Partnership Annual Conference (PAC)

Fifth Conference

Ottawa, Canada

19 November 2008

Title / Minutes from the 5th Partnership Annual Conference
Submitted by / Secretariat
List of Annexes / Annex 1 – Approved NDPHS Progress Report for 2008
Annex 2 – Adopted Terms of Reference and Timeline for the NDPHS ad hoc Strategy Working Group (SWG)
Annex 3 – Adopted NDPHS Work Plan for 2009
Annex 4 – List of participants
Annex 5 – List of documents submitted to the Meeting
Summary / Note / This document presents the most important information and statements presented, as well as, where available, the conclusions and decisions made during the meeting.

1. Opening of the Conference and welcome

The conference was opened by Ms. Toril Roscher-Nielsen, the NDPHS CSR Chair, who also chaired the conference.

The Host Country, Canada (Robert Shearer and Gloria Wiseman) welcomed the participants and informed about the practicalities of the PAC 5 as well as side event, which was held the preceding day.

2. Adoption of the agenda

The Conference adopted the provisional agenda (submitted as document PAC 5/2/1).

3. Statement by invited guests

As SEEHN could not take part in the PAC, this agenda item was obmitted.

4. Information by the NDPHS Chair and the NDPHS Secretariat

The Secretariat informed about the joint NDPHS Expert Group meeting held on 30 September – 1 October 2008 in Oslo, Norway, which discussed possible collaboration and joint projects of all the Expert Groups; about the European Health Forum Gastein held on 1-4 October 2008, Bad Hofgastein, Austria, which was organised with the support of and in collaboration with the European Commission during which the NDPHS had participated in a workshop together with the South Eastern Europe Health Network. The workshop had demonstrated the added value of regional cooperation networking and could be considered as one more step to strengthen our links with SEEHN. The Secretariat also informed that it had attended and made presentations at the CBSS Observer State Consultations and a seminar on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the CBSS Secretariat, which was held on 20 October 2008, Stockholm, Sweden.

The Chair informed about her participation in the First Ministerial Meeting of the Renewed Northern Dimension, which was hosted by the Russian Federation on 28 October 2008 in St. Petersburg. The meeting provided a good opportunity to inform high-level Northern Dimension Policy stakeholders about the progress in work of the both partnerships operating within the ND framework. To that end, the CSR Chair delivered a speech describing the NDPHS’ progress as well as addressed to the attention of ministers several issues that Norway, as the Chair of the NDPHS, considers important for ensuring further successful work of the Partnership.[1]

The Co-Chair country Russia provided further details regarding the First Ministerial Meeting of the Renewed Northern Dimension. The European Delegation also included delegates from Italy and Cyprus, who also took an interest in the developments in the North. The Ministers of the ND countries, that had attended the meeting, noted that the Northern Dimension is a successful initiative, which is able to come to results despite a large number of participants. The progress made by both the Partnerships on Environment and Health was recognized. Participants were particularly impressed by the NDPHS presentation and noticed the call for financial contributions to the NDPHS. As a result Russia succeeded to launch the processes of expediting the Russian contribution to the NDPHS. The Ministers launched a third Partnership on Transport and Logistics (NDTLP) and instructed the ND Steering Group to ensure that the NDTLP would be operational as of 1 January 2010. They further requested a feasibility study to assess the possibilities for a Partnership on cultural cooperation.

Furthermore, the idea emerged to create an institute for the ND, which would serve as a think tank and would undertake analytical tasks and projects for the benefit of the Northern Dimension. The St. Petersburg University and the Technical University of Lappeenranta already expressed interest and negotiations with other Universities in Norway, Germany and other countries are underway.

The Chair further informed about the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Health Ministerial Meeting, held on 7 November 2008 in Chisinau, Moldova, which was attended by the CSR Chair and during which the NDPHS’ offer to share the NDPHS web-tools was renewed.

The Secretariat added that it had received a study visit from health experts and enforcement authorities from the St. Petersburg region in Stockholm on 20 October 2008, which was organized by the NCM. The Secretariat was able to inform the visitors about ongoing NDPHS activities and to create closer links to stakeholders of the St. Petersburg region. Another study tour was expected to visit the Secretariat on 8 December 2008.

