Baltic Marine Environment
Protection Commission

2024 Riga

Invited guests and observers to HELCOM delivered statements, please find them all here.

A great selection of photos by Gatis Orlickis is available – please click here.

Anticipating the Ministerial debate, a side event organized by the Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) and WWF took place in Riga on 24 April 2024.

About 2024 Riga Ministerial Meeting

The 2024 Ministerial Meeting on the Baltic Sea Marine Environment took place in Riga on 25 April 2024, and it was hosted by Latvia, the HELCOM Chair country at the time.

The focus of the Ministerial Meeting was on the results of the third holistic assessment (HOLAS 3) of the Baltic Sea, and how these can be used to strengthen implementation to reach the objectives and goals of Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). In addition, the Ministerial Meeting reflected on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the original Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area.

State of the Baltic Sea 2023

The results of the third HELCOM holistic assessment (HOLAS 3) were presented at the Ministerial Meeting. The assessment, which culminated in the publication of a synthesis report State of the Baltic Sea 2023 in October 2023, provides a comprehensive overview of the Baltic Sea’s ecosystem health during 2016 to 2021 and enables tracking progress in implementing the Baltic Sea Action Plan. The Ministerial Meeting was an opportunity to decide on the following steps towards reaching the vision of a healthy Baltic Sea environment and to ensuring continued cooperation in the region.

Proud past, promising future

2024 is a special year for HELCOM as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the original Helsinki Convention and, consequently, 50 years of fruitful cooperation within the framework of HELCOM.

The Ministerial Meeting concluded with a celebration of this occasion, themed “Proud past, promising future”. More information on this celebration can be found here.

Ministerial declaration


Other decision documents


Supporting documents

Thematic assessments 2023


Background document


Minutes of the Meeting


Participants

Please find the list of participants here.

Contact

Mock Employee
Laura Meski

Associate Professional Secretary
HELCOM Secretariat
laura.meski@helcom.fi

Mock Employee
Johanna Laurila

Communications advisor
HELCOM Secretariat
johanna.laurila@helcom.fi
+358 40 647 3996