Nomination

goWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Regional Office for Europe

Weltgesundheitsorganisation
Regionalbüro füR Europa

Organisation Mondiale de la SantÉ
Bureau RÉgional de l'Europe

ВсемирнаЯ организациЯ здравоохранениЯ
Европейское региональное бюро




Twelfth meeting of the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) Bureau
EURO/EHTFB12/6


Virtual
15 April 2024
22 April 2024
Original: English
Draft Programme of Work for the European Environment and Health Task Force for 2024−2025
This document presents a proposal for the biennial Programme of Work (PoW) for the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) and its Bureau in 2024−2025. The programme sets out the EHTF agenda, focusing on the strategic objectives outlined in the Declaration of the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health and its “Roadmap for Healthier People, a Thriving Planet and a Sustainable Future 2023-2030”, adopted by the Member States of the WHO European Region in Budapest, Hungary (5-7 July 2023).
This PoW has been prepared by the EHP Secretariat in consultation with the Chair and co-Chair of the EHTF and is submitted to the EHTF Bureau for discussion at its twelfth meeting.

Contents
1. Background 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 The Budapest Declaration 2
2. Meetings of the EHTF and related bodies 2
2.1. Meetings of the EHTF and its Bureau 2
2.2. Meetings of bodies established under the EHTF 4
3. The Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health 4
4. Supporting Member States: enabling implementation through governance, resources, knowledge and support 6
5. Joint action and partnerships 7
5.1 The EHP Partnerships 7
5.2 Subregional initiatives and national policy dialogues 8
5.3 Country-specific activities on selected priority areas within the context of WHO Biennial Collaborative Agreements (2024−2025) and other bilateral initiatives 8
5.5 Cooperation and coordination with other UN platforms and multilateral environmental agreements 9
5.6. Cooperation with other stakeholders and actors 10
6. Monitoring progress in the implementation of the Budapest commitments 10
7. Advocacy, information and communication 11
Annex 1. Overview of anticipated activities in the WHO bilateral collaborations (2024-2025) in Member States
Annex 2. Rolling calendar of environment and health activities of relevance to the EHTF in 2024-2025

1. Background
1. The European Environment and Health Process (EHP) initiated in 1989 provides a unique intersectoral policy platform bringing together relevant sectors from the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region on an equal footing, along with stakeholders representing international, regional and Non-Governmental Organizations, including representatives of youth. This platform supports implementing effective evidence-based policies and advances actions that promote health, well-being, and the environment in the WHO European Region.
2. To set the environment and health political agenda for the WHO European Region, the EHP provides the framework for ministries of health and the environment, along with relevant inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations to hold periodic Ministerial Conferences.
3. Between Ministerial Conferences, the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) and its Bureau support the implementation and monitoring of EHP activities, facilitated by the Chair and co-Chair of the EHTF.
1.1 Introduction
4. In July 2023, Member States of the WHO European Region gathered at the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Budapest, Hungary, and adopted the Budapest Declaration and its “Roadmap for healthier people, a thriving planet and a sustainable future 2023–2030”.
5. The EHTF is entrusted with the mandate to support, coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Budapest commitments by 2030.
6. The EHTF Programme of Work (PoW) for 2024-2025 is based on the priorities outlined in the Budapest Declaration, which reaffirms the commitments from previous Ministerial Conferences, particularly the Ostrava Declaration, and commits Member States to support the European and global environment and health agenda, such as 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)1, the WHO Global strategy on health, environment and climate change2, the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties consensus on key actions to address climate change3, the WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14)4, the European Programme of Work, 2020–2025 – “United Action for Better Health in Europe”5 (EPW), with particular reference to EPW core priority 3 (promoting health and well-being), the New Urban Agenda6, relevant WHA Resolutions, as well as relevant regional and global multilateral environmental agreements and sub-regional initiatives like the European Union Green Deal7.
1.2 The Budapest Declaration
7. The Budapest Declaration is an agreement among Member States of the WHO European Region, formulating political commitments and actions to address health challenges related to the intertwining between climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss along with, and in the context of, recovery from COVID-19.
8. The adoption of the Budapest Declaration was preceded by a wide, transparent, and inclusive negotiation process among Member States of the WHO European Region. This process was steered by the EHTF and its Bureau.
9. Within the Declaration, the Roadmap to 2030 guides countries in accelerating the transitions needed towards making communities sustainable. The Roadmap explains why urgent action is needed in a particular area, offers a list of commitments countries can consider, and suggests measures to achieve them.
10. By adopting the Budapest Declaration, countries committed to tackling pollution; ensuring everyone has access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene; integrating nature and biodiversity considerations into policies; and promoting a clean, safe and healthy built environment. Additional commitments target health systems and youth organizations.
11. To achieve this, countries committed to building partnerships for joint action, improving governance for environment and health, investing in human resources and capacities, fostering innovation and research, and advancing knowledge and tools for action while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic8. Countries also emphasized the support and empowerment to youth organizations to make their action more relevant in policy-making and implementation.
12. Countries committed to making a transformational change by breaking the silos, advocating the use of the One Health and Planetary Health approaches, and following a dual-track approach to address the pressing environment and health challenges. Ultimately this lays the foundation for a just transition to resilient, healthy, equitable, and sustainable societies.
13. The EHP Partnerships, a new mechanism for the implementation of commitments, was launched during the Conference. The EHP Partnerships open new opportunities for countries and partners with a shared interest in a specific thematic area to work together on joint projects and activities.
14. The EHTF and its Bureau play a crucial role in translating these commitments into action, fostering a proactive approach to ensuring the effective implementation of the Budapest commitments.
2. Meetings of the EHTF and related bodies
2.1. Meetings of the EHTF and its Bureau
15. According to the EHTF Rules of Procedures the EHTF meets at least once a year. The 14th and 15th annual meetings of the EHTF are planned for the first half of 20249 and the first half of 2025, respectively. The meetings will be prepared by the EHTF Bureau, which will meet twice a year, primarily online. If needed, additional meetings of the EHTF could be organized, possibly online.
16. The Bureau may also wish to have further informal consultations between the regular meetings of the EHTF.
17. To maximize transparency and inclusion, all meetings of the Bureau, both formal and informal ones, should allow the participation of any other EHTF member as observer.
18. A proposal for the organization of the meetings is provided in Table 1.
Table 1. Proposal for the organisation of the EHTF and EHTF Bureau meetings
Objectives
The main objectives of the EHTF and its Bureau are to steer and support the implementation of the commitments through:
• facilitating collaboration among sectors, partners and stakeholders;
• providing fora for the exchange of technical expertise and knowledge;
• taking account of scientific evidence in the review of policies;
• promoting collaboration with the governing bodies and secretariats of relevant multilateral environment and health agreements and policy platforms;
• taking account of emerging environment and health issues, and advising on policy directions to be taken to address them;
• identifying financial resources for implementation;
• adopting and amending, as needed, its own rules of procedure;
• reporting annually on the progress and achievements of EHP to the WHO Regional Committee for Europe and to the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy; and
• facilitating participation by young people’s organizations.
Participants
EHTF and its Bureau members with the EHP Secretariat and possible guests (e.g. invited speakers)
Language
The EHTF meetings are held in English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.
The EHTF Bureau operates and conducts meetings in English.
Venue
The EHTF is eligible to be hosted by any Member States or recognized stakeholders. For 2025, members of the EHTF are invited to consider the possibility of hosting the meeting in their respective countries.
Resources needed
Costs to hold two physical EHTF meetings and four virtual Bureau meetings in 2024/2025 are estimated in ca 160,000 – 200,000 USD (i.e. 80,000 – 100,000 USD each). Resource mobilization efforts are needed to identify hosts and funds. If the meeting is hosted outside of the secretariat’s premises, in-kind contributions will be considered.

2.2. Meetings of bodies established under the EHTF
19. Meetings of the Working Group on Health in Climate Change (HIC), established by the EHTF at its 3rd meeting in 2013, facilitates the dialogue among Member States in the WHO European Region and other stakeholders, as well as communication and implementation of commitments to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change. A proposal for the organization of the HIC meetings is provided in Table 2.
Table 2. Proposal for the organisation of the meetings of the HIC Working Group
Objectives
The main objectives of the HIC, as outlined in its Terms of Reference, are briefly summarized below:
• integrate health issues in climate change policies;
• strengthen resilience of health and environmental systems to climate change and extreme weather events;
• foster knowledge, research and exchange of best practice;
• promote climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems;
• raise awareness and improve education on climate change and health.
Participants
HIC members with the EHP Secretariat.
Language
English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.
Venue
Considering that most HIC members are also EHTF members, it would be sensible to coordinate resource mobilization efforts by scheduling HIC meetings alongside EHTF meetings. However, this approach is not obligatory, and HIC members have the flexibility to host the meeting independently.
Resources needed
Costs to hold two physical HIC meetings in 2024/2025 are estimated in ca 100,000 – 140,000 USD (i.e. 50,000 – 70,000 USD each). Resource mobilization efforts are needed to identify hosts and funds.
20. The Working Group on Collaboration of Local and Subnational Authorities (CoLSA), established by the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, held in Ostrava in 2017, has worked in the past biennium with the objective to highlight opportunities and challenges of policy coordination at different levels of decision-making. Member States in Budapest suggested that this work can be continued in a different format, possibly in the form of an EHP Partnership (ref. Annex 1 of the Declaration, para. 70).
3. The Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health
21. The Bonn Dialogues were originally established to support the preparations of the Budapest Conference, providing an opportunity to focus on different themes and priorities to be addressed by the Ministerial Declaration. The continuation of the Bonn Dialogues programme after the Budapest Conference will assume a different connotation: they could contribute to accelerating the implementation of the Budapest Declaration commitments, by providing a platform for showcasing countries' commitments, exchanging knowledge and expertise, and discussing concrete challenges, achievements and initiatives.
22. The selection of discussion topics for the Bonn Dialogues will be strategically aligned with the “triple crisis” framework and its Roadmap, as outlined in the Budapest Declaration, as well as with the topics identified in the survey launched by the EHP Secretariat in 2022.
23. Regarding the identification of potential lead countries for the Bonn Dialogues, the 2022 survey can once again serve as a basis for information. EHTF members are further encouraged to submit proposals for leading Bonn Dialogues on their preferred topics.
24. The EHTF Bureau is invited to discuss the continuation of the Bonn Dialogues series for the 2024-2025 biennium (ref. EURO EHTFB12 8 Draft information note on the Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health following the Seventh Ministerial Conference) and to review the proposal for the Dialogues' programme (Table 3). It is proposed to maintain the calendar as a rolling set of activities, accessible to all Member States and EHP stakeholders in an appropriate format, ideally on the EHP SharePoint website.
Table 3. Draft proposal for the programme of the Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health
The table below presents the draft proposal for the Bonn Dialogues programme. It includes a concise overview of the main objectives of the Dialogues, the intended audience, potential topics, format, frequency, and resource needs.
Objective
The main objectives of the Bonn Dialogues:
• offer policymakers a valuable platform for discussions focusing on the implementation of Budapest and previous Ministerial Conferences’ commitments;
• facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge among governments at both the national and subnational levels, enabling them to seize the opportunities and address and overcome the challenges they encounter while striving to implement the Budapest commitments.
Participants
EHTF members, stakeholders, high-level representatives of Member States, leading scientists, youth and the EHP Secretariat.
Tentative topics
This list outlines proposed topics in the latter half of 2024 and 2025, and is pending for further prioritization and EHTF discussion:
• Dialogue on the active mobility for the World Bicycle Day or the European Mobility Week.
• Dialogue on health impact assessment / health in the environmental assessment as a tool for urban planning and health for all / health in all policies.
• Dialogue on Planetary Health and One Health, e.g. for the latter: Integrating environment and health into One Health and the economic argument for One Health.
• Dialogue on National Portfolios of Actions on Environment and Health.
• Dialogue on environment and injury prevention.
• Dialogue on promoting environment and health policies at local level in follow-up to the recent launch of the WHO publication.
• Dialogue on the uptake and impact of the WHO environmental noise guidelines for the WHO European Region publication.
• Dialogue on health-related priorities in chemical safety – focus on poison centres.
• Dialogue on human biomonitoring: importance for protecting human health from negative impacts of chemicals following the recent launch of the WHO publication.
• Dialogue on Environmentally Sustainable Health Systems.
• Dialogue on contaminated sites and health.
• Dialogue with a subregional focus (e.g., Central Asia and Western Balkans, linked to the WHO Roadmaps).
• Dialogue on environmental health inequalities.
• Dialogue on nature-based solutions and health (22 May 2025 (International Day for Biological Diversity)).
• Dialogue on Professional Profiles.
• Dialogue on the aspects related to water and sanitation in preparation of the Seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health.
• Dialogue on climate change and health in preparation of the COP30.
Frequency
The frequency could fall within a range of approximately every four months. The specific dates will be confirmed about two months before the event.
Format

