Wednesday the 6th of March 2013 – Within the premises of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, a media conference was held signalling the commencement of the Regional Informational Campaign aimed at providing complete information concerning the possibilities of voluntary return, reintegration or local integration into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Monte Negro, Croatia and Serbia to all interested persons falling within the refugee category.

The representatives of the four partner nations spoke on matter concerning the Regional Housing Program:  Mr. Mario Nenadic, Assistant to the Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mrs. Budimirka Djukanovic, advisor to the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare of the Republic of Montenegro, Mr. Stanko Janic, Assistant to the Minister for Regional Development and EU Finding of the Republic of Croatia and Mr. Vladimir Cucic, the Commissioner for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia.

Following the secession of hostilities on the territory of the former Yugoslavia as also the forced migration of some 2 million persons within the region, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republics of Monte Negro, Croatia and Serbia, together with the support of the international community, began the process of regional cooperation aimed at resolving the outstanding open questions and bringing to a conclusion the prolonged refugee crises within the region.

One of the most important results of this regional cooperation is the development of the Regional Housing Program by the four partner countries and which in turn is aimed at providing durable solutions to some 27,000 of the most vulnerable refugee families (74,000 persons) within the region.  The program is a continuation of the joint efforts exerted thus far by the partner countries and the international community and is further indicative of the commitment of the countries involved and their efforts to bring to a close regional displacement through the provision of durable housing solutions, as also guarantees for the protection of the rights of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons from the period 1991 – 1995.

April 2012 – On the occasion of the Donor Conference in Sarajevo, a portion of the resources necessary for the implementation of this program, amounting to some 261 million euro was collected.  The largest portion of the aforementioned resources was provided by the European Union which donated 230 million euro, the Government of United States of America which donated 10 million USD and further expressed their willingness to continue to donate additional resources over the course of the project’s four year implementation.  Numerous bilateral donors amongst which were Turkey, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Luxemburg, Slovakia, Cyprus, Italy and Romania provided the remainder of the funds pledged.

The High Commissariat for Refugees of the United Nations (UNHCR) and the Organization for European Security and Cooperation (OSCE) will provide joint oversight concerning the process of the selection of beneficiaries and the implementation of the program within partner countries.

With the support of the European Commission, the Government of the United States of America, the High Commissariat for Refugees of the UN and the Organization for European Security and Cooperation, a fund for the Regional Housing Program has been established and is currently being administered through the Development Bank of the Council of Europe.

The Regional Informational Campaign, the implementation of which is expected to occur in April of 2013, will be held within all four of the aforementioned countries and will be financed using the personal resources of the former High Commissioner for Refugees Mrs. Sadako Ogate, amounting to some 25,000 USD donated for the purpose of supporting this undertaking.

The most important decisions made in connection with the Regional Housing Program of the Republic of Serbia will be brought by the Commission for the Coordination of the Process for the Durable Integration of Refugees of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, headed by the deputy prime minister of the Government, Dr. Jovan Krkobabic, who’s personal initiative was instrumental in the commencement of the process of regional cooperation.  The media conference preceded the meeting held between the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government, Dr. Jovan Krkobabic and the representatives of partner countries and aimed at the further discussion of all outstanding relevant questions concerning the program’s implementation.  

Following the conclusion of the media conference, a meeting of the National Coordinators of the Regional Housing Program was held with municipal representatives and the mayors of those cities on whose respective municipal territories the three initial phases of the Regional Housing Program for the Republic of Serbia are to be implemented.  During the meeting, the National Coordinators of the Regional Housing Program provided information to the representatives of local self government concerning possible solutions to the housing needs of refugees through return to their country of origin, while the Commissioner for Refugees, used the opportunity to elaborate, in detail on the topic of the model to be utilized in the implementation of the project of the Republic of Serbia and further provided necessary instructions for the successful implementation of the project at the local level.