Just endorsed: South East Europe 2020 Strategy "Jobs and Prosperity in a European Perspective"

Yesterday, 21st November 2013 Ministers from South East Europe, in their capacity as members of the SEE Investment Committee, endorsed the new SEE 2020 Strategy "Jobs and Prosperity in a European Perspective". This happened in Sarajevo under the Presidency of Bosnia and Hercegovina and under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).

This is a historic moment for the SEE region, indeed.

The region, that was torn apart by wars, economic collapse and poverty in the beginning of the 90s, managed to stand up on its feet, to reconciliate and develop good neighbourly relations, to establish and strengthen regional collaboration through over 60 initiatives in various sectors of society and to take forward on the way towards economic development, peace and European integration process.

Today, the region has its first multigovernmental and multisectoral Strategy with clear targets, objective, measures, actions, governance and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

Read more about this extraordinary achievement on:  http://www.rcc.int/press/0/230/south-east-europe-2020-strategy-for-creating-1-million-jobs-in-the-region-adopted-in-sarajevo-today


The South-eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN), one of the most active initiatives of the SEE Regional Cooåeration process and the RCC, already fully institutionalized,  is more than happy than ever.

It is for the first time that health is an integral part of the SEE 2020 Strategy included in its Inclusive Growth Pillar.

This is a culmination of the regional collaboration for public health started in 2001 in Dubrovnik that has a history of already 13 years of successful implementation of regional, national and sub-national policies and concerted action in many public health areas.

The Health chapter of the SEE 2020 Strategy is a result of a substantial work and effort of the 10 SEEHN Member States and their partners, the RCC and WHO Regional Office of Europe being the the most supportive amongst all.

The Health Chapter of the SEE 2020 Strategy is inspired and based on the European Union Public Health Policy, WHO Europe Health 2020 Policy Framework, on the European Action Plan for Strengthening Public Health Capacities and Services and on the WHO Europe Strategy and Action Plan on Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.

The Health Chapter has been informed by a wealth of evidence produced by WHO Europe and its partners in the last three years in relation to social determinants of health and inequities in Europe, governance for health and well-being, the economic case for prevention and health promotion and many more. It has also been informed by the SEEHN´ own studies on Public health services evaluation, Noncommunicable diseases´ prevention and on Applying health-in-all-policies approach and mechanisms in the region.

The Health Chaper of the SEE 2020 Strategy is a logical implementation of the commitments of the Banja Luka Pledge, endorsed by the SEE Ministers of Health during their Third Ministerial Forum, October 2011, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The SEE Health Network Presidency and Executive Committee express their gratitude and high appreciation for this unique achievment to all 11 SEE Ministers of Health, to the 11 National Health Coordinators, to the Directors of the nine SEE Regional Health Development Centres and to the over 250 regional experts in the various areas of health systems and public health that have contributed to the development of the health dimensions of the Inclusive pillar of the SEE 2020 Strategy.

Now it is already proven and obvious that health is a contributing factor to development and growth!

The health systems, that are on their own one of the biggest emplyers with close to 10% of the working population being health professionals, has found its deserved place in the Strategy!

It is time to start the implentation!

We are all looking forward to the 32nd Plenary Meeting of the SEE Health Network that will take place on 27-28 November in Podgorica, Montenegro under the Presidency of the Minister of Health of the country, Professor Miodrag Radunovic.

The Plenary will discuss and agree on the immediate and next step of implementation in 2014 under the Presidencies of Romania and the Republic of Serbia.