Press Advisory: Ohrid Regional Conference on Border Security and Management, 22/23 May 2003

This is an agenda announcement and background information for media on an upcoming high-level event in Ohrid. We kindly ask you to mark it in your planning.

Venue of Conference: Hotels Metropol & Bellevue — Ohrid
Tel: +389 (46) 203 000
Fax: +389 (46) 277 212

Expected Participants: High level representation of key international organisations, EU, NATO, OSCE and the Stability Pact, (Special Coordinator Erhard Busek will be participating along with Secretary General Lord Robertson and Secretary General Jan Kubis), Head of Governments from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro, UNMIK, and experts of member states and international organisations.

Media Arrangements: On both days of the conference, a press conference will be held. Details will follow in a second press advisory as soon as the agenda is finalized.

Media Accreditation:

Media are kindly asked to accredit themselves with the Macedonian Government’s Agency for Information in Skopje, no later than 19 May 2003

Details:
Janko Nikolovski, Agency for Information
Tel: +389 (2) 118 038
Fax: +389 (2) 115 659
Mobile:+389 (70) 254 431
E-mails:
janko@sinf.gov.mk
lidija@sinf.gov.mk
sinf@sinf.gov.mk

For Accreditation Form:
http://www.sinf.gov.mk/PressRoomEN/2003/05/Accreditation_Form.pdf

or www.sinf.gov.mk

Background Information on Ohrid Conference:

1. Contents

With the stabilization, post war recovery and gradual approach of the countries of Western Balkans towards the EU and NATO, including the Stabilization and Association Process and a network of free trade agreements, borders are undergoing a significant change in their function and how they are managed. With the ongoing economic improvements, persons and goods rightly expect an easier and facilitated border crossings, while governments need to make sure that their legitimate security concerns are taken care of. The different border management practices in SEE vary widely. However, in view of the increasing threats of cross border organised crime and various kinds of smuggling and trafficking, there is need for improvement in line with European standards.

Against this background, the Ohrid Conference is an effort by major international organizations, in conjunction with the countries of the Western Balkans, to develop a coherent and concerted approach to the border security and management issues in the region.

Special emphasis will be accorded to the parts of the region where military units are involved for exceptional reasons and on a temporary basis in border control until specialized police services take over the task in accordance with European standards. This is an ongoing process (more or less advanced in individual cases) in line with the security sector reforms undertaken in the countries of the region.

Partner organisations (EU, NATO, OSCE and Stability Pact) have been working under the auspices of the Stability Pact in close consultation with the countries of the region to prepare the foundation of this conference. It will be hosted by the Macedonian Government.

The conference aims to quicken the process of establishing open but controlled and secure borders in the entire region by improving the efficiency of border management and increasing the coordination at various levels – internal, bilateral and multilateral.

The conference also aims to promote further stabilization in the region, which is essential to enhance the European vocation of the countries of the region by strengthening the application of the rule of law, institutional capacity and regional co-operation.

The conference aims to increase the access of the countries of the region to advice and support in military issues in specific parts of the region within the overall framework of security sector reform, in the field of border security and smuggling interdiction.

The Ohrid Conference and its preparatory steps does not tackle border demarcation and it will not discuss border issues related to open constitutional or status questions.

2. Program and Procedures

The conference will be divided in two parts: the first day (22 May starting at 14.00hrs) is a political session and the second day is a technical session (23 May starting at 9.00hrs).

In line with this structure it is expected that the conference will result on a stated declaration of the political commitment (The Common Platform) of the participants as an outcome of the first day and an action plan or road map as a result of the technical session of day two (Way Forward Document). These papers will be made available to media as soon as they are approved by the conference.

a) The Common Platform will annotate the political goal and objectives, principles and instruments in border security and management. It will emphasize the commitment of the countries of the region to these and specify the support of the four Partner Organisations in achieving more effective border security and management in the region. The Common Platform will also initiate the way ahead/short term objectives, i.e. those to be achieved by end of 2004. This issue, among others, will be developed in the Way Forward Document.

b) The Way Forward document will identify concrete and measures necessary to achieve the objectives of the conference and specify the review mechanisms to assess progress. The lead in preparing this document is with the regional countries.