Committee of Senior Representatives (CSR)

Tenth Meeting

Oslo, Norway

11 December 2006

Reference / CSR 10/3/1
Title / The Nordic Council of Ministers’ planned activities within the framework of the NDPHS
Submitted by / Nordic Council of Ministers
Summary / Note / This document presents activities that the NCM would like to implement within the framework of the NDPHS along with other Partners, as well as spells out the conditions for this to happen.
Requested action / For information and decision

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Nordisk Ministerråd
Store Strandstræde 18
DK-1255 København K
Tel / +45 3396 0200
Fax / +45 3396 0202
www.norden.org
2. november 2006

The Nordic Council of Ministers’ planned activities within the frame of the Northern Dimension Partnership for Public Health and Social Wellbeing

The Nordic Council of Ministers strategies for participation in the partnership

The Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) has since the establishment of the NCM offices in the three Baltic Countries in the beginning of the nineties and later in St. Petersburg and just recently in Kaliningrad attach great importance to cooperation around the Baltic Sea. It is a clear goal to the NCM to enhance the co-operation with the neighbouring countries to the Nordic Countries and with other regional organisations in the North.

NCM is intensively engaged in activities relating to the Northern Dimension and has made the Northern Dimension objectives part of the NCM policy objectives.

It is stressed within the overall NCM strategy that policies are to be formulated clearly within the framework of the Northern Dimension. Contacts and joint-contributions with other regional organizations, CBSS, AC, BEAC, EU,WHO-EURO and task forces to maximize the synergy within the EU’s Northern Dimension, is an important dimension of the NCM policy – in the spirit of building partnership, exchange information and improve coordination between relevant participants, as well as avoiding duplication.

NCM was one of the international organisations signing the Northern Dimension Partnership on Public Health and Social Wellbeing Declaration in Oslo in October 2003. NCM has since worked as a proactive and visible stakeholder with a wish to contribute to the development of a genuine partnership between the countries, task forces and organisations involved.

The Nordic Ministers on Social Affairs and Public Health have in 2006 decided a working programme where the development of co-operation with the countries in the Baltic Sea region will continue to be a central objective. In this connection joint activities related to social, health and gender issues within the EU Northern Dimension partnership in Public Health and Social Wellbeing have been stipulated. These possible future joint activities have been named “partnerships within the ND Partnership on Public Health and Social Wellbeing”.

Furthermore the Nordic Ministers on Social Affairs, Justice and Gender Equality has emphasised that anti-trafficking activities are very important issues on the NCM agenda, including the framework of Northern Baltic cooperation.

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At the Partnership Annual Conference (PAC) in Stockholm, October 18, 2005 NCM presented initiatives for joint activities within the framework of Northern Dimension Partnership.

Following up at these initiatives taken in Stockholm the NCM proposed to the Expert Group on Social Inclusion, Healthy Lifestyles and Workability (SIHLWA) at it’s meeting in May this year, that SIHLWA should include initiatives on children and youth at risk focusing on assistance to improve their health and social wellbeing - as a pipe-line project for the partnership.

This initiative is now in principle adopted as a pipeline project of the Expert Group SIHLWA and has been further elaborated on at the Expert Group meeting in Vilnius November 30, 2006. The project still needs further development. The joint project is open for participation from all partners within the partnership.

At the SIHLWA meeting in May this year initiatives on anti-trafficking activities were also discussed, along the lines with the NCM initiatives taken at the Stockholm Conference. The proposal was received very positively and it was agreed to continue the discussion on how to develop the idea further.

At the Committee of Senior Representatives (CSR) meeting on October 26 -27 in Paris 2006, the NCM presented concrete proposals as a follow up on the discussion of the proposal on children and risk as well a the proposal on anti-trafficking activities – in line with the suggestions made at the Stockholm Conference and the discussions at the SIHLWA Expert Group Meeting in May. NCM invited all partners who were interested in moving these two joint projects forward to participate in the further development of these projects.