A virtual format of 1.5–2 hours. Hybrid or in-person Dialogue could also be arranged, necessitating extra resource.
Language
English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.
Resources needed
Costs to hold six virtual Bonn Dialogues in 2024-2025 are estimated in ca 30,000 USD if held virtually (ca. 5,000 each to cover interpretation costs and communications material). Resource mobilization efforts are needed to identify funds.
4. SupportING Member States: enabling implementation THROUGH GOVERNANCE, RESOURCES, KNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT
25. Actions to facilitate implementation stem directly from the Roadmap to 2030 and are intended to accelerate progress in addressing health impacts arising from climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss. These actions focus on strengthening governance, increasing human and financial resources, improving knowledge and bolstering research in the fields of health and environment.
26. The following activities aim to empower environment and health leaders and professionals in countries with the necessary mandates, knowledge, and tools. This involves prioritizing the translation of research and innovation into actionable solutions at an accelerated pace. The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health will work together with Member States, and partners informing and guiding them in the use of tools, normative documents, guidance, assessment and technical briefings, addressing the issues outlined in the Budapest Declaration.
27. In order to support national and multisectoral policy dialogues, exchanges of experiences among countries and in-country action, with the aim to facilitate the implementation of Budapest commitments, the Executive Officers Meeting on Governance and Capacity for Environment and Health will be held in December 2024 (ref. Budapest Declaration, Annex 1, para. 75). The EHTF will actively contribute to the Conference and will promote its outcomes at national level.
28. The high-level Conference on One Health which will be held on 11-13 June 2024 in Vienna, Austria (ref. Budapest Declaration, Annex 1, para. 38), will be providing the opportunity for EHTF members to foster practical exchange and perspective on how to apply the One Health approach to tackle environment and health issues. This Conference is organized by the Quadripartite, which, in addition to WHO, consists of three other agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Organisation for Animal Health.
29. Capacity building activities include further developments of the Bonn Environment and Health School, a flagship initiative that supports the strengthening of capacities in Member States to address persistent and emerging environment and health challenges, with an emphasis on the development of leadership for intersectoral policymaking and strengthening technical capacities. The Bonn School is expected to hold new courses in 2024-2025.
30. The EHTF can leverage the Bonn School on Environment and Health to review the existing professional profiles for environment and health and produce recommendations by the end of 2025 to be considered by Member States for developing their own environment and health professional profile to improve the competencies for the environment and health workforce. The Bonn School initiative provides opportunities for sharing scientific information and knowledge on the interlinkages between the degradation of ecosystems, climate change and biodiversity loss, and the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.
5. Joint action and partnerships
5.1 The EHP Partnerships
31. Member States committed to work together and with relevant partners and stakeholders to strengthen the implementation of Budapest commitments (see para. 13). To this aim, they launched a new implementation mechanism “EHP Partnerships” which offers Member States and all EHP stakeholders the opportunity to collaborate on the voluntary basis on topics of common interest within the scope of the Budapest Declaration. EHP Partnerships serve as a practical, flexible theme- and action-oriented means to facilitate implementation of the Budapest commitments.
32. The activities under the Partnerships could include projects, capacity building, trainings, events, dissemination and uptake of relevant WHO norms and standards, as well as of tools and methods for assessing the health effects of environmental risk factors and monitor progress in addressing.
33. According to the Terms of Reference for the EHP Partnerships included as an Annex in the Budapest Declaration, the EHP Partnerships can be initiated and led by Member States and recognised stakeholders, which are members of the EHTF. The Partnerships are established by decisions of the EHTF, and operate under the authority of the EHTF. EHP Partnerships should mainly be supported by their partners, through voluntary contributions that can be made available financially or in-kind.
34. In Budapest, Member States launched four EHP Partnerships:
• EHP Partnership on Human Biomonitoring (HBM), led by Germany and co-led by Georgia;
• EHP Partnership for Health Sector Climate Action, led by Ireland;
• THE PEP/EHP Partnership on Healthy Active Mobility, jointly led by Austria, France, and the Kingdom of Netherlands; and
• EHP Partnership on Youth, led by Slovenia and co-led by the International Youth Health Organization.
35. It is expected that Member States will consider further initiatives for launching new Partnerships in the future.
36. Oversight and guidance of the Partnership's work will be provided by the EHTF. Regular reports from lead countries and organizations will ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with planned EHTF initiatives, facilitating effective coordination and decision-making within the Partnership framework.
37. The Secretariat will assist in creating a publicly accessible EHP Partnership website that displays thematic focus areas, achievements, and key documents. It will further develop promotional materials, such as brochures and leaflets about the achievements of the EHP Partnerships and the benefits of joining this implementation mechanism.
5.2 Subregional initiatives and national policy dialogues
38. Given the region's diversity, it is essential to acknowledge that although some issues are common across the Region, the specific context, challenges, and priorities of each country or group of countries may differ. The sub-regional approach could facilitate tailored strategies and approaches to effectively address environment and health concerns in various subregions.
39. The EHTF and the EHP Secretariat will consider initiatives and requests from subregions or groups of countries, and take measures to organise specific events dedicated to discussing sub-regional priorities and the best policies to address them, in the form of subregional consultations.
40. The Bonn Dialogues could also be organized with a focus on the sub-regional format, upon the expression of interest from groups of countries, possibly in partnership with regional networks. Sub-regional Dialogues could offer a strategic avenue for specific issues faced by the sub-region, generating specific recommendations and strengthen regional cooperation.
41. The EHTF could additionally leverage on the WHO subregional initiatives and local authorities’ platforms, namely the Small Country Initiative, the European Healthy Cities Network and the Regions for Health Network.
42. Frameworks for action can be further provided by the established WHO Roadmaps for health and well-being in the Western Balkans10 and in Central Asia11.
43. Similarly, upon request from individual countries, the EHTF, together with the EHP Secretariat, can consider organizing policy dialogues at the national level on a specific topic (ref. Budapest Declaration, Annex 1, para. 74), involving all responsible authorities and stakeholders, for a wide and comprehensive discussion, thus fostering cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination.
44. The EHTF will also strengthen international cooperation with sub-regional initiatives, like the European Union Green Deal, and platforms like the Arctic Council. The UN Green Deal Working Group creates a platform for the EHP to join forces and find synergies between the Green Deal and Budapest commitments and its pillar strategies in the achievement of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
5.3 Country-specific activities on selected priority areas within the context of WHO Biennial Collaborative Agreements (2024−2025) and other bilateral initiatives
45. The EHP Secretariat works bilaterally with Member States to strengthen national implementation efforts in line with the Budapest Declaration objectives, including the development of National Portfolios of Actions on Environment and Health and technical advice and support on specific environment and health priorities, based on the interests and priorities of individual Member States (Annex 1).
46. These country-specific activities on environment and health are initiated at the request of Member States, either within the context of WHO Biennial Collaborative Agreements12 (2024−2025) or other bilateral and multilateral agreements co-led by WHO ECEH, as appropriate.
5.5 Cooperation and coordination with other UN platforms and multilateral environmental agreements
47. The Budapest Declaration identifies a number of international commitments of relevance to the EHP and recognizes that much progress could be achieved by focusing on strengthening the implementation of those commitments that have already been taken by Member States in other relevant fora.
48. In particular, Member States committed to support ratification and/or advance the implementation of existing instruments, particularly those resulting from the EHP (the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, and the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme – THE PEP), and other multilateral agreements relevant for the environment and health agenda (ref. Budapest Declaration, para. 10).
49. The Roadmap of the Budapest Declaration suggests several proposals for action that would significantly support the achievement of the Budapest commitments leveraging these platforms.
50. Furthermore, several members of the EHTF happen to be also actively engaged in these processes and instruments, for example as members of bureaus, task forces, and committees established under these instruments. This creates additional opportunities for consistently advocating and promoting coherent policy directions and mutually supportive and synergic actions.
51. Of particular relevance in this context is the collaboration between the EHP and the UNECE Environment for Europe Process (EfE), whose ninth Ministerial Conference took place on 5−7 October 2022 in Nicosia, Cyprus. The Conference focused on sustainable infrastructures for greening the economy and on circular economy for sustainable tourism, and it also had a special session on education for sustainable development. Opportunities should be pursued for finding synergies between the EHP and the EfE processes.
52. The UN Issue-based Coalition on Environment and Climate Change, a regional platform for UN agencies coordinated by UNECE, UNEP and UNESCO, promotes coordinated support to all Member States in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda and supports UN Country Teams on environmental and climate change issues, by facilitating access to existing technical guidance and responding to requests for country support.
53. WHO strongly supports the integration of health aspects into the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, which aims to provide Member States with a high level of protection of environment and health.
54. The EHTF is committed to strengthen the collaboration with relevant international organizations and instruments, including through active participation in established platforms and advocating accession or ratification to multilateral environmental agreements, as relevant. To facilitate possible participation and cross-fertilization, key relevant meetings and events are listed in the rolling calendar attached to this document (Annex 2).
5.6. Cooperation with other stakeholders and actors
55. The EHTF is committed to strengthen the collaboration with relevant actors and stakeholders active on environment and health issues in the WHO European Region, including NGOs, civil society, and professional organizations. This will greatly enhance the impact of the actions and initiatives undertaken, taking advantage of the experience gained outside the organization, and will increase the visibility of the EHP.
56. For this purpose, the EHTF will address requests coming from stakeholders, not included in the initial list of Annex II of the Ostrava Declaration, to be included in the list of recognized EHP stakeholders, according to the procedure set out in paragraph 1.2 of its Rules of Procedure, as adopted at its tenth meeting.
57. The EHTF greatly appreciated the launch of the Budapest Youth Declaration13 and will consider and promote initiatives to support the involvement of youth representatives in the EHP activities and in other relevant international frameworks. This includes support in increasing the role of the youth in health and environment decision-making to bridge generational gaps, foster inclusive policies, and creating opportunities for skill development.
6. Monitoring progress in the implementation of the Budapest commitments
58. At the Budapest Conference, the Secretariat presented the progress in the implementation of the Ostrava Declaration. The assessment indicates that progress is mixed and, in most cases, insufficient; however, there are important differences in performance depending on the thematic priority area and subregion within the European Region14.
59. In Budapest Member States reconfirmed the agreement to measure and report on the progress towards the implementation of Budapest commitments using national reporting on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and other relevant reporting frameworks (ref. para. 6 of the Budapest Declaration).
60. Member States committed to develop and update their National Portfolios of Actions, taking on board the renewed framework set up in the Budapest Declaration, in particular adding the links between nature, biodiversity and health. Recommendations from a recent assessment of the status and developments of the National Portfolios in the Region 15 include clarification of responsibilities, the definition of indicators and of a timeline. Enhancing the monitoring mechanisms of the Portfolios could facilitate the tracking of Budapest commitments and offer comprehensive insights into the situation across countries, thereby fostering better-informed decision-making processes.
61. The EHP Secretariat is available to provide support to Member States interested in receiving assistance in the development and implementation of their National Portfolios of Actions, according to the above considerations.
7. Advocacy, INFORMATION and communication
62. The EHTF is invited to continue sharing with the EHP Secretariat regular country updates and developments on environment and health priorities, developments, and initiatives at international and national levels to address the health dimension of the triple crisis of climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss, as well as on relevant upcoming events.
63. The quarterly EHP Newsletter is fully dedicated to disseminating information on all initiatives, events, publications that are relevant for the EHP and the EHTF. The Newsletter has consistently proven itself as an effective tool for fostering robust engagement and knowledge sharing within the dynamic and diverse target audience of the EHTF, as well as the general public. Its availability on the WHO website enhances engagement with various interested partners and stakeholders.
64. The EHP SharePoint, a password-protected web site accessible to all the EHTF members, will continue to be the repository of all the relevant information about past and future meetings under the EHP, including all the working and background documents, as well as the presentations made by speakers participating to those meetings. Also, EHP Secretariat will establish virtual workspaces to serve as an internal platform for exchange and cooperation for each EHP Partnership.
65. The EHP Secretariat will continue supporting the communication around a series of events that can convey potential partners to support the implementation of the agreements reached by the Budapest Conference.
66. The EHP Secretariat will strengthen linkages and outreach to UN partners and other partners regarding the Budapest Declaration by sharing materials and keeping them informed about further communication plans.

