Accelerating action for healthier people, a thriving planet, a sustainable future

Executive Officers Meeting on Governance and Capacities for Environment and Health

Bonn, Germany

EUCDE2422161/2.2/76480/02

2–4 December 2024 6 September 2024

Scope and purpose

The WHO European Region continues to face important environment and health challenges, with

trends indicating that many of the Sustainable Development Goals related to environment and

health are unlikely to be met by 2030 - in spite of progress achieved on several fronts over the last

decades. While important successes have been achieved in terms of negotiating new multilateral

policy instruments, several challenges slow down their implementation.

As leaders continue to manage ongoing environment and health agendas and to respond to

environmental crises, there is a pressing need to adapt governance and capacity strategies to the

rapidly shifting political priorities such as moving towards sustainable, green, zero-pollution and

carbon-neutral economies while ensuring a just transition. This requires bold and resilient

leadership, robust governance and institutional structures, and fit-for-purpose capacities.

Maintaining public trust and ensuring effective communication are crucial, especially in the face

of mis- and dis-information regarding health impacts of climate change, chemicals, and other

environment and health factors.

The Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, held in Budapest in 2023, has

recognized the importance of cross-cutting enabling factors, such as governance, capacities, and

resources for environment health, as critical to achieving progress at the pace and scale that are

needed. At the Conference, Member States have agreed to stimulate a reflection on how these

factors can be best leveraged to drive progress across the Region. Within this context, this meeting

aims to provide a dynamic platform for an open discussion among peers and facilitate the exchange

of experiences and ideas, innovative solutions, and frameworks to scale and adopt effective

approaches to environment and health governance and capacity-building in countries of the WHO

European Region. The meeting will also foster multidisciplinary knowledge exchange,

multisectoral alliances. and strong, lasting networks among national executives, in turn driving

forward the Budapest commitments to provide a healthier environment for all.

The focus of the meeting will be on accelerating implementation of environment and health policy

priorities in response to the triple ecological crisis - environmental pollution, climate change, and

biodiversity loss - amidst other challenges.

Scope and purpose page 2

Using engaging and dynamic meeting approaches and drawing from participants’ first-hand

experiences and knowledge, discussions will be based around, but not limited to:

Governance and Leadership

• National institutional leadership and governance structures

• Inter-sectoral collaboration to integrate environment and health in various sectors and

policies

• Streamlining environment and health policy implementation across governmental levels

Resources

• Workforce competencies and training curricula for addressing contemporary and emerging

environment and health challenges

• Financial and economic aspects, including economic incentives, efficient use of national

budgets, public-private partnerships, and mobilizing resources from trust funds and financial

institutions

Knowledge Transfer, Communication, and Advocacy

• Translating environment and health research findings and evidence into national policies and

action plans

• Strategic communication and outreach to effectively advocate for environment and health,

including combating dis- and mis-information

Ahead of the meeting, participants will receive a background paper summarizing key governance

mechanisms and approaches, along with national case studies on environment and health

governance and lessons learned. Senior experts will provide stimulating input statements sharing

their insights and experiences to start the discussions and will remain available as resource persons

throughout the meeting. Interactive panel sessions and laboratories to discuss governance and

capacities in relation to topics such as climate change, air quality, greening healthcare systems,

and environment and health in urban settings will provide numerous opportunities for direct

exchange and networking. This will enable participants to identify effective governance responses

and opportunities for inter-sectoral collaboration and chart a path forward for addressing

environment and health challenges at national and institutional level.

Accelerating action for healthier people, a thriving planet, a sustainable future

Executive Officers Meeting on Governance and Capacities for Environment and Health

Bonn, Germany

EUCDE2422161/2.2/76480/03

2–4 December 2024 6 September 2024

Provisional Agenda

1) Meet and greet

2) Opening session

3) Session 1 – National environment and health governance and leadership

4) Session 2 – Intersectoral collaboration on Environment and Health

5) Session 3 – Thematic laboratories on environment and health governance, leadership

and collaboration

6) Reception hosted by the City of Bonn

7) Session 4 – Workforce competencies and human resources

8) Session 5 – Financial resources for environment and health

9) Session 6 – Thematic laboratories on environment and health resources

10) Speed-meeting and networking

11) Session 7 – Reporting back from thematical laboratories

12) Dinner hosted by WHO

13) Session 8 – Communication and dis-information on environment and health

14) Session 9 – The way forward

15) Closing session

Saatja: WILLIAMS, Wendy Margaret <[email protected]>

Saadetud: 03.10.2024 17:13

Adressaat: <"Triin Uusberg">; <"Elen Ohov">; <"Riina Sikkut">

Koopia: <=?utf-8?Q?Helen_S=C3=B5ber?=>; <"Triin Uusberg">; <[email protected]>;

Riia Salsa-Audiffren <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>;

Andre Pung <[email protected]>; KÖHLER, Kristina

<[email protected]>

Teema: WHO meeting: Executive officers meeting on governance and

capacities for environment and health, Bonn, 2–4 December 2024

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Accelerating action for healthier people, a thriving planet, a sustainable future

The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health is happy to announce a meeting of national executive officers from ministries of environment and ministries of health to hold peer-to-peer exchanges on accelerating national action for environment and health by strengthening governance, capacities and resources. In line with the commitments made at the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, the meeting aims to foster multidisciplinary knowledge exchange and multisectoral alliances.

