UBC Formula.
Interview with Anders Engström, UBC Honorary President

The Union of the Baltic Cities is celebrating its 20^th Anniversary this year. How quickly did it pass? Organization-making is a complex art; it's not a formula. There's no simplistic, ten-point plan that can be mechanically applied to guarantee success in any eventuality. What was your formula for the UBC?

My formula for the UBC was to find out as soon as possible what member cities expected from the UBC. In the years 1991-92,I spent a lot of time visiting member cities and talking to mayors and employers working with inter­national relations about their expectations.

When we come to think of the UBC's origins, the young Baltic organization must have encountered some difficulties at the outset in the early 1990s? How did the UBC fit into the political situation in the Region after the collapse of the former bipolar system?

The collapse of the Iron Curtain was no surprise as it was expected by most of us. But fortunately, it was carried out in an almost peaceful way. Of course, it was a new situation for many people in the Eastern part of the Baltic. Many problems arose but also new opportunities appeared. The UBC had a very important role to play, namely to help the Eastern cities to adapt to the new political situation.

We all know that the older fabric with which European cities can work is a true gift. Yet, for some the Baltic Sea Region is quite a fossilized place. Hanseatic past gives a great scope to mould cultural resources. You can work with layers of history and the patina of ages, blending old and new. Yet finding novel, vibrant roles and purposes for the older Baltic towns as well as finding their Homo Balticus souls turned out to be extremely difficult. Has UBC found the Homo Balticus in the Baltic cities?

Homo Balticus has been the joint spirit of the Baltic Sea Region. It has been always present here and in the cities. It is our common Baltic identity. A true gift that still needs to be revealed.

Cities must speak to a world well beyond national government. They need to attract investment bankers, inwardinvesting companies, property developers, the talented the world ever. They need to court the media through which the city's resonance is either confirmed or generated. How did you manage to create coherence out of wants and needs that don't align under the UBC umbrella?

As I mentioned earlier, I had to listen to the member cities about their expectations of the UBC. Of course they had many different expectations and interests. But I have never noticed that they competed. There was an enormous will to cooperate. I very often noticed that if a city wanted some help in solving a problem, other cities would always be ready to offer their expertise and experiences to learn from.

The city is more than 'roads, rates and rubbish', as the Australians say (or'pipes, potholes and police’, as the Americans say). Using this formula, what is UBC in your opinion?

It is a relatively easy formula. As stressed in the major UBC documents, it has always been an organization built upon cooperation, exchange of experience and partnership. These three count most.

The overall goal of UBC is expressed in the conviction "that strengthening the cooperation between the Baltic coastal cities may contribute in a major way to the development of the region and foster peaceful and harmonious relations between the European nations". How did the UBC contribute to the development of the BSR?

Through using experience from others, the member cities successfully realized projects. The UBC has also contributed to the development of the BSR when we took part in different projects initiated by the national govern­ments. The cities have had a great influence on, for instance, protection of the Baltic Sea. Many of our waste water treatment plans have been ameliorated considerably.

After 20 years we can conclude that UBC turned out to be a successful player on the international arena. Yet, if you could go back in time, what would you do differently?

I don't really know. Perhaps other people have other opinions.

You served as UBC President from the day one. If you were to name two most difficult decisions while managing the organization, what were they?

The Board varied in their opinions whether cities from Belarus could be members of the UBC. They were not from a democratic country, but on the other hand, it was a chance to influence the local level. Another difficult question was if the UBC should have an opinion about the EU membership of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It was, of course, first of all a question for the parliaments, but ourmembercities in these states wanted the UBC to be active and to maintain its opinion that all three countries ought to join the EU at the same time. And so did the UBC.

Having named the most difficult decisions, could you identify your (as UBC President) successes on the Baltic and European arenas?

It is not up to me to answer that question. It is up to other people, should they have an opinion on that.

What is the future of the UBC in your opinion?

It must be up to persons presently active in the UBC to decide. But in my opinion the UBC must continue to act as a spokesman of the local level.