Annex 1. Overview of anticipated activities in the WHO bilateral collaborations (2024-2025) in Member States
Member States
Budapest portfolio and other cross-cutting areas

Prioritizing action to tackle the most pressing health challenges related to climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss
Delivering essential services and a safe built environment for healthy and resilient communities
Strengthening governance, intersectoral collaboration, human resources and knowledge for health and environment
EHP
EHP Partnerships
National Portfolios
Violence and injury prevention
Youth

Climate change
Environmental pollution
Biodiversity loss and land degradation
Water, sanitation and hygiene
Waste and contaminated sites
Transport and mobility
Planning of built environments
Governance
Competencies
Research and innovation





Albania
+
+ (chemical safety)













Andorra















Armenia
+














Azerbaijan
+
+ (chemical safety)








+
+



Austria
+
+ (HBM)



+





+



Belarus

+ (HBM)

+











Belgium
+
+ (HBM)









+



Bosnia and Herzegovina

+ (HBM)

+











Bulgaria

+ (air quality)

+











Croatia
+


+


+



+
+



Cyprus















Czechia
+














Denmark















Estonia



+


+

+






Finland















France
+
+ (HBM)



+





+



Georgia
+
+ (air quality, chemical safety)

+








+


Germany
+










+



Greece















Hungary
+ (ESHS)
+ (HBM)

+






+
+



Iceland
+














Ireland
+










+



Israel
+














Italy



+
+










Kazakhstan
+
+ (air quality)

+


+



+




Kosovo*
+














Kyrgyzstan

+ (air quality)

+











Latvia















Lithuania

+ (HBM)

+







+



Luxembourg















Malta
+














Monaco















Montenegro

+ (chemical safety)

+











Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
+




+





+



North Macedonia
+


+











Norway
+














Poland



+











Portugal















Republic of Moldova

+ (occupational health)

+











Romania















Russian Federation















San Marino















Serbia

+ (air quality, chemical safety)

+






+




Slovakia















Slovenia
+














Spain

+ (HBM)









+



Sweden















Switzerland















Tajikistan
+
+ (air quality)













Turkey
+














Turkmenistan
+


+











Ukraine
+














United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
+










+



Uzbekistan

+ (air quality)

+








+


*All references to Kosovo in this document should be understood to be in the context of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).
Notes:
Cells marked as “+” indicate bilateral collaboration.
Determinants of health addressed in the WHO bilateral collaborations in Member States to support national development and implementation of environment and health policies, activities may need further discussion and approval. The list is a “living document”, and is open to updates as more information becomes available.
Annex 2. Rolling calendar of environment and health activities of relevance to the EHTF in 2024-2025
Title
Date and place
Arctic Congress
9 May-3 June 2024, Bodø, Norway
High-level Conference on One Health which
1113 June 2024, Vienna, Austria
14th meeting of the EHTF
26-27 June 2024, Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
Central Asia International Health Investment Forum
26 – 27 June 2024, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
43rd meeting of THE PEP Bureau
June/July 2024
74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe
29–31 October 2024, Copenhagen, Denmark
22nd session of THE PEP Steering Committee
October 2024, Geneva, Switzerland
29th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
11-24 November 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan
High-level Conference on Governance and Capacities for Environment and Health
2–4 December 2024
13th meeting of the EHTF Bureau
Q3/Q4 2024, virtual
Meeting of the Working Group on Health in Climate Change
2024
8th Bonn Dialogue
2024
9th Bonn Dialogue
2024
10th Bonn Dialogue
2024
14th meeting of the EHTF Bureau
Q1/Q2 2025, virtual
15th meeting of the EHTF
Q3 2025
23rd session of THE PEP SC
Q3/Q4 2024, Geneva, Switzerland
15th meeting of the EHTF Bureau
Q3/Q4 2025, virtual
75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe
Q3 2025
30th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Q4 2025
7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly
2025
7th session of the Meeting of the Parties of the Protocol on Water and Health
2025
Notes:
The list of provisionally planned environment and health activities of relevance to the EHTF in the second half of 2024 and 2025 is a “living document”, and is open to updates as more information becomes available.
Dates for the Bonn Dialogues for Environment and Health are a subject for discussion, once more information becomes available.
Color coding:

Meetings of the EHTF and its Bureau

Meetings of the Working Group on Health in Climate Change

Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health

Meetings of the EHP Partnerships

Meetings of the governing bodies

Consultations with stakeholders/sub-regional consultations/relevant processes

UNECE Environment for Europe Process meetings

World Health Organization
Regional Office for Europe

Weltgesundheitsorganisation
Regionalbüro füR Europa

Organisation Mondiale de la SantÉ
Bureau RÉgional de l'Europe

ВсемирнаЯ организациЯ здравоохранениЯ
Европейское региональное бюро




Twelfth meeting of the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) Bureau
EURO/EHTFB12/7


Virtual
15 April 2024
22 April 2024
Original: English
Draft agenda of the fourteenth meeting of the EHTF
1. Opening and the adoption of agenda.
2. Follow-up to the Budapest Conference: where are we?
3. Draft programme of work for the EHTF for 2024–2025.
4. Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health in the context of the Budapest commitments.
5. Update on the EHP Partnerships and revision of the Terms of Reference for the EHP Partnerships.
6. Proposed revision and update of environment and health-related Sustainable Development Goals indicators for monitoring Budapest commitments implementation.
7. Updates on major global and regional developments relevant to environment and health.
8. Support to Member States:
a) Accelerating action at the sub-regional and national level;
b) Updates on work to strengthen governance, resources and knowledge for environment and health.
9. Revision of the EHTF Rules of Procedure.
10. Elections of officers.
11. Any other business, summary of decisions, next steps and closure of meeting.

World Health Organization
Regional Office for Europe

Weltgesundheitsorganisation
Regionalbüro füR Europa

Organisation Mondiale de la SantÉ
Bureau RÉgional de l'Europe

ВсемирнаЯ организациЯ здравоохранениЯ
Европейское региональное бюро




Twelfth meeting of the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) Bureau
EURO/EHTFB12/8


Virtual
15 April 2024
22 April 2024
Original: English
Draft information note on the Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health following the Seventh Ministerial Conference
Prepared by the EHP Secretariat
The Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health, organized by the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, serve as a pivotal platform for engaging high-level discussions among policy makers within the WHO European Region. This information note provides insight into the contextual framework of the Dialogues. Additionally, it presents a proposal for the Bonn Dialogues programme, poised for integration into the draft Programme of Work for the EHTF for 2024–2025. This note is submitted to the EHTF Bureau for further discussion at its twelfth meeting.