The Conference took note of the presented information with appreciation.


5. Information by the Partner Countries and Organizations

The Danish Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) reiterated its interest in participating and in contributing to the Partnership’s activities. The international conference on "Reducing Alcohol Problems in the Baltic Sea Region: Effective Approaches to Tackle Alcohol Related Problems in Local Communities," which was organised jointly by the CBSS and the NDPHS on 12-13 March 2007, in Riga, Latvia, was but one of the activities jointly carried out by CBSS and NDPHS. The CBSS input was also marked by specific activities, such as Children at risk and combating trafficking in human beings.

Taking note of the NDPHS evaluation, the CBSS expressed its willingness and readiness to support the NDPHS’ social well-being activities. The CBSS is already involved in several new project initiatives, such as the “Baltic Sea Labor Network”, a project on youth unemployment and a project idea on commuters, all of which could be of interest for the NDPHS to collaborate closer with the CBSS, and thus enriching the social well-being part of NDPHS’ work. The CBSS also appreciated the NDPHS initiative to establish an expert level cooperation between NDPHS and Belarus. The CBSS reiterated that it is proud to host the Secretariat of the Partnership under its roof in Stockholm, as a temporary project. This was seen as an example of co-habitation that has proven useful and mutually enriching.

The Joint Working Group on Health and Related Social Issues (JWGHS) of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) had held its 9th Meeting on 13 November 2008 in Arkhangelsk. One important item was an assessment of the TB situation in the Barents Region. The Prime Ministers' declaration in 2003 had urged the Barents authoritiesto gain full control of the tuberculosis situation in the region within 10 years. The meeting had been satisfied to note important progress. At the same time it was agreed that more needs to be done on TB to meet the set targets for 2013, and the Co-chairs, together with the WHO representative in Arkhangelsk, had been tasked to work out a proposal for the next meeting. Furthermore, an evaluation of the Barents HIV/AIDS programme had been made and the preliminary results showed that the programme was successful. Finally, the sub-programme on Children and Youth at Risk (CYAR), aimed at increasing of the overall competence of the social services in the region, would now be able to start, as Norway had kindly contributed a chairman to the Steering Committee of the programme.

Sweden informed about its forthcoming EU presidency in the second half of 2009. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs was working on identifying possibilities to provide a good opportunity to increase the visibility of the Partnership. Informal meetings of the Ministers of Health and the Ministers of Social Affairs and Labour were planned on 6-7 July and 8-9 July 2009 respectively. The priorities of the Swedish EU Presidency of most interest to the Partnership were:

-  Alcohol (to further develop the EU alcohol strategy and to bring alcohol in all relevant policy areas. An expert conference on alcohol and health was planned to discuss the marketing of alcohol, children born with alcohol related disorders and problems in the family, harmful alcohol consumption as a threat to a dignified and healthy ageing, the importance of the price and spending over alcohol and health. Back to back, a WHO Global Expert Meeting on alcohol and global development was planned as an input to the work on a global alcohol strategy);

-  Antimicrobial resistance (to stimulate new pharmaceutical with the same functions as antibiotics, etc.);

-  Social inclusion, linked to the Lisbon Strategy (to break the exclusion in society).


They would all result in conclusions adopted by the EU Council. Sweden noted with appreciation that the SIHLWA EG was already engaged in part of the preparations for the alcohol initiative.

The NCM announced the adoption of a new framework agreement on Cooperation with North-West Russia, 2009-2013. The combating of HIV/AIDS and the fight against trafficking in human beings are some of the areas of action included in this agreement, and should also be connected to the NDPHS. In 2008, NCM had also initiated a number of activities together with the St. Petersburg City administration, such as: (1) HIV/AIDS, (2) the development of social service centers for families and children in crisis, (3) trafficking in human beings, and (4) disabled people. The Vice-governor of St. Petersburg (Ms. Koskina), who visited a number of social institutions in Denmark and Norway in September 2008 sent a clear message that the social service systems in St. Petersburg would need to be further developed.

