Feb 7, 2018 | Founding Documents
The Fourth Forum, under the theme “Health, well-being and prosperity in South-Eastern Europe by 2030 in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” was held in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova on 3-4 April 2017.
The Forum was hosted by The Government of the Republic of Moldova and organized jointly by the South-eastern Europe Health Network in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe.
The endorsement of the Chisinau pledge, by nine south-eastern European countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Israel, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania and Serbia, on April 4th 2017, established the basis for the continuation of the cooperation in public health, in the forthcoming period.
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Oct 14, 2011 | Founding Documents
The Third Health Ministers’ Forum, held in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina on 13–14 October 2011, ended in the signing of the Banja Luka Pledge. Unique in the WHO European Region, the Pledge sets a five-year course towards including health in all policies and working across sectors to address the social and economic determinants of health and reduce noncommuniable diseases.
The 10 countries in the Network – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Israel, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – agreed:
- to sustain and strengthen regional cooperation in public health in south-eastern Europe;
- to work towards equity and accountability in health; and
- to strengthen public health capacities and services for control and prevention of noncommunicable diseases.
In particular, they pledged to work towards the goal of including health in all policies: for health and health equity to be considered in all policy and investment decisions at the local and national levels.
The Forum celebrated a decade of remarkable regional cooperation in public health in south-eastern Europe, which has resulted not only in productive and shared expertise but also 9 centres for regional health development, 10 pilot community mental health centres and a region-wide network of 60 institutions working on public health issues.
The Banja Luka Pledge calls on national governments in the WHO European Region and partner organizations to support the Network in achieving its extended goals. It concludes: “We are convinced that our combined efforts at national, regional (south-eastern European) and European levels will bring about changes that will substantially improve the health and well-being of all our citizens.”
The first and second health ministers’ forums, in 2001 and 2005, resulted in the Dubrovnik and Skopje pledges.
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Oct 12, 2011 | Founding Documents
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Memorandum of Understanding (2009)
This is a legally binding document signed by the governments of nine SEE countries, establishing the institutional mechanisms for sustaining the regional cooperation on health development.
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Nov 27, 2005 | Founding Documents
The Skopje Pledge was a cornerstone agreement for cooperation and action on health. This was the second political document on cross-border health development in the SEE region. It was signed by the ministers of health of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 27 November 2005, at their Second Health Ministers Forum with special participation of ministers of finance.
Five partner countries, Belgium, Greece, Norway, Slovenia and Switzerland, and the four partner organizations, the Council of Europe, the Council of Europe Development Bank, WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Stability Pact Secretariat, co-signed the Skopje Pledge and witnessed it.
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Sep 2, 2001 | Founding Documents
The Dubrovnik Pledge on meeting the health needs of vulnerable populations in south-eastern Europe (SEE) was a cornerstone agreement for cooperation and action on health. This was the first-ever political document on cross-border health development in the SEE region. It was signed by the ministers of health on 2 September 2001, at their first SEE ministerial forum. The process was supported by the Council of Europe and WHO Regional Office for Europe in the framework of the Stability Pact.
The Dubrovnik Pledge committed the governments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to modernizing seven areas of public health of common interest.
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