Introduction
1. The Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health is a series of high-level online events, aimed at fostering discussions among policy makers across the WHO European Region on selected themes and topics, and providing the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) – the leading international body for implementation and monitoring of the European Environment and Health Process (EHP) – with evidence and reflection points on well-known and emerging environment and health issues.
2. The Bonn Dialogues are organized and promoted by the EHP Secretariat, located in the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Bonn, Germany, in the framework of the programme of the work of the EHTF.
Background
3. The EHTF decided, at its tenth meeting in February 2021, to launch the Bonn Dialogues as a tool to shape the agenda of the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, held in Budapest, Hungary, on 5-7 July 2023. The EHTF also adopted the first programme for the implementation of the initiative.
4. In March 2022, the EHP Secretariat launched a call for interest to lead and participate in the Dialogues, receiving a total of sixteen submissions from ten Member States and one stakeholder. Based on the input received, the EHP Secretariat developed a programme of Bonn Dialogues, that was discussed and approved by the EHTF.
5. During the preparation for the seventh Ministerial Conference a total of five Bonn Dialogues were organized, all in a virtual format. The sixth and seventh Dialogues were organized following the Conference:
• 1st Dialogue (14 October 2021): WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines: reinforcing the nexus between environment and health in the context of “building forward better”
Led by Germany focused on air quality and health, in particular with reference to the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines launched in September 2021. The Dialogue offered an opportunity to explore synergies and highlight knowledge, platforms and resources that are available at the international level to support national actions to address the root causes of air pollution. It also equipped participants with a stronger health argument for reinforced climate action.
• 2nd Dialogue (8 December 2021): Nature, biodiversity and health: green and blue spaces for promoting health
Led by Lithuania and Denmark, focused on nature, biodiversity and health, with a particular focus on the connection between blue and green spaces and mental health, and with reference to the WHO report “Nature, biodiversity and health: an overview of interconnections”. The Dialogue continued with an optional session, organized in breakout rooms, discussing the topic further, in addition to presenting decision support tools related to green and blue spaces.
• 3rd Dialogue (3 June 2022): Walking and cycling for green, healthy and sustainable mobility
Led by Switzerland and the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and organized in partnership with the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP), the Dialogue focused on the role of walking and cycling for green, healthy and sustainable mobility, marking the World Bicycle Day. The event was also an opportunity to launch a new publication under THE PEP framework: “Walking and cycling: latest evidence to support policy-making and practice”.
• 4th Dialogue (14 October 2022): Risk communication for environment and health
Led by Israel, focused on risk communication for environment and health. The main objectives of this Dialogue were to take stock of the latest evidence from risk communication for environment and health practices, and to exchange views on policy opportunities and emerging approaches to design and implement policies and measures that promote efficient risk communication. Case studies from Israel, Austria, Hungary and the perspective from an NGO were presented and discussed. The background document for this event “Effective Risk Communication for Environment and Health” was prepared as part of the Health and Environment Research Agenda project funded by the European Union.
• 5th Dialogue (21 February 2023): Preventing and reducing negative impacts of hazardous chemicals on health and environment
Led by the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), focused on the impacts of hazardous chemicals on health and environment. The main objectives of the Dialogue were to take stock of current approaches towards preventing and reducing the negative impacts of hazardous chemicals on health and environment; to exchange views on policy opportunities, emerging approaches and best practices to prevent and reduce the impact of hazardous chemicals, and to highlight tools in support of the implementation of policies on the prevention of emissions and releases of hazardous chemicals, like the “Safe and Sustainable by Design” framework.
• 6th Dialogue (8 September 2023): Progress in the WHO European Region towards the SDGs in the context of the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health: mid-way to 2030.
Led by Belgium, the Dialogue was the opportunity to discuss the report launched at the seventh Ministerial Conference on “Progress in the WHO European Region towards the SDGs in the context of the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health: mid-way to 2030”. The report takes stock of the progress made in implementing the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health in the WHO European Region.
• 7th Dialogue (30 January 2024): Using behavioural and cultural insights
(BCI) for environment and health
The Dialogue, stemming from a collaboration between the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health and WHO/Europe’s BCI Unit, spotlighted innovation, documentation and knowledge exchange as drivers of an effective application of BCI in the context of environment and health. The behaviours and actions, at the societal and individual level, will play a significant role in the coming years in the achievement of the Budapest objectives, complementing institutional processes and creating bottom-up pressure on governments.


The Bonn Dialogues following the Budapest Ministerial Conference
6. The Bonn Dialogues were originally established to support the preparations of the Budapest Conference, providing an opportunity to focus on different themes and priorities to be addressed by the Ministerial Declaration. The continuation of the Bonn Dialogues programme after the Budapest Conference will assume a different connotation: they could contribute to accelerating the implementation of the Budapest Declaration commitments, by providing a platform for showcasing countries' commitments, exchanging knowledge and expertise, and discussing concrete challenges, achievements and initiatives.
7. The choice of discussion topics for the future Dialogues should be guided by the priorities outlined by the Member States in 2022 and by the Budapest Declaration within the context of the triple crisis. These priorities encompass:
• health impacts of environmental pollution and climate change;
• recognition of nature as a key determinant of health;
• ensuring everyone has access to safe WASH facilities;
• promoting a clean, safe and healthy built environment;
• ensuring the resilience of essential community services;
• a focus on factors that enable implementation, such as governance, workforce capacity, cross-sectoral cooperation, and research;
• just transition towards resilient, healthy, equitable and sustainable societies;
• empowerment of youth organizations to make their actions more relevant in policy-making and implementation.
8. The Budapest Conference established the “EHP Partnerships”, a new mechanism to facilitate the implementation of the commitments taken. The Partnerships bring together like-minded countries on a specific thematic area to work on joint projects and activities. The Bonn Dialogues and the EHP Partnerships have the potential to synergize their efforts by co-hosting collaborative events.
9. The Bonn Dialogues could also serve as a platform for subregional consultations. Countries interested in convening and addressing issues tailored to their specific needs could consider the possibility of utilizing the Bonn Dialogue mechanism for such discussions.
10. The format of the Bonn Dialogues has proven to align perfectly with expectations, in terms of providing sufficient opportunities for speakers to exchange ideas and proposals. Typically, a “lead country” initiates the Dialogue by providing opening remarks, followed by a keynote speech introducing the subject matter, which is then discussed by a panel, featuring high-level representatives from Member States and stakeholders in the environment and health domains, including leading scientists, civil society organizations, local and regional networks, academia, UN agencies and international and regional organizations. However, flexibility is encouraged to accommodate specific requirements.
11. The proposed frequency for organizing the Dialogues is approximately every three to four months. The specific timing may be influenced by concurrent international events related to the environment and health and can also be adjusted based on the interests of Member States and stakeholders.


Next steps
12. The EHTF Bureau is invited to consider the continuation of the Bonn Dialogues in the biennium 2024-2025, and to review the proposal for the Dialogues' programme (Annex). Also, the Bureau is encouraged to suggest new topics based on prioritization relevant to their country or sub-region's work. The EHP Secretariat proposes to the EHTF and its Bureau to maintain the calendar as a rolling set of activities, accessible to all Member States and EHP stakeholders in an appropriate format, ideally on the EHP SharePoint website.

Annex. Draft proposal for the programme of the Bonn Dialogues
The table below presents the draft proposal for the Bonn Dialogues programme, which is expected to be integrated in the draft Programme of Work of the EHTF for 2024-2025. It includes a concise overview of the main objectives of the Dialogues, the intended audience, potential topics, format, frequency and resource needs.
The selection of Bonn Dialogue topics is based on the expressions of interest and priorities identified by Member States in 2022 and aligned with the Budapest Declaration, considering the challenges posed by the triple crisis (see para. 8).
Objective
The main objectives of the Bonn Dialogues:
• offer policymakers a valuable platform for discussions focusing on the implementation of Budapest and previous Ministerial Conferences’ commitments;
• facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge among governments at both the national and subnational levels, enabling them to seize the opportunities and address and overcome the challenges they encounter while striving to implement the Budapest commitments.
Participants
EHTF members, stakeholders, high-level representatives of Member States, leading scientists, youth and the EHP Secretariat.
Tentative topics
This list outlines proposed topics in the latter half of 2024 and 2025, and is pending for further prioritization and EHTF discussion:
• Dialogue on the active mobility for the World Bicycle Day or the European Mobility Week.
• Dialogue on health impact assessment / health in the environmental assessment as a tool for urban planning and health for all / health in all policies.
• Dialogue on Planetary Health and One Health, e.g. for the latter: Integrating environment and health into One Health and the economic argument for One Health.
• Dialogue on National Portfolios of Actions on Environment and Health.
• Dialogue on environment and injury prevention.
• Dialogue on promoting environment and health policies at local level in follow-up to the recent launch of the WHO publication.
• Dialogue on the uptake and impact of the WHO environmental noise guidelines for the WHO European Region publication.
• Dialogue on health-related priorities in chemical safety – focus on poison centres.
• Dialogue on human biomonitoring: importance for protecting human health from negative impacts of chemicals following the recent launch of the WHO publication.
• Dialogue on Environmentally Sustainable Health Systems.
• Dialogue on contaminated sites and health.
• Dialogue with a subregional focus (e.g., Central Asia and Western Balkans, linked to the WHO Roadmaps).
• Dialogue on environmental health inequalities.
• Dialogue on nature-based solutions and health (22 May 2025 (International Day for Biological Diversity)).
• Dialogue on Professional Profiles.
• Dialogue on the aspects related to water and sanitation in preparation of the Seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health.
• Dialogue on climate change and health in preparation of the COP30.
Frequency
The frequency could fall within a range of approximately every four months. The specific dates will be confirmed about two months before the event.
Format

A virtual format of 1.5–2 hours. Hybrid or in-person Dialogue could also be arranged, necessitating extra resource.
Language
English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.
Resources needed
Costs to hold six virtual Bonn Dialogues in 2024-2025 are estimated in ca 30,000 USD if held virtually (ca. 5,000 each to cover interpretation costs and communications material). Resource mobilization efforts are needed to identify funds.

goWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Regional Office for Europe

Weltgesundheitsorganisation
Regionalbüro füR Europa

Organisation Mondiale de la SantÉ
Bureau RÉgional de l'Europe

ВсемирнаЯ организациЯ здравоохранениЯ
Европейское региональное бюро




Twelfth meeting of the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) Bureau
EURO/EHTFB12/6


Virtual
15 April 2024
22 April 2024
Original: English
Draft Programme of Work for the European Environment and Health Task Force for 2024−2025
This document presents a proposal for the biennial Programme of Work (PoW) for the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) and its Bureau in 2024−2025. The programme sets out the EHTF agenda, focusing on the strategic objectives outlined in the Declaration of the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health and its “Roadmap for Healthier People, a Thriving Planet and a Sustainable Future 2023-2030”, adopted by the Member States of the WHO European Region in Budapest, Hungary (5-7 July 2023).
This PoW has been prepared by the EHP Secretariat in consultation with the Chair and co-Chair of the EHTF and is submitted to the EHTF Bureau for discussion at its twelfth meeting.

