HELCOM launches new web site

Helsinki, Finland, 16^th February 2005 - The Helsinki Commission today announced the launch of an all-new, innovative web site with significantly improved functionality and access to resources. Its main goal is to provide more and up-to-date data on the latest trends in the Baltic Sea marine environment as well as information on the joint measures taken by the coastal countries within the framework of the Commission to protect the sea from all sources of pollution and improve safety of navigation.

The web site, available at http://www.helcom.fi, is designed to serve as a one-stop resource center. It brings together a wealth of information from a range of different sources that can be of practical interest to the governments of the coastal countries, NGO’s, scientists, corporations, and the general public interested in the environmental issues affecting the Baltic Sea.

The new HELCOM web site, which is available in English, is a result of over 3 month’s of intensive work. The project involved a complete revision of the previous web site. It has undergone significant improvement in the area of content, structure, navigation, accessibility and design and incorporates dramatic interactive enhancements.

The web site features improved and easily searchable sections about HELCOM activities, including projects and programmes to address certain pollution problems. In addition to providing comprehensive assessment of the state of the Baltic Sea the “Marine environment” pages will contain regularly updated Indicator Fact Sheets on the current trends in variables related to eutrophication and hazardous substances. The new “Shipping” section features additional information on issues such as ships' traffic and navigational safety, ship-generated waste, accidental pollution and response, and releases of alien species in ballast water. These pages also summarize HELCOM's actions to address these issues.

The new web site will have several GIS systems, including the recently launched Maritime Accident Response Information System (MARIS), which is used to display available data on response, emergency and aerial surveillance capacities, sensitivity of the coastline to oil pollution, ship traffic and other relevant issues over a common background map. The site also incorporates a robust new content management system which will allow scientists around the region to directly post their research studies on the “Marine environment” pages.  All ‘top-level’ pages of the site – the homepage, documents, news, publications and events sections – have been also considerably redesigned and reorganized.     

“We are delighted to present our new web site,” said HELCOM Executive Secretary Anne Christine Brusendorff, “It has a fresh look that appropriately suits our profile as an environmental focal point of the Baltic Sea region. We strived to make the enhanced version of our portal as accessible and engaging as we possibly can. Already HELCOM’s web site has become a very popular international platform for news on the marine environment. The new web site will act as a solid foundation for future development in line with HELCOM’s information and communication strategy. I hope that by making comprehensive and accurate environmental information easily accessible, we will involve more and more people in the decision making process of protecting the health of our beautiful but very fragile sea”.

Contact

HELCOM Secretariat

Mr Nikolay Vlasov
Information Secretary
Tel: +358 9 6220 2235
Fax: +358 9 6220 2239