Managing complexity: Addressing societal security challenges in the Baltic Sea region
In cooperation with the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, SIPRI is proud to host a conference on broad security issues in the Baltic Sea region: ‘Managing complexity: Addressing common societal security challenges in the Baltic Sea region’. The conference will discuss how best to provide safety for citizens and build effective resilience in the face of various contingencies, ranging from climate change to terrorism and major infrastructural disruptions.
The transnational nature of many of societal security challenges requires regional cooperation. It is not only more effective than a solo national effort but also a necessary part of national preparedness. Cooperation in the Baltic Sea region has been evolving to include societal safety and security issues on the agenda of regional institutions, including the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS). The conference will explore best practices and lessons learned from the national and regional approaches to deal with societal security challenges and will also examine existing gaps in knowledge, capacity and collective responses.
Breakout session: Baltic Sea Action Plan: efforts for a healthy Baltic Sea
(Lotta Samuelson, SIWI Swedish Water House, participates)
The HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission – Helsinki Commission) Baltic Sea Action Plan is an ambitious programme to restore the good ecological status of the marine environment by 2021, adopted in HELCOM in 2007. The programme focuses on four areas eutrophication, pollution caused by hazardous substances, biodiversity, and maritime activities.
According to the HELCOM, by 2016, about 60% of the agreed joint regional actions in the Plan had been carried out, with successes in setting up a nutrient reduction scheme, curbing airborne emission and discharges from shipping, tackling some hazardous substances, piloting ecosystem approach in maritime spatial planning, and covering 11.8% of the Baltic with marine protected areas. At the same time, environmental organizations point out insufficient progress in achieving the goals. The session will discuss the current progress with the Baltic Sea Action Plan, the lessons learned from implementing the BSAP on the national and local level.
Venue: Fotografiska
Venue address: Stadsgårdshamnen 22, 16 45 Stockholm
Venue URL
Programme
Organiser
- SIPRI
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden