Norges innlegg i debatten i Northern Dimension Partnership (DOP 5): Policy discussion on health and wellbeing of young people.

State Secretary Rigmor Aasrud

Mr Chairman,

Focusing on children’s situation today can improve adult health and social wellbeing in the future.

This partnership was established by the declaration adopted at the ministerial meeting in Oslo two years ago. It defines children and young people as the main target group. The Oslo declaration also gives advice on methods, such as empowerment and mobilisation of people and communities, healthy nutritional habits, and peer education programmes. Children and young people must always be regarded as resources, not as problems.

I will today mention three of the issues central to our work at present: Nutrition and physical activity, alcohol and illicit drugs, and children at risk.

The Nordic Council of Ministers has decided to develop a joint Action Plan for improving health and quality of life through diet and physical activity. Our Nordic Presidency next year will continue this, also as a part of the Nordic-Baltic cooperation.

This is also linked to the ongoing process in WHO on the global strategy on diet and physical activity. All European countries face serious challenges with obesity and lifestyle related diseases. Therefore, we need cooperation and we need to share knowledge and experience. We will be pleased to contribute in the Northern Dimension Partnership with our experiences on food and nutrition policy, and on development of a policy to stimulate physical activity. Physical activity is becoming more central to our public health strategies.

Mr Chairman,

Let me now to turn to another central public health issue: alcohol and illicit drugs. They have severe impact on both health and social wellbeing of children and adolescents. Over the last 30 to 40 years the accessibility of alcohol for young people has increased significantly in most of our countries. This is partly a result of the general economical development. It has, however, some negative effects. I will mention three of the most significant negative effects:

First, the number of children living in families where both parents suffer from alcohol dependence seems to increase. Two tendencies explain this development; both the general increase in alcohol consumption and that women increase their consumption significantly more than men.

Second, an early debut on alcohol consumption seems to coincide with a higher consumption in later years of life, hence influencing the physical and social wellbeing in the longer perspective.

Third, the closing of the gender gap in alcohol consumption among youth is worrying. The female body is more vulnerable to alcohol than male. With the same consumption level as a boy, a girl is more exposed to health risks. In Norway we have during the last couple of years, seen a promising stagnation and a minor fall in alcohol-consumption among young people. A closer look at the numbers however shows that the girls continue to increase their consumption.

Mr Chairman, these three elements all imply an active political approach.

The New Norwegian government will continue the restrictive alcohol policy of previous governments. At the same time, the situation requires special attention to children experiencing neglect of care. Also the difference between the genders requires better and more gender based prevention programmes. To get a good grip on the challenges, international cooperation is vital. Our new government will continue the active international cooperation in this field. We see the establishment of an expert group on alcohol within this partnership as positive practical example of such cooperation.

Mr Chairman,

Norway recognizes the importance of the regional co-operation on children at risk that have been established within the framework of the Council of the Baltic Sea States. The Working Group for Co-operation on Children at Risk is the coordinating body and has started a number of projects on problems of children and young. I will mention three:

One is a Plan of Action on Unaccompanied and trafficked children that aims to protect and assist girls and boys being victims of trafficking.

A second is the Baltic Sea Regional Study on Adolescent Sexuality, aiming to bring up important knowledge of young peoples attitude and experience in the field of sexual exploitation.

A third project will explore how the situation of children in institutions can be monitored, using the Convention of the Right of the Child and other Recommendations from the Council of Europe. Our hope is that we in the future can create alternatives to institutions and only have small and well-functioning institutions for children and young people.

Mr Chairman,

The Barents Euro-Arctic Council had their 10 ^th> session last week. The ministers underlined that the Barents Cooperation in the health and social field contributes to this partnership. They welcomed the Barents programme on HIV/AIDS, and called for a similar sub-programme for young people and children at risk, and for a continued focus on lifestyle related diseases.

Together with Murmansk region, Norway will chair the Barents Council Working Group on Health and Related Social Issues the next two years.

The new joint initiative on youth and children at risk will build on both the experiences from the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the priorities of this partnership.

Mr Chairman,

In closing, I again turn to the Oslo declaration where it is stated that children’s perspectives shall be mainstreamed in all efforts within the Partnership. Norway will maintain this priority both in our Barents chairmanship and in our contributions to the partnership.