Project proposals for joint activities

The two following projects are based on the initiatives presented in October 2005 at the Partnership Annual Conference (PAC) in Stockholm.

1. “Promotion of Healthy and Socially Rewarding Lifestyles through prevention and social assistance targeting children at risk”

This is a pilot project to be implemented in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad. St. Petersburg City Council has expressed its interest in the project and is prepared to sign an agreement on an Action Plan. Kaliningrad will be further approached.

The project will focus on the development of best practice models based on experiences and lessons learned from stakeholders involved. The overall aim is to strengthen preventive and coordinated measures targeting children and youth at risk and their families. Another aim is to facilitate the development of decentralized social services at district level close to the citizen.

Immediate objectives of the project are:

·  Strengthen the capacity of the oblast/city administration to plan, organise and implement preventive and social assistance services.

·  Strengthen cooperation between governmental agencies and NGO’s

·  Capacity building of authorities and professional “front level” staff.

Core components of the project are:

·  Counselling and establishment of local crisis centres for women and their children

·  Initiating activities to improve the situation for children with disabilities and their families.

See Annex I for more details.

2. “Prevention of and assistance to victims of trafficking in human beings”

The overarching aim of this project is to focus on the social dimension of trafficking in human beings. The aim is to offer by Nordic, and other countries’, institutional and expert models as well as best practises knowledge on how to build networks between authorities, experts and NGOs. This main aim of the activities is capacity building and exchange of knowledge.

The Nordic countries have built models on how to make the fight against trafficking in human beings more effective by coordinating between different authorities working with these problems. The Nordic cooperation models can be cooperation models for similar cooperation with other countries and on how information can be spread between the actors involved.

See Annex II for more details.

Other project proposals for joint activities within the frame of the Northern Dimension Partnership on Public Health and Social Wellbeing

“Preventing trafficking of teenage girls - a partnership pilot project”

As a result of a Roundtable Conference on the Social Aspects of Trafficking in Copenhagen 31 October 2006, the participating countries agreed to develop a project with activities targeted at preventing trafficking/prostitution among young teenage girls in their countries of origin. The conference was held by the Danish minister of Social Affairs, Eva Kjer Hansen and the NCM. The ministers of Social Affairs from the Nordic and Baltic countries, as well as ministers from Germany, Poland and Russia discussed the social aspect of trafficking in human beings participated.

This project is a partnership pilot project between the Nordic countries and the Baltic Sea Countries (participants in the roundtable conference) aimed at building capacity and knowledge among targeted professionals in the participating countries. Activities could possibly be targeted at neighbouring countries to the countries of origin.

The project consists of 2 different initiatives:

1.  Training of professionals in the participating countries of origin (pilot projects), including development of a training curriculum

2.  Exchange programme(s) for professionals that builds on dialogue

See Annex III for further details.

“Social Inclusion, Healthy Lifestyles and Workability: Alcohol and drug prevention among youth”

Goal of the project:

To improve measures on how to provide more assistance to young people/children at risk of social and health consequences including use of alcohol and drugs. A gender perspective will be included in all stages of the project.

·  To reduce alcohol and substance use in general and hazardous use in particular, and alcohol’s destructive impact on young people’s future.

·  To change misconception of society at large underestimating the negative impact of alcohol and drugs to health and wellbeing of individuals and to public health in general.

·  To influence risk-behaviour of young people towards responsible, sustainable relationship with alcohol, and towards abstinence vis-à-vis drugs.

This project is being implemented by the Expert Group SIHLWA. The project will be co-funded by Finland, Sweden and Lithuania. The project document will be further elaborated in the SILHWA Expert Group.

Partnership and financing

The NCM initiatives to “partnerships” in The Northern Dimension Partnership are proposals for joint activities within the field of social wellbeing, children at risk and trafficking. Other partners joining are invited to elaborate on the content of the proposals. NCM also finds it of utmost importance that EU will be involved in the activities.

