50th Anniversary Celebration of HELCOM

A celebration to mark and reflect on the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Convention and HELCOM is set to take place on 25 April 2024 in Riga.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Convention and HELCOM, Latvia, currently holding the Chairmanship of HELCOM, will host a celebration on 25 April 2024 in Riga.

This event commemorates the landmark signing of the Convention and establishing of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM), recognising the pivotal role that youth play in shaping the future of the Baltic Sea.

The anniversary celebration will be preceded by a Ministerial Meeting on the Baltic Sea Marine Environment, gathering representatives of the HELCOM Contracting Parties, observers, and other stakeholders. The event aims to reflect on the achievements of the past 50 years while also addressing the current challenges and looking ahead to future opportunities. 

Next generation panel discussion “Are we fit for the future?”

Central to the anniversary festivities is the recognition of youth as catalysts for change in the Baltic Sea Region. The event will feature a special focus on youth participation, highlighted by the Next Generation Panel Discussion, “Are we fit for the future?”, brought by the Baltic Sea Region Youth Forum (BSRYF), a platform that gives voice to young people to express their ideas and partake in real policymaking on a macro-regional level, in collaboration with the CBSS.

The discussion, facilitated by Silva Laure, Vice-Chair of the Baltic Sea Region Committee of Youth Representatives, will focus on selected Baltic Sea environment challenges and ways on finding balance between the values of environment and the negative impact we cause. Will we manage to make the ecosystem approach to management and the concept of ecosystem services work in real life?

Panelists:

  • Aurēlija Armoskaite, Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology
  • Mikajosefin Jonsson Gehrke, WWF Sweden Youth
  • Lisa Klemens, German Oceanographic Museum
  • Stanislaw Kostulski, Baltic Sea Region Youth Forum
  • Regan McEnroe, Nature & Youth Sweden


You can participate in the event online.

register here

Read more about the 50th anniversary of HELCOM and youth engagement here.

For further information about the 50th anniversary celebration, please visit Helcom’s website.