BALTIC SEA NGO NETWORK

Supporting civil societyinvolvement in societaldevelopmentBALTIC SEANGO NETWORKToday’s societal challenges are complex and require a broad involvement ofstakeholders to be efficiently addressedCivil society organisations can and want to contribute with valuable expertiseIn the Baltic Sea Region several of these societal challenges are shared, and beingaddressed jointly in several fora'sThe role of the Baltic Sea NGO Network is to facilitate the civil society organisationsinvolvement in these joint development processes addressing our common societalchallengesBALTIC SEA NGONETWORKHISTORY INBRIEFSince 2001, NGOs throughout the Baltic Sea Region haveworked together in the framework of the annual Baltic Sea NGOForum.Traditionally, the Forum is hosted by the country holding theCBSS Presidency.In 2003, the Baltic Sea NGO Network was formed in order toorganize inter -forum co -ordination and activities.In 2020 a reform process was launched to adjust the network tothe needs of today’s collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region... to societal development in the Baltic Sea Region.The network is organized in national platforms, one in each of the 11 member states: Denmark, Estonia, Finland,Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden.Each platform offer membership to civil society organisations, open organisations following democraticprinciples and sharing the value of the network presented in its statutes. The platforms offer programmes andcapacity building activities to its members.The Baltic Sea NGO Network function as a contact point for civil society organisations in the Baltic Sea Regionand an interface between them and primarily the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and the EU Strategy forthe Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR).As an interface the network facilitate contacts between civil society organisations and CBSS/EUSBSR and viceversa. The two framework for collaboration, the CBSS and the EUSBSR are organizing thematic platforms wherecivil society organisations are invited to co -create solutions to our common societal challenges together withother stakeholders in public and private sectors.These platforms arereferred toas“policy -action processes” or“flagships” .They areoften organised asnetworkswith members .The platforms areopen toallactors and can accommodate wide groups ofstakeholders .Offeringco-creative processes that delivers ontheindicators and targets oftheEUSBSR and CBSS Action Plans .▪To other stakeholders in public and business sectors as well as in academia:▪Access to CSO actors, stakeholders in BSR countries on local, regional and national levels▪Access to a pool of experts, both from the National Focal Points of the Baltic Sea NGO Network and from itsmember organisations▪To NGO’s and local authorities:▪New contacts and partners through the yearly EUSBSR Participation Day, co -organized by the Network andsimilar activities in the member countries▪Support to engage in EUSBSR Policy Areas processes such as thematic working groups, flagships andprojects bringing the CSO perspective to the policy processes▪Through participating in activities organized by organisations such as:▪Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM), Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConference (BSPC), Baltic Sea States Subregional Co -operation (BSSSC), Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC)and Euroregion Baltic (ERB) and CPMR Baltic Sea Commission.▪As partners in projects supporting collaboration in the Baltic Sea RegionPARTICIPATION DAYThe Baltic Sea NGO Network (BSNGON) together with the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) organize so calledParticipation Days one day prior to the EUSBSR Annual Forums.The event is an integrated part of the Forums providing an opportunity for civil society organisations and localauthorities to start cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, using the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region as aframework.Participants send proposals, ideas for cooperation to the organizers prior to the Participation Day. Proposals thatare clustered thematically, linked to one EUSBSR Policy Area and presented at the Participation Day.So far the EUSBSR Policy Area Coordinators have been present and provided feedback and guidance to thepresenters.Ideally the Participation Day function as a start point for cooperation, cross -sectorial, transnational andmultilevel.PROPOSAL 1To invite members of Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference to take part in the event, to give feedback to theproposals from civil society organisations and local authorities and take part in the dialogue.NATIONAL WORKSHOPSThe Baltic Sea NGO Network is organized with national platforms, one in each of the 11 member states. Thesenational networks organize programme activities for their members. Activities linked to the Baltic Sea Region. Forexample on thematic issues such as climate or social ones but also on democracy and the situation for civilsociety organisations.PROPOSAL 2To co -organize such workshops with members of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. Topics preferablylinked to EUSBSR Action Plan, CBSS Presidency Programme and BSPC priorities. Two examples of topics aresustainable working life and sustainable production and consumption of food.THINK TANKMore transnational collaboration is needed, a more inclusive collaboration where citizens are brought together toco-create their future, to jointly tackle societal challenges. The macroregional strategies are laboratories wherenew formats of collaboration are tested. Formats based on cross -sectorial, transnational and multilevelcollaboration.PROPOSAL 3To form a think tank bringing together people with experiences and ideas on how to shape this newcollaboration needed to effectively address the more complex societal challenges that can’t be solved by onemunicipality, one region or one country alone.Looking forward to your feedbackTHANK YOUFOR YOURATTENTION!More information available here:www.balticseango.netBALTIC SEANGONETWORK