director Sashko Kocev reported on Centre’s operations and impact in the period of June-December 2019 including the implemented and upcoming project activities, events linked to the cooperation with existing and potential partners, and the progress

Pristina – The Regional Conference “Managing Migration Better” crowned the implementation of “Strengthening regional migration governance” project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in cooperation with MARRI. With an objective to create common understanding of regional challenges in migration governance and provide concrete proposals/ideas for using MARRI capacities in conducting future activities, the Conference offered unique opportunity for more than 100 professionals dealing with the migration

Podgorica – The Steering Group of the Regional Project on Preventing and combatting trafficking in human beings in the Western Balkans (PaCT) held its first session on 27 November 2019 in Podgorica. Composed of Coordinators for fight against Trafficking in Human Beings of MARRI Participants, the Steering Group’s role is to identify and discuss the crucial points/challenges, to follow the progress and monitor the implementation of the project, and to ensure implementation of the Steering Group’s decisions by all relevant project stakeholders. The regional PaCT

Sarajevo – Balkan Refugee and Migration Council (BRMC) organized Regional Conference on Asylum and Migration for representatives of governmental, non-governmental, regional and international organizations. On behalf on MARRI RC, Mr. Aleksandar Todosiev and Mr. Bilall Bilalli presented MARRI RC activities performed in the previous period, emphasizing the involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the dialogue for improved migration management in the MARRI region. They emphasized that Civil Society Organizations can be relevant partners to the governmental institutions, and together they can

Gevgelija – MARRI Committee Members, Coordinators, Representatives and legal experts from MARRI Participants attended the third meeting of the MARRI Legal Framework Reform process, organized in accordance to the Plan for Finalization of MARRI’s Basic Documents adopted in April 2019 in Ohrid, and with support of the German government through GIZ North Macedonia. During the meeting chaired by MARRI Presidency-in-Office of Kosovo*, the participants successfully concluded the Agenda, completing the revision of the MARRI’s existing legal framework, in addition to the newly

Tirana – The exchange of experiences about the evolving forms of the phenomenon of Trafficking in Human Beings in the Western Balkan region as well as new awareness raising methods and new identifications approaches were the main topics of the regional conference, organised by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania and the Office of the National Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinator (ONAC) with support of the German International Cooperation (GIZ), as a first event in the framework of the Regional Project on Preventing and

Ohrid – The Heads of Asylum Departments and representatives of Border Police of MARRI Participants discussed the coordinated protection response in line with EU standards and international conventions at the 3-day regional conference, organised by MARRI RC with support of UNHCR. The conference was the first in a series of UNHCR-supported regional events with an aim to revive the MARRI Heads of Asylum Departments Network as well as to strengthen the cooperation between the asylum and border police authorities. In

MARRI RC is announcing open call for Personal Data Protection Expert to be engaged under Special Service/Consultancy Contract. The selected candidate shall analyse the workflow and working processes in the MARRI RC, the types of data that MARRI RC is collecting and processing, develop procedures for personal data protection respecting EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) and capacitate MARRI RC staff in applying the new procedures. The vacancy is open until 24 October 2019. Terms of Reference