Press release
06.05.2003

III Baltic Sea NGO Forum in Turku
8.-11, May 2003

An NGO Forum of the Baltic Sea countries will be held in Turku 8.-11., May 2003. In this event are expected to participate in all about 400 representatives from all of the Baltic Sea countries. The Forum is arranged under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen. Finland acts at the moment as the presiding country of the Council of the Baltic Sea States CBSS, and the Forum in Turku is part of the action programme of the presidency. Similar Forum was held in Lubeck in the year 2001 and in St. Petersburg in the year 2002.

The aim of the Forum is to gather together NGOs from various sectors from all of the countries in the Baltic Sea Region in order to exchange experiences and to discuss issues uniting them. The general theme of the meeting in Turku is:

Northern Dimension - Human Dimension? Strengthening Civil Society in the Baltic Sea Region

Besides the networking of the civil society the aim of the forum is to develop a closer dialogue between the NGOs and representatives of the public authorities as well as discuss the role of the civil society in the future European society.

The Forum will work on the basis of plenary sessions and thematic working groups. The themes are From social exclusion to participation, Equality and women´s rights, Sustainable lifestyle in the Baltic Sea Region as well as Cooperation between NGOs and public authorities.

The forum will be opened by the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja. Among other speakers during the first day are CBSS Commisioner Helle Degn, President Juri Dhzebladze from the Centre for Democracy Development and Human Rights in Russia, Danfrķšur Skarphéšinsdóttir from the Nordic Council of Ministers as well as Member of the Finnish Parliament Tarja Cronberg. Member of the Finnish Parliament Heidi Hautala will act as chairperson.

The hosting city Turku considers the civil society as important and aims at upholding a profile as a city where NGOs have a significant position. At the same time Turku wishes to activate the discussion concerning civil society in the framework of the Baltic Sea countries.

The Forum meets in the Congress and Spa Hotel Caribia and the working languages are Finnish, English and Russian. In Finland the Forum is prepared by a national preparatory committee with a wide participation of representatives, among others, from environmental, human rights, women´s, youth and social organisations as well as trade unions. As chairman of the preparatory committee acts Director of external affairs and communication of the City of Turku Mikko Lohikoski and as general secretary General Secretary of the Finland-Russia Society Merja Hannus.

Further information: Merja Hannus, tel. 0400 416 353 and Mikko Lohikoski, tel. 050 559 0238 Forum Secretariat: Finland-Russia Society/Päivi Kärnä, tel. (09) 693 8709, 050-35 30268, paivi.karna@venajaseura.com.