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. Cities, best possible setting for our discussions. acting in cooperation, have an increasingly I hope to see you in Mariehamn! important role to play in the future. The Mariehamn General Conference (1-4 Per Bødker Andersen October) will give us the opportunity to discuss President, Union of the Baltic Cities recent developments and to plan for the future.

Our ”mini metropolis” awaits you

Dear Delegates and Friends, Together with the local government we are closely monitoring the situation, especially it is with great pleasure regarding youth unemployment with a view that I welcome you all to to maintaining the comparatively low Mariehamn and the XII UBC unemployment numbers to which we have General Conference. become accustomed. Due to Mariehamns The UBC Conference will hopefully allow us geographical position, all the opportunity to develop both old and together with the Åland new contacts and at the same time give us the Island region, it has always insight and understanding we require to meet been dependent on the the approaching challenges we face to secure Baltic Sea and surrounding both wellbeing and employment for the youth area for inspiration and of today and tomorrow. commercial development. I hope that your time here with us in The diversity within the Baltic Region has Mariehamn will be well used to these ends and mirrored itself in our town giving it the flavour offer you all my full support as we prepare the of a mini metropolis where in principle Baltic Sea Region for what lies ahead. something appealing to all tastes and walks Outwith the conference confines I hope that of life can be found. you will have the opportunity to experience Our diversification, especially within the what the town and surrounding area have to commercial sector, has helped to alleviate offer and that the resulting memories you take many of the difficulties being experienced in with you will inspire you to visit us again in the a number of European countries through not to distant future. one-sided development and investment. Today we have a much lower unemployment Edgar Vickström rate than many of our neighbours but we are Mayor , Town of Mariehamn by no means complacent. Conference programme

TUESDAY, 1 October 13.00 – 14.30 Lunch 14.30 – 18.30 General Assembly th 17.30 – 19.00 68 UBC Executive Board • Report on UBC Activities meeting at Town Hall • Report on UBC Strategy 19.30 Get-together dinner • Amendments in the Statute • Auditor’s Report WEDNESDAY, 2 October • Board of Audit Report • Coffee break 09.00 – 09.30 Registration at Alandica • Absolving the Presidium, Culture & Congress Centre Board, Secretary 09.30 – 10.10 Opening Session – Welcome • Membership Fees 2014-2015 10.10 – 10.50 Plenary Session • Elections for the next period: 10.50 – 11.10 Coffee break - Executive Board 11.10 – 12.30 Plenary Session - President 12.30 – 14.00 Lunch - Vice-Presidents 14.00 – 15.10 Plenary Session - Board of Audit 15.10 – 15.30 Coffee break • Appointment of the auditor 15.30 – 16.30 Plenary Session • Venue of the XIII UBC General 19.30 Dinner Conference in autumn 2015 19.30 Dinner THURSDAY, 3 October 09.00 – 10.00 Commission meetings FRIDAY, 4 October 10.00 – 12.30 Parallel Workshops, including 09.00-12.00 Guided sightseeing tour coffee break 12.30 – 13.00 Reports from the workshops

Speakers and workshops

INVITED SPEAKERS, to be confirmed • Nina Oding, Head of the Research Department of the Leontief Centre, St. Petersburg • Sauli Niinistö, President of the Republic of • Pirjo Väänänen, Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions – SAK • Per Bødker Andersen, President, UBC • Representative of BSR industry sector • Petri Carlsson, Chairman of Mariehamn Executive Board • Camilla Gunell, Head of the Government of WORKSHOPS Åland • How to prevent and fight unemployment • Andrius Kupčinskas, Mayor of Kaunas among youth • Susanne Gaschke, Mayor of Kiel Coordination: Commission on Business • Gunars Ansins, Vice-Mayor of Liepaja Support: Commission on Education • Kent Andersson, Chairman of City Council, Malmö • Youth empowerment and non-formal • Roland Methling, Mayor of Rostock education with gender perspective • Leena Kostiainen, Vice-Mayor of Coordination: Åland Peace Institute • Marie-Louise Rönnmark, Mayor of Umeå • Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, President, • Green growth for UBC cities Committee of the Regions Coordination: Commission on Environment • Representatives of Baltic Sea youth • Chairman of CSO of the Council of the Baltic • Regional INTERREG IV Programmes for the BSR Sea States Coordination: Central Baltic & South Baltic • Paweł Orłowski, Vice-Minister of Regional Technical Secretariats Development, Republic of Poland • Michael Ralph, Adviser to the Director Commission on Youth Issues will also contribute General Walter Deffaa, DG Regional Policy, to the above workshops. European Commission • Christian Weinberger, Senior Adviser SMEs For more information about the workshops visit & Entrepreneurship, DG Enterprise and www.mariehamn.ax/ubc Industry, European Commission • Uwe Polkaehn, President, Confederation of German Trade Unions DGB-Nord Youth Conference

The Baltic Youth Project will bring 60 young The young people will arrive a couple of days people together from the Baltic Sea countries. before the adults and plan a wide range of During six working days they will exchange their activities in order to influence the politicians and experience on living conditions, youth policy in order to make the meeting and dialogue fun and influence in countries and cities around the and interesting for the young delegates. Baltic Sea. There will be flashmobs, forum theatre, possibly The Baltic Youth Project is a youth exchange a football match in addition to discussing e.g. project mainly involving participants from local youth mobility as a way of increasing learning youth councils. It will prepare the participants possibilities, employment and entrepreneurship. for meeting with politicians at the general assembly of the Union of the Baltic Cities.

Recommendations for travel

Mariehamn is easily reached by several daily BY SEA connections from Finland, Sweden and Estonia. The Viking Line and TallinkSilja shipping lines Choose between a scenic journey by ferry or a offer several daily departures for Åland from quicker one by air. Stockholm and Kapellskär, as well as from and Helsinki. If you are travelling from Estonia We recommend www.visitaland.com for more you would opt for Tallink from Tallinn directly to information about how to book your travel to Mariehamn or Viking Line via Helsinki. Mariehamn. www.tallink.com BY AIR www.tallinksilja.com You can change flights in Stockholm, Helsinki www.vikingline.com or Turku. The flight with NextJet is only half an hour from Stockholm Arlanda or . Viking Line offers UBC participants options for The flight with Flybe is less than an hour from travel at discounted prices. Read more about the Helsinki Vantaa. special offer at www.mariehamn.ax/ubc

www.flybe.com www.nextjet.com

Registration and contact information

CONFERENCE ORGANIZER UNION OF THE BALTIC CITIES Alandica Culture and Congress Centre SECRETARIAT

Phone +358 18 24570 Wały Jagiellońskie 1 E-mail [email protected] 80-853 Gdańsk Poland [email protected] Homepage www.alandica.ax Phone +48 58 301 09 17 Registration www.mariehamn.ax/ubc +48 58 301 91 23 Fax +48 58 301 76 37 All communication from the congress team will E-mail [email protected] be electronical, to the e-mail address you provide Homepage www.ubc.net in the registration form.

LOCAL ORGANIZER AND HOST Town of Mariehamn Central Administration Office

E-mail [email protected] Homepage www.mariehamn.ax