Tomorrow, on 23 June the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health will begin in Budapest, focusing on “The Future for Our Children”. Estonia will be represented at the conference by assistant ministers of the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Social Affairs. The aim of the Budapest Conference is to reduce the harmful effect of the degraded environment on human health. In three days, the issues of environmental health will be discussed mainly with regard to children as the next generation. More precisely, fifty European countries will exchange ideas concerning the improvement of health and the environment, political measures related to the environment and health information systems. Besides this, issues such as environmental problems in dwellings and extreme weather conditions will also be addressed. Olavi Tammemäe, assistant minister of the Ministry of the Environment has been asked to act as co-chairman of the 5th conference session. This session will focus on political measures to support the creation and use of an environmental and health information system for making the related decisions in Europe. The Conference is expected to adopt a Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe and a Resolution of Ministers aiming to improve children’s health by reducing the adverse effects of the environment. On behalf of Estonia, these documents will be signed by Külvar Mand, assistant minister of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Estonia will make a commitment to develop and implement a national children’s environment and health action plan as of the year 2007. This will be achieved by using the existing programmes such as the National Environment and Health Action Plan (NEHAP) and/or developing a new specific plan addressed to children. The protection of children’s health against environmental hazards can only be ensured by means of solid agreements and close cooperation between the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Social Affairs as well as cooperation with other sectors such as finance, transport, education and culture, the energy sector, municipal and rural planning and the labour and social sector. The conferences of environmental and health ministers are held every five years. The first meeting was held in Frankfurt in 1989, then in Helsinki in 1994 and the last conference was held in London in 1999. To follow the tradition, the next conference of environmental and health ministers from close to fifty participating countries will be held in five years. At the moment, the location of the next conference is unknown – it will soon be decided in Budapest. Further information: Katrin Pärgmäe Monika Kopti |
