At the first Regional Forum on asylum, migration and sustainable return hosted in the context of the SEECP* in Herceg-Novi 5 April, Ministers and Heads of Delegations agreed that a new regional approach was needed in order to address the challenges in the domain of migration and displacement.  While fully upholding their commitments to create conditions to enable all refugees willing to return to do so, it was agreed that time was ripe for granting persons opting to settle elsewhere equal economic, social and cultural rights.  This new approach in the framework of the Stability Pact’s Migration, Asylum and Refugee Return Initiative (MARRI) takes into consideration that after several years of displacement, individuals are less and less likely to return to their places of origin.  This step is also seen as vital to remove one of the obstacles for Western Balkan countries on their way to European integration, as spelled out in the Theassaloniki agenda of June 2003.  Likewise, ensuring access to rights for migrants is also an essential contribution to a better management of population movements.

Ministers and Heads of Delegations agreed that the Access to Rights program would be implemented in the framework of the Regional Forum addressing migration, asylum, border management, visa and refugee return or settlement.  A permanent information exchange and a built in lessons learnt and best practices sharing will be integral components of the Regional Forum.

In order to support the MARRI Regional Forum, a Regional Centre will be established in Skopje.  It will act as centre of competence for MARRI issues and function as secretariat for the Regional Forum.  The establishment of the Regional Centre and the Regional Forum will be based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the Western Balkan countries, which is expected to be signed no later than June 2004.  Both instruments will increase the regional ownership of the MARRI process and will be staffed and managed by experts from Southeast Europe with international support where needed.

As a legacy of the wars in the region during the nineties, more than 2 million people became refugees or internally displaced.  In each of the years of 2001, 2002, 2003, more than 100'000 so called minority returns were counted in addition to the some 800’000 who had returned largely to majority areas in the preceding years.  The challenge is to find a permanent solution for the remaining 0.9 million persons, who still are displaced.  Experts estimate that most of the remaining cases could be settled permanently if the responsible governments rigidly adhere to the access to rights and citizenship approach.

* SEECP =           Southeast European Co-operation Process.
Western Balkans countries are all members of SEECP, except Croatia which has observer status and plans to join during 2004. 

Annex:          Joint Statement of the Ministerial SEECP Meeting/Regional Forum of MARRI