Press release
HELCOM Youth Forum to chart environmentally-friendly course for the Baltic Sea region
Rostock, Germany, 8 August (HELCOM) – Formulation of policies and setting priorities for actions designed to protect the Baltic Sea marine environment and ensure its sustainable use will be the focus of the Second HELCOM Youth Forum which will take place on 9th – 11th of August in Rostock, Germany.
More than 40 students representing all nine Baltic Sea coastal countries will be taking part in this three-day event where they will consider ways to ensure vibrant, healthy marine environment, improve maritime safety and promote further dynamic economic and positive political developments in the region.
The expected outcome, a resolution “The Baltic Sea of tomorrow”, will compromise of the students’ visions and concrete demands directed at politicians and key players the Baltic Sea region. Its aim is to compile their conclusions as an input to the work of HELCOM.
“The general idea of the Forum is to proactively involve a major stakeholder group – university students – in the work of the Helsinki Commission,” said Prof. Dr. Peter Ehlers, Chair of the HELCOM Youth Forum, who has twice served as the Chair of the Helsinki Commission. “This Forum brings together young people from various parts of the Baltic Sea area to discuss regional environmental concerns and to plan how they might participate in resolving environmental problems”.
HELCOM is convinced that raising public awareness – particularly among students – is of utmost importance for safeguarding future generations’ interest in protecting the Baltic Sea marine environment.
“We regard the HELCOM Youth Forum as a very important event. The future of the Baltic Sea depends on how the next generation will continue with the work so far done by our organisation,” said Anne Christine Brusendorff, Executive Secretary of the Helsinki Commission. “We also regard this years Forum as an important input to the strategic Baltic Sea Action Plan, which is now being elaborated by HELCOM to further reduce pollution in the Baltic Sea and repair the damage done to the marine environment. The development of this Plan calls for wide stakeholder participation at many levels – from international organisations and governments, right down to the individual citizens, whose choices can help to reduce pollution,” she added.
This years HELCOM Youth Forum is organised by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in cooperation with the Baltic Sea Research Institute in Warnemunde, the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Baltic Sea Forum.
The First Youth Forum was held on 1 March 2004 in Helsinki, Finland, in connection with the 30th Anniversary Jubilee Session of the Helsinki Commission. The Forum adopted a Youth Declaration, which was handed over to the President of the Republic of Finland, Ms Tarja Halonen.
Note to Editors:
The Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental co-operation between the countries bordering the sea - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and also the European Community. HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.
Contacts
HELCOM Secretariat
Mr Nikolay Vlasov
Information Secretary
Tel: +358 9 62202235
Fax: +358 9 62202239
E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi