18–19.06.2019, Skopje, North Macedonia – A planning workshop on the new Regional Project entitled “Preventing and Combating Trafficking in the Western Balkans”, currently being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and approved by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, was held in Skopje on 18th June 19, 2019. The aim of the project is to improve the position of (potential) victims of trafficking in the Western Balkans with mixed migratory flows, as well as the position of the local population. Therefore, it is focused on three areas: prevention, protection and partnership. The strategic partner of this project will be the Regional Initiative for Migration, Asylum and Refugees (MARRI), and the project activities will be implemented in accordance with the multi-level approach.
The goal of the planning workshop is to bring together all stakeholders from the public sector and civil society relevant to the implementation of the project in order to discuss project activities and to develop operational plans of the project, including interlocutors, work packages and time dynamics for the three years of the project.
The workshop was attended by representatives of partner governmental and non-governmental organizations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, as well as representatives of relevant actors from Serbia: National Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Mr. Mitar Đurašković, Ms. Maja Mišković from Sector for International Cooperation, EU Affairs and Planning Project Management Department of the Ministry of Interior, Director of the Center for the Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking Ms. Aleksandra Ljubojević, Ms. Jasmina Ivanović from the Secretariat for Social Protection, representatives of Commissariat of refugees and Migrations of the Republic of Serbia, Ms. Dragana Stojanović – NGO Director SRH and Ms. Marija Anđelković – Director of NGO ASTRA.