Join us in Bonn in an inspiring venue, rich with political history, to • exchange experiences with executive officers from

other countries, • discuss governance approaches to accelerate and

effectively implement your national environment and health agenda,

• acquire arguments and narratives to be used in political debate on environment and health governance, and

• socialize and network with peers informally during event breaks, networking sessions and at the charming Christmas markets in the city of Bonn.

2–4 DECEMBER, 2024, LA REDOUTE PALACE, BONN-BAD GODESBERG, GERMANY

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS MEETING ON GOVERNANCE AND CAPACITIES FOR ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

This event is made possible due to the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.

MEETING CONTENT

The meeting will address a range of governance enablers and approaches on environment and health, and review respective national experiences and lessons learned, including:

Governance and leadership (Day 1)

National institutional leadership and governance structures

Inter-sectoral collaboration to integrate EH in different sectors and policies

Streamlining implementation of EH policies and actions across governmental levels

Resources (Day 2)

Workforce competencies and training curricula for addressing contemporary and emerging EH challenges

Finance and economic aspects (economic incentives, efficient use of national budget, Public Private Partnerships, mobilizing resources from trust funds and financial institutions)

Knowledge transfer, communication and advocacy (Day 3)

Knowledge translation: translating environment and health research and evidence into national policies and action plans

Strategic communication and outreach to effectively advocate for EH, including combating dis- and mis-information

TARGET AUDIENCE

Chief medical officers, heads of public health, directors general, chief scientists and executive staff from ministries of environment and ministries of health, and related national institutions. Nominations will be requested through ministers of both ministries.

SPEAKERS AND PRESENTERS

Participants will actively lead and contribute to discussions in panels and in thematic laboratories (climate change, air quality, urban settings, and greening health care systems) sharing their experience and case studies. Discussions will be introduced by short input statements by senior experts, who will remain available as a resource to support the discussions.

NATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND CASE STUDIES ON EH GOVERNANCE

A background document will present governance enablers and approaches, showcasing how they could be effectively utilized. The meeting will also facilitate and review national case studies, experiences and good practice elements on how to implement environment and health agendas as well as the Budapest commitments through environment and health governance, collaboration and communication approaches.

A UNIQUE, INSPIRING VENUE

Discussion will be inspired by the flair and history of “La Redoute” palace in Bonn-Bad Godesberg. Built in the neoclassical style in the 1790s for the court’s balls and other amusements, Redoute has hosted a wide range of political and cultural events, witnessing moments that have marked the history of Germany and Europe.

LANGUAGES AND TIMELINE

The working language of the meeting will be English with simultaneous Russian interpreting. The meeting is planned to open on Monday 2 December at 12.30, and close on Wednesday 4 December at latest 14.00.

Questions related to the meeting can be addressed to [email protected]

UN City, Marmorvej 51 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00 Email: [email protected] DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Denmark

Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Website: https://www.who.int/europe

Accelerating action for healthier people, a thriving planet, a sustainable future

Date: 3 October 2024

Ms Riina Sikkut Minister of Health Ministry of Social Affairs Suur-Ameerika 1 10129 Tallinn Estonia

Dear Madam,

Executive officers meeting on governance and capacities for environment and health 2–4 December 2024

Bonn, Germany

I have the honour to invite you to nominate a senior representative of your ministry to participate in the above-mentioned meeting, which is being organized by the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health with generous support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.

The meeting will offer senior executive officers from national ministries of health and ministries of the environment the opportunity to discuss with their peers integrated governance approaches to implementing the commitments of the Budapest Declaration adopted at the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Hungary on 5–7 July 2023. For this reason, attendance is recommended for an executive officer of the ministry or relevant national institution, such as a chief medical officer, head of public health, director-general or chief scientist, depending on the national context. To facilitate exchange and collaboration across sectors, we are seeking nominations from both ministries of health and ministries of the environment.

The meeting aims to accelerate action to implement the environment and health agenda through facilitation and exchange of governance mechanisms, policies and capacity models that can be utilized for promoting and improving environmental health conditions. An integral part of the meeting will be a discussion of selected national case studies on implementation pathways for the commitments made at the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, as indicated in the enclosed scope and purpose and provisional agenda.

Please send your nominee’s name, functional title, institution and email address to the WHO Secretariat at [email protected] no later than 25 October 2024.

We regret that participation costs cannot be covered by the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

– 2 –

The working language will be English, with simultaneous interpretation in Russian. The meeting will open on Monday, 2 December at 13.30 and close on Wednesday, 4 December at 14.00 after a farewell lunch.

Policy or technical queries related to the meeting can be addressed to Dr Sinaia Netanyahu, Programme Manager, Environment and Health Impact Assessment, at [email protected].

We look forward to receiving your nomination.

Yours very truly,

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge WHO Regional Director for Europe

Encls: Flyer Provisional agenda Scope and purpose

Copy for information to: Ms Helen Sõber, Adviser, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, Suur-Ameerika 1, 10122 Tallinn, Estonia Ms Triin Uusberg, Head, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, Suur-Ameerika 1, 10129 Tallinn, Estonia H.E. Ms Riia Salsa-Audiffren, Ambassador Representative of the Republic of Estonia, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Estonia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28A, CH-1209 Genève, Switzerland H.E. Mr Andre Pung, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Estonia, Frederiksgade 19, 4th floor, 1265 Copenhagen K, Denmark Ms Kristina Köhler, Liaison Officer, WHO Country Office, Estonia, Paldiski Road 81, 10617 Tallinn, Estonia