The 11th Meeting of the Black Sea Broadcasting Regulatory Authorities Forum (BRAF) of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) member countries was held in Baku, organized by the Azerbaijan Audiovisual Council.
According to Report, BRAF is an important regional platform created to expand dialogue and cooperation between broadcasting regulatory bodies of the region's countries and to exchange ideas and experiences.
The meeting brought together up to 30 leaders and authorized representatives of audiovisual media regulatory bodies from Serbia, Romania, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, as well as officials from the State Committee of Azerbaijan for Family, Women and Children Affairs, the Media Development Agency, and media representatives.
In his opening speech at the event, the Chairman of the Audiovisual Council, Ismat Sattarov, welcomed the attendees and discussed the issues ahead:
"The main topic of this meeting is the protection of children in media services. I believe that through the joint efforts of the institutions, certain progress will be achieved in this area."
The First Deputy Secretary General of BSEC, Merve Safa Kavakci, emphasized that establishing closer cooperation with the European Union (EU) and other international organizations is a key priority: "Cooperation with the EU and other international organizations for the regulation of audiovisual media, protection of children in media services, and implementation of projects in other areas is our main target."
Later, in his statement to journalists, the Vice President of the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), Deniz Guler, spoke about the importance of increasing media literacy among both children and parents to help children stay away from harmful platforms in the media:
"Children spend approximately four hours a day on digital platforms. Discussions were held today about their advantages and harmful effects. We also have cooperation with Türkiye's Ministry of Science and Education. Within the framework of this cooperation, we provide training to children and teachers to protect them from the dangers of media," Guler noted.
Merve Safa Kavakci also highlighted the necessity of protecting children from the harmful aspects of media as much as possible.
The event includes a general session dedicated to recent developments in the field of audiovisual media regulation in member countries, as well as panel sessions themed "Legal regulation in the field of child protection and its effective implementation" and "The role of media literacy and parental control in child protection."
Photo: Mirjavid Eminoghlu