Opening speach for the European Environment and Health Committee

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Mister/Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen,

I am very glad to welcome the European Environment and Health Committee to Oslo and Norway.

We need joint meeting places like this to forward the many important issues that are of common concern to both sectors.

At the centre of our joint efforts is the belief that human beings have the right to live a healthy life.

We know that we need a healthy environment to meet our basic needs.

We know that our natural and physical surroundings continue to be a source of health problems.

We know that environment and health are good investments for the future, and that we need to prevent – not just to cure.

This makes it important to start with children and their needs. Childhood is a short part of a person’s life that lays the foundation for well-being in adult life.

All children deserve to be healthy and safe.

All children have a right to drink safe water, breathe fresh air and play on clean soil.

All children need tracks, trails and playgrounds to develop physical skills through biking, jumping, climbing and running around.

To meet children’s needs, it is up to us to live up to our ambitions on environment and health.

It is up to us to use planning to create societies that are good for children.

It is up to us to make sure that children have their say in the development of the places in which they live.

This makes it all the more important that we continue to join forces to put children’s natural and physical environments on the agenda.

I would like to applaud the World Health Organisation for taking a lead on the “Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe”.

Norway is committed to its national follow-up of the Action Plan, which has brought together seven sectors.

Cross-sector cooperation is the only way to go, if we are to give the children and future adults of our continent the start in life that they deserve.

I therefore wish you good luck with the conference - and with the important task of building on the many common interests shared by the environment and health sectors.

I am looking forward to hear what you will agree upon during these two days.

I hope you have a pleasant stay in Oslo.

Thank you