In 2002, the Stability Pact forSouth Eastern Europeadopted a decision on the establishment of the Regional Initiative for issues of migration, asylum and refugees (MARRI) in order to better and more effectively manage migration flows in the region. The founding MARRI Ministerial Forum was held in Herceg Novi, on 5 April 2004.

In the current frameworks, MARRI (Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative) is a regional initiative on issues of migration, asylum and refugees, whose participants are: R. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, R. Macedonia, Montenegro, R. Serbia and Kosovo* (Kosovo is a participant since 10 June 2015, which was confirmed in the Declaration of the Regional Forum which was held in Skopje on 10 June 2015. The same Declaration also confirmed the withdrawal of R. Croatia from this regional initiative, since it became an EU member.). The initiative is "owned" by the participants, and its headquarters, i.e. MARRI Regional Center is in Skopje. Activities of the initiative's participants, as well as internal and operational organization of the Center, are defined by the Statute of the Migration, Asylum and Refugees Center. The functioning of the Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI) is established by the Guidelines and Rules of Procedure of the aforementioned Initiatives. (Statute and the Guidelines are innovated at the meeting of MARRI Committee, on 10 June 2015).

At the MARRI Committee meeting, held in Podgorica on 20 June 2016, theRepublicofSerbiaformally assumed the chairmanship of this regional initiative and at the MARRI Regional Forum meeting on 21 June 2016, this decision was confirmed.

Decision-making bodies within the MARRI Initiative are: 1. REGIONAL FORUM – composed of MoIs of the participants, as well as senior representatives in charge of the issues of asylum, migration, border management, visa regime and return of displaced persons. Regional Forum provides political support to the Initiative and decisions of common interest to all participants are made at its meeting, and 2. REGIONAL COMMITTEE - composed of representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the participants. The Regional Committee is tasked to determine the guidelines for MARRI, to coordinate activities, make strategic decisions regarding the activities of the initiative and propose ways of realization of ideas and projects within MARRI. It meets at least twice a year, as a rule, prior to the Regional Forum.

The current Director of the MARRI Regional Centre is Ambassador Tamara Mugosa of Montenegro.

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* This designation is without prejudice to the status and is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.