The 26^th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, Hamburg, 3-5 September 2017

The 26 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Hamburg was a great success. With the unanimous adoption of the resolution on cooperation, democratic participation and digital age, on innovative science and research as well as sustainable tourism, the conference was successfully concluded. By adopting the resolution, the delegates pointed out that the Baltic Sea Region is a role model for innovative science and sustainable tourism as well as for parliamentarian cooperation in the region. The conference appointed Jörgen Petttersson from the Åland Islands as the new BSPC President. Carola Veit from Hamburg was appointed the Vice President of the BSPC. Tourism in the age of acceleration The second day of the conference in Hamburg began with a discussion about new prospects and challenges for tourism in the Baltic Sea Region and worldwide. The topic suited perfecly the fact that the year 2017 had been anounced by the United Nations as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The Vice Chair of the BSPC Working Group on Sustainable Tourism, Sara Kemetter from the Åland Islands, presented the working group’s final report to the conference. The working group had developed eleven recommendations to the governments of the Baltic Sea Region, all of which were included in the 26 th BSPC Conference Resolution. “We will use our work and the recommendations in order to make a contribution that will strengthen sustainable tourism in the whole Baltic Sea Region,“ Ms Kemetter pointed out. The contribution made by the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Youth Forum to the final recommendations on sustainable tourism were presented by two young delegates, Friederike Schick from Hamburg and Elias Lindström from the Åland Islands. Improving education standards and raising the job status in tourism, switching to eco- and agricultural tourism, strengthening sustainable transport and launching a Baltic Sea Summer Ticket, those are just a few of the many ideas discussed by young people with politicians during the meeting of the BSPC Working Group in Kiel. The final report of the Working Group on Sustainable Tourism has been published on the website and additionally distributed in a print version to the conference participants. Mr Molstad, the journalist and advisor on sustainable tourism to international institutions, confronted the listeners with fundamental questions regarding the future of sustainable tourism in a world in which approx. 1.6 billion people travel abroad for touristic reasons every year, in which social media drive the travel industry and change the demand structure. Mr Molstad claimed that tourism needed to move to a low-carbon future by making the business case for meeting targets grounded in climate science. The speaker provided the participants with the example of Norway which had launched a cross-sectoral Green Competitive Initiative as a direct result of the Paris Climate Accord. The Initiative aims to create sustainable travel and sustainable tourism in Norway by 2030. More positive examples of tourism industry efforts towards sustainability came from Dr Monika Griefahn , Chief Sustainability Officer at AIDA Cruises, Alexander Sirchenko , Vice Director General on the Development on Internal Tourism, TUI Russia, and Michael Otremba , Managing Director of Hamburg Tourismus GmbH. More solidarity and more collaboration – the only solution to cope with the migration challenge. With a view to the next working group of the BSPC which has been established by the 26 th BSPC, the conference also dealt with migration and integration. Pedro Roque, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, expressed his conviction that migration was not going away, that it was not something that could be stopped but could only be organized better. The population of Africa numbers some1 billion people today and will reach by 2150 2.3 billion. Every day in Africa, 33 thousand young people enter the saturated labour market. Only 40% of them will be lucky enough to get a job. In this situation, he said, the only way to cope with that was to cooperate closely on the regional, European and global level. Isabel Santos , the Vice-President of OSCE PA and theVice-Chair of the OSCE PA ad hoc Committee on Migration, in her speech “For a Coherent, Shared and Responsible Governance of Migration and Refugee Flows” underlined the fact that some restrictive policies, sometimes hostile public and political attitudes, combined with continuing arrivals and growing protection needs, lead to the suffering of families who choose the fastest rather than the safest route, taking impossible risks. They resort to smugglers, facing exploitation and abuse. They also face violence and are exposed to sickness, hunger and lack of care. Politicians, she noted, needed to start having a dialogue on what type of migration policy can be developed together in Europe. Ms Maira Mora, the Director General of the CBSS Secretariat, announced the establishment of a new ad hoc/expert Working Group on Labour and Employment as a result of the meeting of labour ministers and their high level representatives from the Baltic Sea in Berlin on 15 June 2017. The topics to be addressed by the working group include labour mobility, demographic challenges, youth employment and the integration of migrants. In the following vivid debate, the parliamentarians emphasized that closer cooperation and more action are required from the governments and international organisations, allowing the newly established BSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration to serve as a great platform for cooperation with the CBSS on such an important topic. The conference was concluded with the unanimous adoption of the resolution, along with any changes in the rules of procedure as well as the agreement for the Working Programme 2017-2018. The new BSPC President Jörgen Pettersson invited the parliamentarians to the 27 th BSPC conference at Mariehamn on 26-28 August 2018.

BSPC President Carola Veit opens 26 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Hamburg. The President of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, Carola Veit welcomed the participants of the 26 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, parliamentarians, representatives from the BSPC Observers, members of the diplomatic corps, at dinner in the Town Hall of Hamburg, on Sunday evening – prior to the official opening of the conference. In her address she pointed out that Hamburg as the member of the BSPC since 1991 have driven initiatives in the region and identified issues of concern for the Baltic Sea Region. Organizing the conference at the Town Hall of Hamburg was an expression of Hamburg’s appreciation for the parliaments of in the Baltic Sea Region as well as for its joint platform of cooperation: the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. Innovative Science, Sustainable Tourism- Participation and Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region – the debate topic of the 26 th BSPC Conference On Monday Ms Carola Veit President of the Parliament of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and President of the BSPC opened the 26 th Conference stating that: “With our topics “Democracy”, “Science” and “Sustainability” I believe we have chosen forward-looking themes, which will determine the strength of our societies in the future”. In his welcome speech Mr Olaf Scholz, the First Mayor of Hamburg underlined the long history of cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region and gave examples of contemporary projects and initiatives that bring the BSR together. One of them the German Electron Synchrotron, had been visited by the participants of the conference the previous day. Cooperation brings prosperity to the people of the Baltic Sea Region The first session “Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region” brought reports from the Council of the Baltic Sea States the Mr Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson. The outgoing CBSS Chair referred to the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic Sea Region which took place in Reykjavik and pointed out that The Ministers of the Baltic Sea Region countries expressed in the Declaration that had been signed on that occasion, their will to invest in the BSR cooperation, the BSPC including. Mr Hans Olsson , Chairman of the Committee of Senior Officials, Ambassador of Sweden revealed the main catch words of the upcoming Swedish CBSS Presidency 2017-2018 – “ sustainability”, “ continuity” and “ adaptability”. Last part of the session was devoted to the report on the Implementation of the 25 th BSPC Resolution and the speeches of the BSPC Rapporteurs. Prof. Jānis Vucāns the BSPC Vice-President and Vice-President of Baltic Assembly in conclusion of his report stated that “the implementation of measures will help to improve and to strengthen the prosperity in the whole Baltic Sea Region” In their presentations the BSPC Rapporteurs. Jörgen Pettersson on Integrated Maritime Policy, Sonja Mandt on Cultural Affairs and Franz Thönnes on the Baltic Sea Labour Forum gave a brief review of work results of the working Groups they had chaired. The second session brought a lively exchange of different views concerning the participation in decision making processes, role of digital participation and challenges the developments of social media may cause. With the discussion on Science and Research the first day of the conference has been closed. To Celebrate the Centenary of Finland’s independence the exhibition prepared by the Finnish delegation was opened by Ms Veera Ruoho , the chair of Finish delegation to the BSPC. “Finland 100 Anniversary Exhibition” will be accessible for all viewers of the Town Hall during the Conference Days.

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