Contents
1. Background 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 The Budapest Declaration 2
2. Meetings of the EHTF and related bodies 2
2.1. Meetings of the EHTF and its Bureau 2
2.2. Meetings of bodies established under the EHTF 4
3. The Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health 4
4. Supporting Member States: enabling implementation through governance, resources, knowledge and support 6
5. Joint action and partnerships 7
5.1 The EHP Partnerships 7
5.2 Subregional initiatives and national policy dialogues 8
5.3 Country-specific activities on selected priority areas within the context of WHO Biennial Collaborative Agreements (2024−2025) and other bilateral initiatives 8
5.5 Cooperation and coordination with other UN platforms and multilateral environmental agreements 9
5.6. Cooperation with other stakeholders and actors 10
6. Monitoring progress in the implementation of the Budapest commitments 10
7. Advocacy, information and communication 11
Annex 1. Overview of anticipated activities in the WHO bilateral collaborations (2024-2025) in Member States
Annex 2. Rolling calendar of environment and health activities of relevance to the EHTF in 2024-2025

1. Background
1. The European Environment and Health Process (EHP) initiated in 1989 provides a unique intersectoral policy platform bringing together relevant sectors from the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region on an equal footing, along with stakeholders representing international, regional and Non-Governmental Organizations, including representatives of youth. This platform supports implementing effective evidence-based policies and advances actions that promote health, well-being, and the environment in the WHO European Region.
2. To set the environment and health political agenda for the WHO European Region, the EHP provides the framework for ministries of health and the environment, along with relevant inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations to hold periodic Ministerial Conferences.
3. Between Ministerial Conferences, the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) and its Bureau support the implementation and monitoring of EHP activities, facilitated by the Chair and co-Chair of the EHTF.
1.1 Introduction
4. In July 2023, Member States of the WHO European Region gathered at the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Budapest, Hungary, and adopted the Budapest Declaration and its “Roadmap for healthier people, a thriving planet and a sustainable future 2023–2030”.
5. The EHTF is entrusted with the mandate to support, coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Budapest commitments by 2030.
6. The EHTF Programme of Work (PoW) for 2024-2025 is based on the priorities outlined in the Budapest Declaration, which reaffirms the commitments from previous Ministerial Conferences, particularly the Ostrava Declaration, and commits Member States to support the European and global environment and health agenda, such as 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)1, the WHO Global strategy on health, environment and climate change2, the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties consensus on key actions to address climate change3, the WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14)4, the European Programme of Work, 2020–2025 – “United Action for Better Health in Europe”5 (EPW), with particular reference to EPW core priority 3 (promoting health and well-being), the New Urban Agenda6, relevant WHA Resolutions, as well as relevant regional and global multilateral environmental agreements and sub-regional initiatives like the European Union Green Deal7.
1.2 The Budapest Declaration
7. The Budapest Declaration is an agreement among Member States of the WHO European Region, formulating political commitments and actions to address health challenges related to the intertwining between climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss along with, and in the context of, recovery from COVID-19.
8. The adoption of the Budapest Declaration was preceded by a wide, transparent, and inclusive negotiation process among Member States of the WHO European Region. This process was steered by the EHTF and its Bureau.
9. Within the Declaration, the Roadmap to 2030 guides countries in accelerating the transitions needed towards making communities sustainable. The Roadmap explains why urgent action is needed in a particular area, offers a list of commitments countries can consider, and suggests measures to achieve them.
10. By adopting the Budapest Declaration, countries committed to tackling pollution; ensuring everyone has access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene; integrating nature and biodiversity considerations into policies; and promoting a clean, safe and healthy built environment. Additional commitments target health systems and youth organizations.
11. To achieve this, countries committed to building partnerships for joint action, improving governance for environment and health, investing in human resources and capacities, fostering innovation and research, and advancing knowledge and tools for action while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic8. Countries also emphasized the support and empowerment to youth organizations to make their action more relevant in policy-making and implementation.
12. Countries committed to making a transformational change by breaking the silos, advocating the use of the One Health and Planetary Health approaches, and following a dual-track approach to address the pressing environment and health challenges. Ultimately this lays the foundation for a just transition to resilient, healthy, equitable, and sustainable societies.
13. The EHP Partnerships, a new mechanism for the implementation of commitments, was launched during the Conference. The EHP Partnerships open new opportunities for countries and partners with a shared interest in a specific thematic area to work together on joint projects and activities.
14. The EHTF and its Bureau play a crucial role in translating these commitments into action, fostering a proactive approach to ensuring the effective implementation of the Budapest commitments.
2. Meetings of the EHTF and related bodies
2.1. Meetings of the EHTF and its Bureau
15. According to the EHTF Rules of Procedures the EHTF meets at least once a year. The 14th and 15th annual meetings of the EHTF are planned for the first half of 20249 and the first half of 2025, respectively. The meetings will be prepared by the EHTF Bureau, which will meet twice a year, primarily online. If needed, additional meetings of the EHTF could be organized, possibly online.
16. The Bureau may also wish to have further informal consultations between the regular meetings of the EHTF.
17. To maximize transparency and inclusion, all meetings of the Bureau, both formal and informal ones, should allow the participation of any other EHTF member as observer.
18. A proposal for the organization of the meetings is provided in Table 1.
Table 1. Proposal for the organisation of the EHTF and EHTF Bureau meetings
Objectives
The main objectives of the EHTF and its Bureau are to steer and support the implementation of the commitments through:
• facilitating collaboration among sectors, partners and stakeholders;
• providing fora for the exchange of technical expertise and knowledge;
• taking account of scientific evidence in the review of policies;
• promoting collaboration with the governing bodies and secretariats of relevant multilateral environment and health agreements and policy platforms;
• taking account of emerging environment and health issues, and advising on policy directions to be taken to address them;
• identifying financial resources for implementation;
• adopting and amending, as needed, its own rules of procedure;
• reporting annually on the progress and achievements of EHP to the WHO Regional Committee for Europe and to the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy; and
• facilitating participation by young people’s organizations.
Participants
EHTF and its Bureau members with the EHP Secretariat and possible guests (e.g. invited speakers)
Language
The EHTF meetings are held in English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.
The EHTF Bureau operates and conducts meetings in English.
Venue
The EHTF is eligible to be hosted by any Member States or recognized stakeholders. For 2025, members of the EHTF are invited to consider the possibility of hosting the meeting in their respective countries.
Resources needed
Costs to hold two physical EHTF meetings and four virtual Bureau meetings in 2024/2025 are estimated in ca 160,000 – 200,000 USD (i.e. 80,000 – 100,000 USD each). Resource mobilization efforts are needed to identify hosts and funds. If the meeting is hosted outside of the secretariat’s premises, in-kind contributions will be considered.

2.2. Meetings of bodies established under the EHTF
19. Meetings of the Working Group on Health in Climate Change (HIC), established by the EHTF at its 3rd meeting in 2013, facilitates the dialogue among Member States in the WHO European Region and other stakeholders, as well as communication and implementation of commitments to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change. A proposal for the organization of the HIC meetings is provided in Table 2.
Table 2. Proposal for the organisation of the meetings of the HIC Working Group
Objectives
The main objectives of the HIC, as outlined in its Terms of Reference, are briefly summarized below:
• integrate health issues in climate change policies;
• strengthen resilience of health and environmental systems to climate change and extreme weather events;
• foster knowledge, research and exchange of best practice;
• promote climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems;
• raise awareness and improve education on climate change and health.
Participants
HIC members with the EHP Secretariat.
Language
English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.
Venue
Considering that most HIC members are also EHTF members, it would be sensible to coordinate resource mobilization efforts by scheduling HIC meetings alongside EHTF meetings. However, this approach is not obligatory, and HIC members have the flexibility to host the meeting independently.
Resources needed
Costs to hold two physical HIC meetings in 2024/2025 are estimated in ca 100,000 – 140,000 USD (i.e. 50,000 – 70,000 USD each). Resource mobilization efforts are needed to identify hosts and funds.
20. The Working Group on Collaboration of Local and Subnational Authorities (CoLSA), established by the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, held in Ostrava in 2017, has worked in the past biennium with the objective to highlight opportunities and challenges of policy coordination at different levels of decision-making. Member States in Budapest suggested that this work can be continued in a different format, possibly in the form of an EHP Partnership (ref. Annex 1 of the Declaration, para. 70).
3. The Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health
21. The Bonn Dialogues were originally established to support the preparations of the Budapest Conference, providing an opportunity to focus on different themes and priorities to be addressed by the Ministerial Declaration. The continuation of the Bonn Dialogues programme after the Budapest Conference will assume a different connotation: they could contribute to accelerating the implementation of the Budapest Declaration commitments, by providing a platform for showcasing countries' commitments, exchanging knowledge and expertise, and discussing concrete challenges, achievements and initiatives.
22. The selection of discussion topics for the Bonn Dialogues will be strategically aligned with the “triple crisis” framework and its Roadmap, as outlined in the Budapest Declaration, as well as with the topics identified in the survey launched by the EHP Secretariat in 2022.
23. Regarding the identification of potential lead countries for the Bonn Dialogues, the 2022 survey can once again serve as a basis for information. EHTF members are further encouraged to submit proposals for leading Bonn Dialogues on their preferred topics.
24. The EHTF Bureau is invited to discuss the continuation of the Bonn Dialogues series for the 2024-2025 biennium (ref. EURO EHTFB12 8 Draft information note on the Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health following the Seventh Ministerial Conference) and to review the proposal for the Dialogues' programme (Table 3). It is proposed to maintain the calendar as a rolling set of activities, accessible to all Member States and EHP stakeholders in an appropriate format, ideally on the EHP SharePoint website.
Table 3. Draft proposal for the programme of the Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health
The table below presents the draft proposal for the Bonn Dialogues programme. It includes a concise overview of the main objectives of the Dialogues, the intended audience, potential topics, format, frequency, and resource needs.
Objective
The main objectives of the Bonn Dialogues:
• offer policymakers a valuable platform for discussions focusing on the implementation of Budapest and previous Ministerial Conferences’ commitments;
• facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge among governments at both the national and subnational levels, enabling them to seize the opportunities and address and overcome the challenges they encounter while striving to implement the Budapest commitments.
Participants
EHTF members, stakeholders, high-level representatives of Member States, leading scientists, youth and the EHP Secretariat.
Tentative topics
This list outlines proposed topics in the latter half of 2024 and 2025, and is pending for further prioritization and EHTF discussion:
• Dialogue on the active mobility for the World Bicycle Day or the European Mobility Week.
• Dialogue on health impact assessment / health in the environmental assessment as a tool for urban planning and health for all / health in all policies.
• Dialogue on Planetary Health and One Health, e.g. for the latter: Integrating environment and health into One Health and the economic argument for One Health.
• Dialogue on National Portfolios of Actions on Environment and Health.
• Dialogue on environment and injury prevention.
• Dialogue on promoting environment and health policies at local level in follow-up to the recent launch of the WHO publication.
• Dialogue on the uptake and impact of the WHO environmental noise guidelines for the WHO European Region publication.
• Dialogue on health-related priorities in chemical safety – focus on poison centres.
• Dialogue on human biomonitoring: importance for protecting human health from negative impacts of chemicals following the recent launch of the WHO publication.
• Dialogue on Environmentally Sustainable Health Systems.
• Dialogue on contaminated sites and health.
• Dialogue with a subregional focus (e.g., Central Asia and Western Balkans, linked to the WHO Roadmaps).
• Dialogue on environmental health inequalities.
• Dialogue on nature-based solutions and health (22 May 2025 (International Day for Biological Diversity)).
• Dialogue on Professional Profiles.
• Dialogue on the aspects related to water and sanitation in preparation of the Seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health.
• Dialogue on climate change and health in preparation of the COP30.
Frequency
The frequency could fall within a range of approximately every four months. The specific dates will be confirmed about two months before the event.
Format

