The discussions central focus at the 11th Assembly of the Black Sea Broadcasting Regulatory Authorities Forum (BRAF), held in Baku, Azerbaijan, was the protection of children from harmful media content.
The 11th BRAF Assembly proceedings were opened by Mr. Ismat Sattarov, Chair of the Audiovisual Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan, followed by Dr. Deniz Güçer, Secretary General of BRAF and Ambassador Dr. Merve Safa Kavakcı, First Deputy Secretary General to the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.
During the next panel, which addressed the topic: Legal Framework for the protection of children and its effective implementation, representatives from regulatory authorities of Turkey, Albania, Serbia, Greece, and Moldova shared recent developments in their respective countries to protect children from harmful content.
AMA’s Chair, Ms. Armela Krasniqi, a participant in this panel, spoke about Albania’s legal developments aimed at protecting children from harmful media content.
“We have reflected this not only in the institution’s organic law, but also in the revised Broadcasting Code, where the section on child protection has been enriched with the highest standards of child safeguarding, as well as with an extensive Media Literacy campaign. The advancement of technology and the challenges it brings to regulating the audiovisual media market are also being addressed, not only through necessary legal amendments but also through concrete efforts to regulate Video Sharing Platforms and protect children from harmful content circulating in the online environment” – stated AMA’s Chair, Ms. Armela Krasniqi, adding that sharing experiences with colleagues from other countries, exchanging best practices, and cooperating are the only effective ways to successfully address these challenges.
She also emphasized the importance of media literacy and awareness in helping children and families navigate an increasingly complex media landscape, particularly on online platforms.
The 11th General Assembly of BRAF was of particular significance, as it provided a practical discussion on ways to enhance media regulators work in the region in order to better protect children and their rights in an increasingly complex media environment.
