THE SOUTH-EAST EUROPEAN COOPERATION PROCESS (SEECP)  
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The Regional Center will be located in Skopje and the Government of Macedonia will provide facilities, running costs and the required institutional framework for the center. For further information please see also the attached Summary Report of the Expert Meeting, including the Terms of Reference for the Regional Center, which were approved during the meeting.

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MARRI Regional Center

Terms of Reference for the MARRI Regional Centre

1. Overall objective - Purpose

The MARRI Regional Centre shall function as the administrative and supporting structure for the MARRI Regional Forum. The MARRI Regional Forum shall aim at developing regional ownership of the issues defined in the MARRI Programme of Action at the political level and the Regional Centre shall be the practical tool to support this ownership.

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2. Goals - Functions

  • The Regional Centre shall work at the regional level in the SAp countries in the field of asylum, migration, border management, visa regime and sustainable solutions for refugees. It will in particular focus on efforts to strengthen the management of population movements in the areas of migration, asylum and refugee issues
  • The Regional Centre shall in its work be guided by the Regional Forum. The Centre shall report on its work to the Forum.
  • The Regional Centre shall initiate, facilitate and co-ordinate activities approved by the Regional Forum at regional level.
  • The Regional Centre shall facilitate the establishment of legislation, institutional building, capacity building and information exchange in the region in line with the Thessaloniki Agenda in order to meet international and European standards.
  • The Regional Centre shall contribute to the harmonisation of legislation and systems in line with European standards.

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3. Activities

  1. Facilitate the development of training programs at regional level in the field of asylum, migration, etc
  2. Contribute to the development of partnership arrangements, and co-operation and exchange of information between the SAp and neighbouring countries to combat irregular migration.
  3. Promote, in co-operation with UNHCR and ACCORD, the access to high quality country of origin information.
  4. Support the development of a region-wide information technology system – Regional Information Exchange – to manage population movements.
  5. Promote, in co-operation with SPOC and others, the development of data protection legislation in the region.
  6. Contribute to the establishment of a regional pool of interpreters and regional counsellors.
  7. Contribute to the successful implementation of the Ochrid Border process.
  8. Facilitate the development of a harmonised visa policy and a visa free area in the region, and support the dialogue on visa liberalization beyond the region.
  9. Facilitate the development of the initiative "Access to Rights and Citizenship".
  10. Support the finalisation and implementation of National Action Plans.

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4. Transfer to the region

Preparations for the transfer and negotiations with host country government on the financial contribution, hosting arrangements, provision of privileges and immunities, organisational requirements, and other issues. May – September 2004.
Establishment of MARRI Centre in the region tentatively around October 2004.
In the period October- December 2004 the main tasks of the MARRI officials in the host country will primarily be the following:
a) Organisation of Job descriptions and staffing of the Centre through secondments from the SAp countries. Salaries may initially have to be subsidised.
b) Organisation of the groundwork to make the office operational: Refurbishing of the office, organisation and purchase of furniture, computers, telephone and Internet connection, etc.

The MARRI Centre should be fully operational by January 2005.

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5. Planned staff set up for the MARRI Centre

  • Composition of the staff as from 1 October 2004
    1 Head of the Centre
    1 Executive Secretary for the Regional Forum (regional)
    1 Administrative assistant (national)
    1 Driver/messenger (national)
  • Additional staff as from 1 January 2005 3-5 experts in the field of asylum and migration and displacement seconded by the SAp countries to the MARRI Centre. International financial contributions to cover travel and daily assistance allowances of the national experts and to subsidise their salaries are considered in the budget.
    Additionally 1 expert should be attached to the MARRI Regional Centre to co-ordinate the work in the Regional Information Exchange initiative and the Access to Rights project.

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6. Contributions from host country and donors

  • Contributions from the Hosting Country, as from 1 October 2004 and onwards (please see the indicative planning Budget for the period 1 October 2004- 31 December 2005):
    • Office space for 8 persons: 1 reception, 7 office rooms, 1 meeting room, 1 kitchen. Estimated total surface: 200 mē.
    • Rent for office paid by hosting country or office space provided free of charge.
    • Running costs for the office.
    • Salaries for the Executive Secretary of the Regional Forum
      (covered for the first year by the donors) and Driver.
    • Running costs for the vehicle.
    • Immunities and privileges for staff provided by hosting country.
  • Contributions from the donors
    • Salary subsidies for the 3 national experts
    • Travel costs for the national experts
    • Salary for the Executive Secretary of the Regional Forum for the first year
    • Vehicle
    • Removal costs from Vienna to the region
    • Support to the Western Balkan Regional Forum
    • Support to the operational activities/meetings (3 workshops are planned for 2005).

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