A virtual format of 1.5–2 hours. Hybrid or in-person Dialogue could also be arranged, necessitating extra resource.
Language
English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.
Resources needed
Costs to hold six virtual Bonn Dialogues in 2024-2025 are estimated in ca 30,000 USD if held virtually (ca. 5,000 each to cover interpretation costs and communications material). Resource mobilization efforts are needed to identify funds.
4. SupportING Member States: enabling implementation THROUGH GOVERNANCE, RESOURCES, KNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT
25. Actions to facilitate implementation stem directly from the Roadmap to 2030 and are intended to accelerate progress in addressing health impacts arising from climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss. These actions focus on strengthening governance, increasing human and financial resources, improving knowledge and bolstering research in the fields of health and environment.
26. The following activities aim to empower environment and health leaders and professionals in countries with the necessary mandates, knowledge, and tools. This involves prioritizing the translation of research and innovation into actionable solutions at an accelerated pace. The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health will work together with Member States, and partners informing and guiding them in the use of tools, normative documents, guidance, assessment and technical briefings, addressing the issues outlined in the Budapest Declaration.
27. In order to support national and multisectoral policy dialogues, exchanges of experiences among countries and in-country action, with the aim to facilitate the implementation of Budapest commitments, the Executive Officers Meeting on Governance and Capacity for Environment and Health will be held in December 2024 (ref. Budapest Declaration, Annex 1, para. 75). The EHTF will actively contribute to the Conference and will promote its outcomes at national level.
28. The high-level Conference on One Health which will be held on 11-13 June 2024 in Vienna, Austria (ref. Budapest Declaration, Annex 1, para. 38), will be providing the opportunity for EHTF members to foster practical exchange and perspective on how to apply the One Health approach to tackle environment and health issues. This Conference is organized by the Quadripartite, which, in addition to WHO, consists of three other agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Organisation for Animal Health.
29. Capacity building activities include further developments of the Bonn Environment and Health School, a flagship initiative that supports the strengthening of capacities in Member States to address persistent and emerging environment and health challenges, with an emphasis on the development of leadership for intersectoral policymaking and strengthening technical capacities. The Bonn School is expected to hold new courses in 2024-2025.
30. The EHTF can leverage the Bonn School on Environment and Health to review the existing professional profiles for environment and health and produce recommendations by the end of 2025 to be considered by Member States for developing their own environment and health professional profile to improve the competencies for the environment and health workforce. The Bonn School initiative provides opportunities for sharing scientific information and knowledge on the interlinkages between the degradation of ecosystems, climate change and biodiversity loss, and the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.
5. Joint action and partnerships
5.1 The EHP Partnerships
31. Member States committed to work together and with relevant partners and stakeholders to strengthen the implementation of Budapest commitments (see para. 13). To this aim, they launched a new implementation mechanism “EHP Partnerships” which offers Member States and all EHP stakeholders the opportunity to collaborate on the voluntary basis on topics of common interest within the scope of the Budapest Declaration. EHP Partnerships serve as a practical, flexible theme- and action-oriented means to facilitate implementation of the Budapest commitments.
32. The activities under the Partnerships could include projects, capacity building, trainings, events, dissemination and uptake of relevant WHO norms and standards, as well as of tools and methods for assessing the health effects of environmental risk factors and monitor progress in addressing.
33. According to the Terms of Reference for the EHP Partnerships included as an Annex in the Budapest Declaration, the EHP Partnerships can be initiated and led by Member States and recognised stakeholders, which are members of the EHTF. The Partnerships are established by decisions of the EHTF, and operate under the authority of the EHTF. EHP Partnerships should mainly be supported by their partners, through voluntary contributions that can be made available financially or in-kind.
34. In Budapest, Member States launched four EHP Partnerships:
• EHP Partnership on Human Biomonitoring (HBM), led by Germany and co-led by Georgia;
• EHP Partnership for Health Sector Climate Action, led by Ireland;
• THE PEP/EHP Partnership on Healthy Active Mobility, jointly led by Austria, France, and the Kingdom of Netherlands; and
• EHP Partnership on Youth, led by Slovenia and co-led by the International Youth Health Organization.
35. It is expected that Member States will consider further initiatives for launching new Partnerships in the future.
36. Oversight and guidance of the Partnership's work will be provided by the EHTF. Regular reports from lead countries and organizations will ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with planned EHTF initiatives, facilitating effective coordination and decision-making within the Partnership framework.
37. The Secretariat will assist in creating a publicly accessible EHP Partnership website that displays thematic focus areas, achievements, and key documents. It will further develop promotional materials, such as brochures and leaflets about the achievements of the EHP Partnerships and the benefits of joining this implementation mechanism.
5.2 Subregional initiatives and national policy dialogues
38. Given the region's diversity, it is essential to acknowledge that although some issues are common across the Region, the specific context, challenges, and priorities of each country or group of countries may differ. The sub-regional approach could facilitate tailored strategies and approaches to effectively address environment and health concerns in various subregions.
39. The EHTF and the EHP Secretariat will consider initiatives and requests from subregions or groups of countries, and take measures to organise specific events dedicated to discussing sub-regional priorities and the best policies to address them, in the form of subregional consultations.
40. The Bonn Dialogues could also be organized with a focus on the sub-regional format, upon the expression of interest from groups of countries, possibly in partnership with regional networks. Sub-regional Dialogues could offer a strategic avenue for specific issues faced by the sub-region, generating specific recommendations and strengthen regional cooperation.
41. The EHTF could additionally leverage on the WHO subregional initiatives and local authorities’ platforms, namely the Small Country Initiative, the European Healthy Cities Network and the Regions for Health Network.
42. Frameworks for action can be further provided by the established WHO Roadmaps for health and well-being in the Western Balkans10 and in Central Asia11.
43. Similarly, upon request from individual countries, the EHTF, together with the EHP Secretariat, can consider organizing policy dialogues at the national level on a specific topic (ref. Budapest Declaration, Annex 1, para. 74), involving all responsible authorities and stakeholders, for a wide and comprehensive discussion, thus fostering cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination.
44. The EHTF will also strengthen international cooperation with sub-regional initiatives, like the European Union Green Deal, and platforms like the Arctic Council. The UN Green Deal Working Group creates a platform for the EHP to join forces and find synergies between the Green Deal and Budapest commitments and its pillar strategies in the achievement of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
5.3 Country-specific activities on selected priority areas within the context of WHO Biennial Collaborative Agreements (2024−2025) and other bilateral initiatives
45. The EHP Secretariat works bilaterally with Member States to strengthen national implementation efforts in line with the Budapest Declaration objectives, including the development of National Portfolios of Actions on Environment and Health and technical advice and support on specific environment and health priorities, based on the interests and priorities of individual Member States (Annex 1).
46. These country-specific activities on environment and health are initiated at the request of Member States, either within the context of WHO Biennial Collaborative Agreements12 (2024−2025) or other bilateral and multilateral agreements co-led by WHO ECEH, as appropriate.
5.5 Cooperation and coordination with other UN platforms and multilateral environmental agreements
47. The Budapest Declaration identifies a number of international commitments of relevance to the EHP and recognizes that much progress could be achieved by focusing on strengthening the implementation of those commitments that have already been taken by Member States in other relevant fora.
48. In particular, Member States committed to support ratification and/or advance the implementation of existing instruments, particularly those resulting from the EHP (the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, and the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme – THE PEP), and other multilateral agreements relevant for the environment and health agenda (ref. Budapest Declaration, para. 10).
49. The Roadmap of the Budapest Declaration suggests several proposals for action that would significantly support the achievement of the Budapest commitments leveraging these platforms.
50. Furthermore, several members of the EHTF happen to be also actively engaged in these processes and instruments, for example as members of bureaus, task forces, and committees established under these instruments. This creates additional opportunities for consistently advocating and promoting coherent policy directions and mutually supportive and synergic actions.
51. Of particular relevance in this context is the collaboration between the EHP and the UNECE Environment for Europe Process (EfE), whose ninth Ministerial Conference took place on 5−7 October 2022 in Nicosia, Cyprus. The Conference focused on sustainable infrastructures for greening the economy and on circular economy for sustainable tourism, and it also had a special session on education for sustainable development. Opportunities should be pursued for finding synergies between the EHP and the EfE processes.
52. The UN Issue-based Coalition on Environment and Climate Change, a regional platform for UN agencies coordinated by UNECE, UNEP and UNESCO, promotes coordinated support to all Member States in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda and supports UN Country Teams on environmental and climate change issues, by facilitating access to existing technical guidance and responding to requests for country support.
53. WHO strongly supports the integration of health aspects into the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, which aims to provide Member States with a high level of protection of environment and health.
54. The EHTF is committed to strengthen the collaboration with relevant international organizations and instruments, including through active participation in established platforms and advocating accession or ratification to multilateral environmental agreements, as relevant. To facilitate possible participation and cross-fertilization, key relevant meetings and events are listed in the rolling calendar attached to this document (Annex 2).
5.6. Cooperation with other stakeholders and actors
55. The EHTF is committed to strengthen the collaboration with relevant actors and stakeholders active on environment and health issues in the WHO European Region, including NGOs, civil society, and professional organizations. This will greatly enhance the impact of the actions and initiatives undertaken, taking advantage of the experience gained outside the organization, and will increase the visibility of the EHP.
56. For this purpose, the EHTF will address requests coming from stakeholders, not included in the initial list of Annex II of the Ostrava Declaration, to be included in the list of recognized EHP stakeholders, according to the procedure set out in paragraph 1.2 of its Rules of Procedure, as adopted at its tenth meeting.
57. The EHTF greatly appreciated the launch of the Budapest Youth Declaration13 and will consider and promote initiatives to support the involvement of youth representatives in the EHP activities and in other relevant international frameworks. This includes support in increasing the role of the youth in health and environment decision-making to bridge generational gaps, foster inclusive policies, and creating opportunities for skill development.
6. Monitoring progress in the implementation of the Budapest commitments
58. At the Budapest Conference, the Secretariat presented the progress in the implementation of the Ostrava Declaration. The assessment indicates that progress is mixed and, in most cases, insufficient; however, there are important differences in performance depending on the thematic priority area and subregion within the European Region14.
59. In Budapest Member States reconfirmed the agreement to measure and report on the progress towards the implementation of Budapest commitments using national reporting on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and other relevant reporting frameworks (ref. para. 6 of the Budapest Declaration).
60. Member States committed to develop and update their National Portfolios of Actions, taking on board the renewed framework set up in the Budapest Declaration, in particular adding the links between nature, biodiversity and health. Recommendations from a recent assessment of the status and developments of the National Portfolios in the Region 15 include clarification of responsibilities, the definition of indicators and of a timeline. Enhancing the monitoring mechanisms of the Portfolios could facilitate the tracking of Budapest commitments and offer comprehensive insights into the situation across countries, thereby fostering better-informed decision-making processes.
61. The EHP Secretariat is available to provide support to Member States interested in receiving assistance in the development and implementation of their National Portfolios of Actions, according to the above considerations.
7. Advocacy, INFORMATION and communication
62. The EHTF is invited to continue sharing with the EHP Secretariat regular country updates and developments on environment and health priorities, developments, and initiatives at international and national levels to address the health dimension of the triple crisis of climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss, as well as on relevant upcoming events.
63. The quarterly EHP Newsletter is fully dedicated to disseminating information on all initiatives, events, publications that are relevant for the EHP and the EHTF. The Newsletter has consistently proven itself as an effective tool for fostering robust engagement and knowledge sharing within the dynamic and diverse target audience of the EHTF, as well as the general public. Its availability on the WHO website enhances engagement with various interested partners and stakeholders.
64. The EHP SharePoint, a password-protected web site accessible to all the EHTF members, will continue to be the repository of all the relevant information about past and future meetings under the EHP, including all the working and background documents, as well as the presentations made by speakers participating to those meetings. Also, EHP Secretariat will establish virtual workspaces to serve as an internal platform for exchange and cooperation for each EHP Partnership.
65. The EHP Secretariat will continue supporting the communication around a series of events that can convey potential partners to support the implementation of the agreements reached by the Budapest Conference.
66. The EHP Secretariat will strengthen linkages and outreach to UN partners and other partners regarding the Budapest Declaration by sharing materials and keeping them informed about further communication plans.

