SOCIAL CHARTER FOR UBC MEMBERCITIES
Municipalities have to promote
the well-being of their inhabitants and their
free self-government for their own affairs.
They act thereby at the same time in responsibility
for the future generations. The General Conference
of the UBC have adopted the following Social
Charter in order to give a political sign for
a social policy to develop the social cohesion
in their municipalities as a social dimension
in the Baltic Sea region with similar and good
living conditions for everyone.
1. Civil Society
The cities confirm
to emphatically promote communal life and the
acceptance of responsibility by the citizens.
With their voluntary commitment the citizens
achieve an indispensable contribution to social
cohesion, to local democracy and therefore identification
with their community.
The cities will improve and/or
create regulations for involvement and codetermination
at the level of city representation as well
as outside this representation in the field
of social functions and activities of the city.
The influence of the state must
follow the principle of being subsidiary and
must be considerably downgraded in favour of
self-administration.
The cities confirm to create
sustainable conditions for voluntary activities
of citizens and the community serving organisations
of the citizens (NGO's).
2. Protection from general
risks of life
The cities confirm to do all they can, both
on local and state level, to ensure that all
persons living in the place are free of any
fear of the life's great risks such as sickness,
old age, unemployment and to become homeless.
3. Advancing the role of children
and youth
The cities confirm to regard the work with
and the protection of children and youth as
a part of their educational policy with the
goal of guaranteeing them a free and self determined
development of their own personalities. To achieve
this it is necessary to increase young people
possibilities to have influence on decision-making
processes.
4. Protection from discrimination
and abuse
The cities confirm to implement a policy
for the aged, handicapped and chronically ill
persons supporting them in arranging their lives
in such a manner that they feel well.
Trafficking in women and children
requires local prevention programmes
5. Gender Mainstreaming
The cities confirm to (re)organise, improve,
develop and evaluate policy processes, so that
a gender equality perspective is incorporated
in all policies at all levels and at all stages
by all actors normally involved in policy-making.
6. Sustainability
The cities confirm to support a sustainable
development that satisfies the needs of today's
generation without endangering future generations.
7. Social Report
The cities confirm to report regularly to
their city committees on basis of the 6 above-mentioned
task fields. This social report is submitted
regularly to the UBC General Conference.
Adopted on occasion of the VI
UBC General Conference held in Rostock, 12-13.10.2001.
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On
12-13 October 2001, the sixth General Conference of the
Union of the Baltic Cities took place in Rostock, Germany.
Over 200 delegates from 74 Baltic Cities and international
organisations participated in the event. UBC celebrated
its 10th anniversary and welcomed its 100th
member city, which was Berlin. 
The
new UBC Executive Board: Denmark–Aalborg; Estonia–Kuressaare;
Finland–Pori; Lithuania–Panevëzys; Latvia–Liepâja;
Germany–Lübeck; Norway–Kristiansand; Poland–Gdansk;
Russia–Baltijsk; Sweden–Stockholm.
The
Conference adopted the UBC Social Charter. The Charter underlines
such issues as: principle of subsidiarity; protection from
general risks of life, advancing the role of children and
youth, protection from discrimination and abuse, gender
mainstreaming, sustainability. 
