Toril Roscher-Nielsen, NDPHS CSR Chair 1st Meeting of the Renewed Northern Dimension Senior Officials St. Petersburg, November 21, 2007 NDPHS - a partnership committed to achieving tangible results

Address and help resolve challenges related to the “soft” rather than “hard” infrastructure in the Northern Dimension (ND) area: Objectives (Oslo Declaration of 27 October 2003 establishing the NDPHS) Promote sustainable development in the ND area by improving people’s health and social well-being Contribute to intensified co-operation in social and health development Assist Partners and Participants in improving their capacity to set priorities in health and social well-being Enhance co-ordination of international activities within the ND area

Priorities Including determinants of health and social well-being, such as sexual behaviour, alcohol consumption, smoking, the use of illicit drugs, peoples’ social and work environments and social skills Including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, the use of illicit drugs, cardiovascular diseases and the consequences of socially distressing conditions Enhancement and promotion of healthy and socially rewarding lifestyles Reduction of major communicable diseases and prevention of lifestyle related non-communicable diseases

Iceland France Finland Estonia Denmark Canada (associated) Lithuania Norway Poland Russia Sweden Germany (associated) Latvia Partner CountriesStructure

BEAC CBSS EC ILO IOM NCM UNAIDS WHO BSSSC Structure Partner Organisations

Primary Health Care Bodies & Secretariat Structure Committee of Senior Representatives Partnership Annual Conference Secretariat Expert Groups HIV/AIDS Prison Health Social Inclusion, Healthy Lifestyles and Work Ability (SIHLWA) Associated Expert Groups (CBSS WGCC and BSN) Ad hoc Working Groups (e.g. Database Project Steering Group)

Priority Sectors Northern Dimension Economic Cooperation Freedom, Security and Justice External Security, Civil Protection Research, Education and Culture Environment, Nuclear Safety and Natural Resources NDPHS Social Wellfare and Health Care

All Expert Groups in place and making good progress ● Work Plans for 2007 under implementation, Work Plans for 2008 adopted ● Meetings held regularly ● Committed leadership (human and financial resources provided) ● Support of International Technical Advisors However, there are some challenges to address ● Funding for project-based activities of the Expert Groups ● Unsatisfactory or lacking participation of some Partners ● Expert Group Co-lead Partners and Co-Chairs Examples of achievements in 2007 (1)

NDPHS Database Project delivers concrete results ● New NDPHS website: front page news e-newsletter e-news many documents and information materials calendar of events links to many external websites ● Database: a unique single access point to and a repository of information and data on (i) ongoing and implemented projects, (ii) organisations and (iii) persons (project leaders, experts, etc) offers a comprehensive overview of relevant projects in the ND area multiple data sources: (i) relevant external databases (incl. those of NDPHS Partners), (ii) NDPHS Project Pipeline and (iii) manual input a monitoring and coordinating tool a pool for project ideas and information about organizations and persons working in the ND area ● Project Pipeline: a multi-donor on-line project funding coordination tool designed to help in proceeding from a project idea through project application to project financing a tool for donors to benefit from coordinated project appraising by the NDPHS Expert Groups However, there are some challenges to address ● Connecting donors to the Project Pipeline ● Connecting further external databases to the NDPHS Database Examples of achievements in 2007 (2)

Examples of achievements in 2007 (3) Stronger involvement of the Russian Federation Support from the Nordic Council of Ministers (From 2006) Russia strongly involved in CSR and PAC the new ND policy has increased her engagements even further, especially as regards the Expert Group level latest CSR meeting held in Kaliningrad Russia has assumed the position of the NDPHS Co-Chair NCM (part-time) seconded two staff members from its office in St. Petersburg. They, i.a., help strengthen cooperation with and involvement of Russian stakeholders in the NDPHS activities Increased engagement of the European Commission The EC actively re-engaged in the NDPHS activities participates in CSR and PAC meetings cooperates closely with the NDPHS Secretariat has become involved at the Expert Group level next CSR mtg. will be held in Brussels

Partnership Annual Conference (PAC) at a ministerial level ● Hosted by Lithuania as the culmination of its Chairmanship of the NDPHS ● NDPHS Forum "Healthy Life - Healthy Work" organized before PAC ● Progress Report for 2007 approved ● Work Plan for 2008 adopted ● Project Pipeline and the Database publically lunched. Finland offered to channel through the Pipeline EUR 1.5 million for projects in N-W Russia ● NDPHS Strategy Healthy Life – Healthy Work adopted ● Norway and the Russian Federation elected as the NDPHS Chair and Co- Chair, respectively ● Conclusions by the Chair and the above documents are posted on the NDPHS website Examples of achievements in 2007 (4)

An ambitious Work Plan for 2008 adopted by the PAC ● NDPHS Database Project ● Financing NDPHS’ and other parties’ undertakings ● NDPHS Expert Groups work plans included ● Ensuring coordination of regional efforts to fight trafficking in human beings ● Engaging non-Partner Countries and Organizations ● Increasing the visibility of the Partnership ● Overall review and evaluation of the Partnership Future plans of the Partnership First NDPHS Expert Group Publications: Thematic Reports ● Thematic reports on selected areas of health: a series of publications will be developed by the EGs in their areas of expertise, in which health and geographical areas will be further analysed resulting in a set of recommendations to national and international bodies

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Thank you NDPHS - a partnership committed to achieving tangible results For more information Please visit our website at … and read the NDPHS e-Newsletter

NDPHS Strategy Healthy Life – Healthy Work ● Adopted during the ministerial Partnership Annual Conference ● First Strategy for the Norther Dimension Region on Health ● Based on and reinforcing WHO, ILO and EU Strategies on Workers’ Health ● Based on the Political Declaration on the Northern Dimension Policy and the Northern Dimension Framework Document Recommendations included in the Strategy ● Development of national (occupational) health programmes and policies ● Concrete actions, such as health audits or identification of national top priorities ● Information and experience sharing, etc. Examples of achievements in 2007 (3 Add.)