Annex 1. Overview of anticipated activities in the WHO bilateral collaborations (2024-2025) in Member States
Member States
Budapest portfolio and other cross-cutting areas

Prioritizing action to tackle the most pressing health challenges related to climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss
Delivering essential services and a safe built environment for healthy and resilient communities
Strengthening governance, intersectoral collaboration, human resources and knowledge for health and environment
EHP
EHP Partnerships
National Portfolios
Violence and injury prevention
Youth

Climate change
Environmental pollution
Biodiversity loss and land degradation
Water, sanitation and hygiene
Waste and contaminated sites
Transport and mobility
Planning of built environments
Governance
Competencies
Research and innovation





Albania
+
+ (chemical safety)













Andorra















Armenia
+














Azerbaijan
+
+ (chemical safety)








+
+



Austria
+
+ (HBM)



+





+



Belarus

+ (HBM)

+











Belgium
+
+ (HBM)









+



Bosnia and Herzegovina

+ (HBM)

+











Bulgaria

+ (air quality)

+











Croatia
+


+


+



+
+



Cyprus















Czechia
+














Denmark















Estonia



+


+

+






Finland















France
+
+ (HBM)



+





+



Georgia
+
+ (air quality, chemical safety)

+








+


Germany
+










+



Greece















Hungary
+ (ESHS)
+ (HBM)

+






+
+



Iceland
+














Ireland
+










+



Israel
+














Italy



+
+










Kazakhstan
+
+ (air quality)

+


+



+




Kosovo*
+














Kyrgyzstan

+ (air quality)

+











Latvia















Lithuania

+ (HBM)

+







+



Luxembourg















Malta
+














Monaco















Montenegro

+ (chemical safety)

+











Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
+




+





+



North Macedonia
+


+











Norway
+














Poland



+











Portugal















Republic of Moldova

+ (occupational health)

+











Romania















Russian Federation















San Marino















Serbia

+ (air quality, chemical safety)

+






+




Slovakia















Slovenia
+














Spain

+ (HBM)









+



Sweden















Switzerland















Tajikistan
+
+ (air quality)













Turkey
+














Turkmenistan
+


+











Ukraine
+














United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
+










+



Uzbekistan

+ (air quality)

+








+


*All references to Kosovo in this document should be understood to be in the context of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).
Notes:
Cells marked as “+” indicate bilateral collaboration.
Determinants of health addressed in the WHO bilateral collaborations in Member States to support national development and implementation of environment and health policies, activities may need further discussion and approval. The list is a “living document”, and is open to updates as more information becomes available.
Annex 2. Rolling calendar of environment and health activities of relevance to the EHTF in 2024-2025
Title
Date and place
Arctic Congress
9 May-3 June 2024, Bodø, Norway
High-level Conference on One Health which
1113 June 2024, Vienna, Austria
14th meeting of the EHTF
26-27 June 2024, Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
Central Asia International Health Investment Forum
26 – 27 June 2024, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
43rd meeting of THE PEP Bureau
June/July 2024
74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe
29–31 October 2024, Copenhagen, Denmark
22nd session of THE PEP Steering Committee
October 2024, Geneva, Switzerland
29th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
11-24 November 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan
High-level Conference on Governance and Capacities for Environment and Health
2–4 December 2024
13th meeting of the EHTF Bureau
Q3/Q4 2024, virtual
Meeting of the Working Group on Health in Climate Change
2024
8th Bonn Dialogue
2024
9th Bonn Dialogue
2024
10th Bonn Dialogue
2024
14th meeting of the EHTF Bureau
Q1/Q2 2025, virtual
15th meeting of the EHTF
Q3 2025
23rd session of THE PEP SC
Q3/Q4 2024, Geneva, Switzerland
15th meeting of the EHTF Bureau
Q3/Q4 2025, virtual
75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe
Q3 2025
30th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Q4 2025
7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly
2025
7th session of the Meeting of the Parties of the Protocol on Water and Health
2025
Notes:
The list of provisionally planned environment and health activities of relevance to the EHTF in the second half of 2024 and 2025 is a “living document”, and is open to updates as more information becomes available.
Dates for the Bonn Dialogues for Environment and Health are a subject for discussion, once more information becomes available.
Color coding:

Meetings of the EHTF and its Bureau

Meetings of the Working Group on Health in Climate Change

Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health

Meetings of the EHP Partnerships

Meetings of the governing bodies

Consultations with stakeholders/sub-regional consultations/relevant processes

UNECE Environment for Europe Process meetings

World Health Organization
Regional Office for Europe

Weltgesundheitsorganisation
Regionalbüro füR Europa

Organisation Mondiale de la SantÉ
Bureau RÉgional de l'Europe

ВсемирнаЯ организациЯ здравоохранениЯ
Европейское региональное бюро




Twelfth meeting of the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) Bureau
EURO/EHTFB12/7


Virtual
15 April 2024
22 April 2024
Original: English
Draft agenda of the fourteenth meeting of the EHTF
1. Opening and the adoption of agenda.
2. Follow-up to the Budapest Conference: where are we?
3. Draft programme of work for the EHTF for 2024–2025.
4. Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health in the context of the Budapest commitments.
5. Update on the EHP Partnerships and revision of the Terms of Reference for the EHP Partnerships.
6. Proposed revision and update of environment and health-related Sustainable Development Goals indicators for monitoring Budapest commitments implementation.
7. Updates on major global and regional developments relevant to environment and health.
8. Support to Member States:
a) Accelerating action at the sub-regional and national level;
b) Updates on work to strengthen governance, resources and knowledge for environment and health.
9. Revision of the EHTF Rules of Procedure.
10. Elections of officers.
11. Any other business, summary of decisions, next steps and closure of meeting.

World Health Organization
Regional Office for Europe

Weltgesundheitsorganisation
Regionalbüro füR Europa

Organisation Mondiale de la SantÉ
Bureau RÉgional de l'Europe

ВсемирнаЯ организациЯ здравоохранениЯ
Европейское региональное бюро




Twelfth meeting of the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) Bureau
EURO/EHTFB12/8


Virtual
15 April 2024
22 April 2024
Original: English
Draft information note on the Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health following the Seventh Ministerial Conference
Prepared by the EHP Secretariat
The Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health, organized by the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, serve as a pivotal platform for engaging high-level discussions among policy makers within the WHO European Region. This information note provides insight into the contextual framework of the Dialogues. Additionally, it presents a proposal for the Bonn Dialogues programme, poised for integration into the draft Programme of Work for the EHTF for 2024–2025. This note is submitted to the EHTF Bureau for further discussion at its twelfth meeting.