NCM has decided to allocate up to 4.000.000 DKK to these activities within the Partnership on Public Health and Social Wellbeing under the condition that other partners are willing to contribute – also financially. In particular it is necessary that EU funding will be on place in order to establish a real partnership.

Some further remarks on anti-trafficking activities

Since 2001 NCM has been actively engaged in activities in combating trafficking in Human Beings, i.e. the joint Nordic Baltic Information Campaign in 2002. In June 2006 the Ministers of Social Affairs additionally stressed the importance of focusing on the social dimension of the problems related to trafficking in human beings.

As a follow up on this political statement the Danish minister of Social Affairs, Eva Kjer Hansen, met in October 31, 2006 with the ministers of Social Affairs from the Nordic and Baltic countries, as well as ministers from Germany, Poland and Russia to discuss the social aspect of trafficking in human beings. The ministers stated that they wish to establish concrete co-operation programs with focus on preventive social and health aspects, as well as coordination of the social work for victims in the countries of destination and origin.

Trafficking in Human Beings was further discussed at the Nordic Council Session in Copenhagen October 31 - November 2. The Nordic Council of Ministers reported on the discussion from the ministerial meetings of the Ministers on Social Affairs and Public Health and Gender Equality in 2006. The dialogue between Nordic Council and Nordic Council of Ministers on trafficking in human beings will continue during 2007.

As a follow up of the Informal Coordinating Meeting on Trafficking in Human Beings within the Northern Dimension Partnership held the 16th of June 2005, and in cooperation between the NCM and the present Norwegian Chairmanship of the NCM an Informal Coordinating Meeting will be held on January 31st .

The aim of this meeting will be exchange of information and up-date an overview of various task forces, work groups and networks of international nature that operate the Northern Dimension in order to avoid duplication and facilitate a more comprehensive coordination.

Since there at present time no natural body was within the Northern Dimension Partnership where collaboration on trafficking in human beings can take place, NCM has at the CSR meeting in Paris suggested to establish a group as a platform for future collaboration on trafficking in human beings.

In November 7- 8th the NCM participated at the Council of Baltic Sea State Meeting in Kalmar Sweden to further cooperation with the CBSS. At the Kalmar meeting the CBSS established an Expert Group on trafficking in human beings.

This proposal is based on the point of view, that the Northern Dimension Partnership is a “natural” body, in close cooperation with CBSS expert group on trafficking in human beings, to enhance cooperation on anti-trafficking activities with a special attention on social and health implication on trafficking in human beings.

But above all it is of importance to the NCM that joint efficient, constructive proposals can be developed and launched with all relevant partners in the Baltic Sea region, including government agencies, international organisation various task forces, work groups and networks of international nature that operate within social and health related fields.

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Northern dimension Partnership meeting oslo 11-12 december.

ANNEX I

Nordisk Ministerråd
Store Strandstræde 18
DK-1255 København K
Tel / +45 3396 0200
Fax / +45 3396 0202
www.norden.org
8. December 2006
Til
Kopi
Fra
Emne
Northern Dimension Partnership on Public Health and Social Wellbeing

Invitation for joint project on the project “Promotion of Healthy and Socially Rewarding Lifestyles through prevention and social assistance targeting youth and children at risk”

Partnership and financing

This project will be implemented within the frame of the Northern Dimension Partnership as a pilot model project implemented in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

NCM will finance the project with up to 2 mio. DKK under the condition that others are willing to contribute – also financially. In particular it is necessary that EU funding will be on place in order to establish a real partnership. NCM invites all partners to join and develop the project.

The purpose of the project is:

1.  Developing of an early intervention model targeting children in especially difficult circumstances (CEDC) addressing needs related to their health and social wellbeing.

2.  Developing best practice models based on knowledge and practical experiences from participating countries and other relevant sources though i.e. regional conferences and networking among participating government agencies, international bodies and NGOs.

3.  Implement a pilot project in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad through which the early intervention models are being developed and tested at a local level in communities. This model will be developed ready for replication in the participating countries – including training materials.