General Conference
XII UBC GENERAL CONFERENCE Mariehamn, Åland, 1 - 4 October 2013 FROM WORDS TO ACTION Combating youth unemployment and marginalization www.mariehamn.ax/ubc Welcome to the XII UBC General Conference Dear Colleagues and Friends, Our special theme for the open Urban Forum on 2 October is “Investing in the Young Generation”. the Baltic Sea Region is in We invite City Mayors, representatives of motion. Regional co-opera- regional and European organizations, trade tion on the Top of Europe is unions, employers organizations, companies today broader and deeper and – most important – youth participants to than ever before. discuss concrete measures how to ensure the The EU Strategy for emploment of young people as a necessary the Baltic Sea Region and preamble for our future. its comprehensive Action Marginalization and drop-out of youngsters Program have undoubtedly is a serious problem in all our societies, and contributed to this. aggravated by hard economic times. Its urgency But the key reason has been recognized. Now it is time to move for closer cooperation around the Baltic Sea from words into action! Region has always been that our destinies The General Conference, on 3 October, will and future are intertwined to each other. We provide us the opportunity to chart our way can only succeed together. It was so in the into the future, so that the UBC will continue to Hanseatic times – and it is so today too! serve its member cities and their citizens as Regionalization and urbanization are two effectively as possible. The unique environment key processes in our societies. The Union of the of Mariehamn, the Capital of the autonomous Baltic Cities and its more than hundred member region of the Aland Islands, will provide the cities represent both of these trends.
[Show full text]