The Thirty-Second Meeting of the Cultural, Educational and Social Affairs Committee was held in Batumi on 7-8 April 2009. The members of the Committee discussed the Draft Report and Draft Recommendation on “Migration in the BSEC Member States – Social and Cultural Aspects”.

The Black Sea region is particularly concerned with the multiple effects of migration since it is an area both of sending and receiving migrants – as a final destination or transit area. Therefore, it is necessary to address migration not as a series of isolated issues but in a comprehensive framework that takes into account its socio-economic, cultural, demographic, humanitarian, and other aspects. As a platform for a political discussion on migration issues, PABSEC could effectively promote common understanding of migration-related benefits and risks, as well as the potential of inter-state cooperation in the Black Sea region. Proper migration management and cooperation within BSEC could make migration an important resource of sustainable economic and social development of both sending and receiving countries in the region.

The additional subject discussed was the Recomendation on “The need to protect children from commercial exploitation in the BSEC Member States”. Sexual exploitation of children is an issue of serious concern in the Black Sea region and beyond, representing unacceptable violations of human rights. The global character of this phenomenon necessitates a multilateral response through concerted efforts by states at the regional and international level in order to prevent, investigate, prosecute and penalize the sexual exploitation of children.