Introduction
1. The Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health is a series of high-level online events, aimed at fostering discussions among policy makers across the WHO European Region on selected themes and topics, and providing the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF) – the leading international body for implementation and monitoring of the European Environment and Health Process (EHP) – with evidence and reflection points on well-known and emerging environment and health issues.
2. The Bonn Dialogues are organized and promoted by the EHP Secretariat, located in the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Bonn, Germany, in the framework of the programme of the work of the EHTF.
Background
3. The EHTF decided, at its tenth meeting in February 2021, to launch the Bonn Dialogues as a tool to shape the agenda of the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, held in Budapest, Hungary, on 5-7 July 2023. The EHTF also adopted the first programme for the implementation of the initiative.
4. In March 2022, the EHP Secretariat launched a call for interest to lead and participate in the Dialogues, receiving a total of sixteen submissions from ten Member States and one stakeholder. Based on the input received, the EHP Secretariat developed a programme of Bonn Dialogues, that was discussed and approved by the EHTF.
5. During the preparation for the seventh Ministerial Conference a total of five Bonn Dialogues were organized, all in a virtual format. The sixth and seventh Dialogues were organized following the Conference:
• 1st Dialogue (14 October 2021): WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines: reinforcing the nexus between environment and health in the context of “building forward better”
Led by Germany focused on air quality and health, in particular with reference to the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines launched in September 2021. The Dialogue offered an opportunity to explore synergies and highlight knowledge, platforms and resources that are available at the international level to support national actions to address the root causes of air pollution. It also equipped participants with a stronger health argument for reinforced climate action.
• 2nd Dialogue (8 December 2021): Nature, biodiversity and health: green and blue spaces for promoting health
Led by Lithuania and Denmark, focused on nature, biodiversity and health, with a particular focus on the connection between blue and green spaces and mental health, and with reference to the WHO report “Nature, biodiversity and health: an overview of interconnections”. The Dialogue continued with an optional session, organized in breakout rooms, discussing the topic further, in addition to presenting decision support tools related to green and blue spaces.
• 3rd Dialogue (3 June 2022): Walking and cycling for green, healthy and sustainable mobility
Led by Switzerland and the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and organized in partnership with the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP), the Dialogue focused on the role of walking and cycling for green, healthy and sustainable mobility, marking the World Bicycle Day. The event was also an opportunity to launch a new publication under THE PEP framework: “Walking and cycling: latest evidence to support policy-making and practice”.
• 4th Dialogue (14 October 2022): Risk communication for environment and health
Led by Israel, focused on risk communication for environment and health. The main objectives of this Dialogue were to take stock of the latest evidence from risk communication for environment and health practices, and to exchange views on policy opportunities and emerging approaches to design and implement policies and measures that promote efficient risk communication. Case studies from Israel, Austria, Hungary and the perspective from an NGO were presented and discussed. The background document for this event “Effective Risk Communication for Environment and Health” was prepared as part of the Health and Environment Research Agenda project funded by the European Union.
• 5th Dialogue (21 February 2023): Preventing and reducing negative impacts of hazardous chemicals on health and environment
Led by the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), focused on the impacts of hazardous chemicals on health and environment. The main objectives of the Dialogue were to take stock of current approaches towards preventing and reducing the negative impacts of hazardous chemicals on health and environment; to exchange views on policy opportunities, emerging approaches and best practices to prevent and reduce the impact of hazardous chemicals, and to highlight tools in support of the implementation of policies on the prevention of emissions and releases of hazardous chemicals, like the “Safe and Sustainable by Design” framework.
• 6th Dialogue (8 September 2023): Progress in the WHO European Region towards the SDGs in the context of the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health: mid-way to 2030.
Led by Belgium, the Dialogue was the opportunity to discuss the report launched at the seventh Ministerial Conference on “Progress in the WHO European Region towards the SDGs in the context of the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health: mid-way to 2030”. The report takes stock of the progress made in implementing the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health in the WHO European Region.
• 7th Dialogue (30 January 2024): Using behavioural and cultural insights
(BCI) for environment and health
The Dialogue, stemming from a collaboration between the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health and WHO/Europe’s BCI Unit, spotlighted innovation, documentation and knowledge exchange as drivers of an effective application of BCI in the context of environment and health. The behaviours and actions, at the societal and individual level, will play a significant role in the coming years in the achievement of the Budapest objectives, complementing institutional processes and creating bottom-up pressure on governments.


The Bonn Dialogues following the Budapest Ministerial Conference
6. The Bonn Dialogues were originally established to support the preparations of the Budapest Conference, providing an opportunity to focus on different themes and priorities to be addressed by the Ministerial Declaration. The continuation of the Bonn Dialogues programme after the Budapest Conference will assume a different connotation: they could contribute to accelerating the implementation of the Budapest Declaration commitments, by providing a platform for showcasing countries' commitments, exchanging knowledge and expertise, and discussing concrete challenges, achievements and initiatives.
7. The choice of discussion topics for the future Dialogues should be guided by the priorities outlined by the Member States in 2022 and by the Budapest Declaration within the context of the triple crisis. These priorities encompass:
• health impacts of environmental pollution and climate change;
• recognition of nature as a key determinant of health;
• ensuring everyone has access to safe WASH facilities;
• promoting a clean, safe and healthy built environment;
• ensuring the resilience of essential community services;
• a focus on factors that enable implementation, such as governance, workforce capacity, cross-sectoral cooperation, and research;
• just transition towards resilient, healthy, equitable and sustainable societies;
• empowerment of youth organizations to make their actions more relevant in policy-making and implementation.
8. The Budapest Conference established the “EHP Partnerships”, a new mechanism to facilitate the implementation of the commitments taken. The Partnerships bring together like-minded countries on a specific thematic area to work on joint projects and activities. The Bonn Dialogues and the EHP Partnerships have the potential to synergize their efforts by co-hosting collaborative events.
9. The Bonn Dialogues could also serve as a platform for subregional consultations. Countries interested in convening and addressing issues tailored to their specific needs could consider the possibility of utilizing the Bonn Dialogue mechanism for such discussions.
10. The format of the Bonn Dialogues has proven to align perfectly with expectations, in terms of providing sufficient opportunities for speakers to exchange ideas and proposals. Typically, a “lead country” initiates the Dialogue by providing opening remarks, followed by a keynote speech introducing the subject matter, which is then discussed by a panel, featuring high-level representatives from Member States and stakeholders in the environment and health domains, including leading scientists, civil society organizations, local and regional networks, academia, UN agencies and international and regional organizations. However, flexibility is encouraged to accommodate specific requirements.
11. The proposed frequency for organizing the Dialogues is approximately every three to four months. The specific timing may be influenced by concurrent international events related to the environment and health and can also be adjusted based on the interests of Member States and stakeholders.


Next steps
12. The EHTF Bureau is invited to consider the continuation of the Bonn Dialogues in the biennium 2024-2025, and to review the proposal for the Dialogues' programme (Annex). Also, the Bureau is encouraged to suggest new topics based on prioritization relevant to their country or sub-region's work. The EHP Secretariat proposes to the EHTF and its Bureau to maintain the calendar as a rolling set of activities, accessible to all Member States and EHP stakeholders in an appropriate format, ideally on the EHP SharePoint website.

Annex. Draft proposal for the programme of the Bonn Dialogues
The table below presents the draft proposal for the Bonn Dialogues programme, which is expected to be integrated in the draft Programme of Work of the EHTF for 2024-2025. It includes a concise overview of the main objectives of the Dialogues, the intended audience, potential topics, format, frequency and resource needs.
The selection of Bonn Dialogue topics is based on the expressions of interest and priorities identified by Member States in 2022 and aligned with the Budapest Declaration, considering the challenges posed by the triple crisis (see para. 8).
Objective
The main objectives of the Bonn Dialogues:
• offer policymakers a valuable platform for discussions focusing on the implementation of Budapest and previous Ministerial Conferences’ commitments;
• facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge among governments at both the national and subnational levels, enabling them to seize the opportunities and address and overcome the challenges they encounter while striving to implement the Budapest commitments.
Participants
EHTF members, stakeholders, high-level representatives of Member States, leading scientists, youth and the EHP Secretariat.
Tentative topics
This list outlines proposed topics in the latter half of 2024 and 2025, and is pending for further prioritization and EHTF discussion:
• Dialogue on the active mobility for the World Bicycle Day or the European Mobility Week.
• Dialogue on health impact assessment / health in the environmental assessment as a tool for urban planning and health for all / health in all policies.
• Dialogue on Planetary Health and One Health, e.g. for the latter: Integrating environment and health into One Health and the economic argument for One Health.
• Dialogue on National Portfolios of Actions on Environment and Health.
• Dialogue on environment and injury prevention.
• Dialogue on promoting environment and health policies at local level in follow-up to the recent launch of the WHO publication.
• Dialogue on the uptake and impact of the WHO environmental noise guidelines for the WHO European Region publication.
• Dialogue on health-related priorities in chemical safety – focus on poison centres.
• Dialogue on human biomonitoring: importance for protecting human health from negative impacts of chemicals following the recent launch of the WHO publication.
• Dialogue on Environmentally Sustainable Health Systems.
• Dialogue on contaminated sites and health.
• Dialogue with a subregional focus (e.g., Central Asia and Western Balkans, linked to the WHO Roadmaps).
• Dialogue on environmental health inequalities.
• Dialogue on nature-based solutions and health (22 May 2025 (International Day for Biological Diversity)).
• Dialogue on Professional Profiles.
• Dialogue on the aspects related to water and sanitation in preparation of the Seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health.
• Dialogue on climate change and health in preparation of the COP30.
Frequency
The frequency could fall within a range of approximately every four months. The specific dates will be confirmed about two months before the event.
Format

A virtual format of 1.5–2 hours. Hybrid or in-person Dialogue could also be arranged, necessitating extra resource.
Language
English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.
Resources needed
Costs to hold six virtual Bonn Dialogues in 2024-2025 are estimated in ca 30,000 USD if held virtually (ca. 5,000 each to cover interpretation costs and communications material). Resource mobilization efforts are needed to identify funds.