Canada informed about its numerous initiatives on health of indigenous people. A multi-stakeholder dialogue with WHO participation was held to develop a strategy on alcohol, the indigenous people’s food guide was recently updated and a health-guide for the first nations was in the making. Furthermore, a new health initiative was launched which offers Canadian parents a tax credit, if they put their children into physical activity programmes.

Lithuania provided an update on the 5th Baltic Policy Dialogue on Public Health, which was held on 13-14 October 2008 in Vilnius. The next meeting will be hosted by Latvia in 2009 and Lithuania hoped that the Baltic Policy Dialogue could provide a window of opportunities for the NDPHS to increase its visibility. Lithuania was also hosting a conference on alcohol control and prevention policy, on 20 November 2008 in Vilnius. The conference aimed at creating a coalition of non-government organizations of the three Baltic countries to better cooperate on alcohol issues. Lithuania mention that it could be a good opportunity for the the Prison Health Expert Group to attend the 19th anniversary of the Lithuanian prison health department in 2009. More detailed information will follow in the course of the organisation of this event.

The Conference took note of the presented information.

6. NDPHS Progress report for 2008

The Secretariat introduced the main part of the NDPHS Progress Report for 2008 (submitted as document PAC 5/6/1) and asked for permission to include later into it any activities, which may still be carried out before the end of the year 2008. The NDPHS had been able to implement its very ambitious Work Plan in 2008, which was only possible through the active involvement of the Expert Groups and NDPHS Partners. The Database Project activities for 2008 (Action Line 1) are all implemented except for two, one of them being the preparation of the final report, and the project will be closed in early 2009. The NDPHS progress was also related to the financial resources that were made available through the Partners (Action Line 2). Besides the regular contributions, the Secretariat had received additional contributions, for instance from Germany for the NDPHS evaluation, or from Finland, Norway and Sweden, that had paid for Belarusian and Russian experts to participate in Expert Group meetings. The Secretariat thanked the Expert Groups for the excellent cooperation and input they had provided to the work plan. All Expert Groups (Action Line 3) enjoyed the support of a Lead Partner and have an ITA in place. The coordination of regional efforts to fight trafficking in human beings (Action Line 4) will be addressed by NCM in a meeting in Copenhagen on 5 December 2008. The Partnership engaged non-Partner Countries and Organizations (Action Line 5) in its activities, such as the South Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN), Belarusian experts as well as local and regional stakeholders in North-West Russia. It also managed to dramatically increase its visibility (Action Line 6) through the attendance at various conferences, meetings and workshops, but also through the website, the folder with fact sheets, the database and the pipeline. The overall review and evaluation of the Partnership (Action Line 7) had been successfully conducted in 2008.

The NCM provided additional info on the above-mentioned meeting on trafficking and recalled that several international organizations and task forces will attend this meeting to share information and to coordinate the activities in the regions. NCM was also prepared to organize a similar activity in 2009.

The Chair thanked the Secretariat and invited the Expert Groups to provide more specific information about their work achievements in 2008 (cf. Annexes of the Progress Report).

The Chair of the HIV/AIDS EG informed that its Lead Partner, Finland, has secured the financial basis for the Expert Group to continue working for the next two years. In 2008, the HIV/AIDS EG had held two meetings, one in Tallinn, 3-4 April 2008 and one in Oslo, 30 September -1 October 2008, where it had welcomed new representatives from Sweden and Norway and also a new expert from Belarus. Canada has been participating in the meetings as an observer and the Polish member was elected as the Co-Chair. In 2008, the Expert Group was involved in 29 ongoing projects, 9 project proposals and 10 completed projects as well as the continuous work with the Barents HIV/AIDS Programme. The HIV/AIDS EG’s ”Lighthouse project” on the development of low threshold services had started in 2005 in Murmansk and was now being duplicated (Phase 2, 2008-2010) in Kantalahti (Kandalaksha). The Group had also completed its thematic report and was conducting regular reviews of epidemic trends and prevention policies in Partner countries. However, it was not having enough flexible financing tools for innovative approaches or seed money for project planning.