On 28 March we held three discussions with the actors that are most crucial for the UBC sustainability work: Council of the Baltic Sea States, Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), and the Baltic Sea Strategy Point for the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. All three are listed as key stakeholders and cooperation partners in the UBC Sustainability Action Programme 2030, and UBC SCC has a long history of strong cooperation with each.
CBSS was represented by Dominik Littfass, Acting Senior Advisor for Regional Identity & Communications. He introduced how CBSS encompasses multilateral intergovernmental regional cooperation and serves as a forum for political dialogue, as well as practical cooperation in the region.
The aims and structure of the EUSBSR Baltic Sea Strategy Point were presented by its Project manager Juhani Ailio. The Baltic Sea Strategy Point is a new addition to the BSR stakeholder family and it’s an entry point for active work with and within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.
The work and actions of HELCOM were shared by Lotta Ruokanen, Professional Secretary in the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission. HELCOM focuses on the environmental side of the cooperation, so the discussion revolved around the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan and concrete actions cities can do.