DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, 16 April 2009 -- A regional parliamentary seminar on labour migration took place 16 April in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe. The seminar was jointly organized by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliament of Tajikistan with the support of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

Legislators from several OSCE States participated, including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Finland, Norway, Poland, France and Germany. Participants discussed regional labor migration issues, with particular attention paid to the effects of migration on the region in the context of the current financial crisis.

Managing labor migration on a regional level was discussed, as well as aspects of trafficking in human beings. The seminar touched on legislative reforms, regional frameworks and policies of host countries. Special emphasis was placed on the protection of workers' rights.

The OSCE Special Representative for Central Asia, Mr. Kimmo Kiljunen, Vice-President of the OSCE PA and Member of the Finnish Parliament, facilitated the meeting along with Ms. Shojoat Hasanov, Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament of Tajikistan.

Speakers included representatives of leading international organizations on the subject, including the International Organization for Migration, as well as relevant state authorities and experts, such as the Migration Services of the Russian Federation and Tajikistan.

The OSCE PA strongly encourages the participation of Central Asian parliaments in OSCE activities. Mr. Kiljunen was appointed OSCE PA Special Representative for Central Asia in 2007 to facilitate and encourage interaction between parliamentarians from this region and their counterparts from across the OSCE area.

A series of regional seminars were envisaged to facilitate this dialogue. In 2007, together with the Nordic Council, the OSCE PA organized a seminar with Central Asian parliamentarians to discuss energy and the environment, which was hosted by the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo.