State Secretary Hans Olav Syversen, The Norwegian Ministry of Children and Family Affairs

Speech at the 3rd session of the 4th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Budapest

June 23 2004.

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Children, during their entire development, from foetal life to adolescence, are vulnerable. We, politicians are, however, able to reduce this vulnerability if we genuinely wish to do so!

The Ministerial Conferences that are convened every 5 years, remind us all of our tasks. The conferences bring into focus the meeting of professional problems with political priorities. The results can be measured by the health of our citizens and children should be given special attention.

We recall with pleasure, the conference on environment and health in London in 1999 and its accomplishments. Let me just say that the Environment and Health Committee has played an increasingly important role when it comes to children's environment and health, and I strongly support its continuation.

The evaluation of our national NEHAP, health plan, and environment action from 1999 was completed in March 2004. The main goal of that action plan, was to develop a coordinated policy to reduce negative environmental effects upon the population's health, and to secure those environmental qualities that promote health and well being. Significant changes in environment and health policies have been implemented during the period of the action plan. One major challenge has been to reduce smoking.

Ireland was the first country in Europe to introduce a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars. My country did the same earlier this month not without debate as you might imagine. The evaluation so far is very good. Smokers have shown great interest in outdoor activities after the ban was introduced. I encourage other European countries and the European Union to follow in our footsteps. Passive smoking is a massive threat to children’s health

Let me address a different issue: Continuous progress in the development of new chemical agents or processes -beneficial to mankind in many ways - may still represent a potential threat to public health. Such agents may even include medical drugs. There is therefore an urgent need for countries to carefully monitor the health of its population.

The struggle for a better environment and a better public health cannot be won without mobilizing children and youth. Children and young people have a strong commitment to environmental issues, and, given the chance, may be the best agents of change. I would draw your attention to the right of children to participate, laid down in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, also recognized in the declaration, paragraph 18, as one of the tools for policy-making. In Norway this principle has been realized in three main areas: Firstly, state funding is given to voluntary children's and youth-organizations. These organizations provide a wide range of activities, including political and other influential work in the communities. Secondly, Norwegian legislation requires municipalities to give children and youth the opportunity to participate in the municipal planning process. Thirdly, all municipalities are required to appoint a Children’s Representative, whose main responsibility is to ensure greater focus on the interests of children and young people in municipal planning. Both positive and negative factors in children’s environments should be focused.

Children and youth are a significant target group in our work to promote physical activity. Further development of the Action Plan will be based upon a partnership model in local administration.

Good mental health is a basic need for everyone. Pollution, poor environments, lifestyle, bad housing and social exclusion have a deleterious effect on mental health. Children and youth are a vulnerable group, and providing them with the opportunity for good physical and mental health is essential to the future of Europe. These challenges must therefore be part of our discussion on environment and health at this conference.

Another area of major concern is water and health. Significant efforts are being undertaken by international financing institutions, both regional and global, to improve water supply and infrastructure, particularly in the eastern parts of the region. However, lack of adequate and enforceable legislation for the protection of the water resource, inadequate production means, and deteriorating networks often lead to a supply that does not meet microbial standards. This is especially a problem in rural or disadvantaged peri-urban areas, thus affecting people who are already economically weak.

Norway recognises the need to create new and innovative measures to meet the demands of the public health sector to address the threat of water-related diseases, and I am therefore pleased to announce an Oslo Roundtable on Water and Health, organised in Oslo from 28 – 29 September 2004 to address these important issues.

International cooperation has become increasingly important. WHO has, with this conference, clearly shown its role as the facilitator of inter-country cooperation. Our challenge is to follow this up at national level so that there is a healthy future for our children. That easy – that hard!

Thank you!