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UBC Safe Cities Commission

Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) is a voluntary, proactive network mobilizing the shared potential of its member cities for democratic, economic, social, cultural and environmentally sustainable development of the Baltic Sea Region. UBC Safe Cities Commission is one of the thematic Commissions of the UBC.

UBC Safe Cities Commission cooperates in order to improve security services as well as assure better safety standards and procedures for all Baltic Sea Region (BSR) citizens. The problems which seem to be completely solved in some cities still exist in others. Commission work allows not only knowledge expanding, but also gaining and sharing of experiences – joint efforts can help make BSR a safer and tidier place to live in.

The Commission's main areas of interest are cooperation and experience exchange in the field of local security as well as joint projects to increase level of safety and public order within the Baltic Sea Region and cooperation with other local organizations (police, fire brigade, emergency, crises management departments, social welfare centers, etc).

Kaspars Vārpiņš – Chairman of UBC Safe Cities Commission

I was elected the Chairman of the UBC Safe Cities Commission in May 2015. Since then I have been re-elected for two more times.

In our Commission network we do meet on a regular basis at least twice a year, but it may be more often if we see, that it is necessary. In example, now, when we can’t have physical meetings because of the COVID-19, we do organize online meetings, where we share our experience.

More information: ubc.net/commissions/safe-cities

The UBC Safe Cities Commission meeting in Tartu, Estonia in 2019.

Safe Cities Commission and CASCADE

UBC Safe Cities Commission has been part of the CASCADE already then, when the idea about this project was in the early steps. The Vice-Chair of UBC Safe Cities Commission,  Torbjörn Lindström, is the Project director of CASCADE and the UBC Safe Cities Commission as a project partner contributes to the project with expertise and through their network in the Baltic Sea Region.

The climate change related disaster risks would affect the cities and cities will be the ones who will have to fight against that. It is necessary for the cities to be prepared in advance, so because of that the CASCADE project has become an important part of our tasks.  Kaspars Vārpiņš, Chairman of the UBC Safe Cities Commission.

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Text by: Kaspars Varpins
Photo by City of Tartu (UBC Safe Cities Commission meeting in Tartu, 2019)

This is an article of the series “Introducing CASCADE Project Partners”. During the past  weeks and months CASCADE introduces all the Project Partners and their visions here on the CASCADE website.