Forthcoming event: 34th Plenary Meeting of the SEE Health Network, 19-20 November 2014, Skopje

Background

The Macedonian Presidency of the South-eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) is organizing and hosting the 34^th SEEHN Plenary Meeting in Skopje, Macedonia on 19-20 November 2014.

This event will be attended by the national health coordinators of the SEEHN Member States, the partner countries and partner international organizations, directors of the SEEHN Regional Health Development Centers (RHDC) and other key important actors.

The purpose of the meeting will be to follow up on the  SEEHN Ministers’ meeting and to discuss the SEEHN key strategic areas of work for 2014-2020 and beyond in implementing the SEE 2020 Strategy “Jobs and prosperity in an European Perspective” under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the H2020 integration into the SEEHN policies and developments and the outcome of the major developments, activities and challenges during the term of the Macedonian Presidency (SEEHN Presidency Report July - December 2014).

In line with the commitments of the SEEHN Ministers of Health as stipulated in their Banja Luka Pledge, endorsed during their Third Ministerial Forum in 2011, and in their Extraordinary meeting held back to back with the 34^th Plenary Meeting, as well as based on the current SEE Regional Cooperation implementation process of the SEE 2020 Strategy, adopted in November 2013 by the Ministries of Economies, the 34^th Plenary will deal with some crucial strategic issues:

1. Discussing and deciding on the future long-term health strategy of the SEEHN, starting from or continuing the objectives, measures and health indicators that are part of the Inclusive Growth pillar of the SEE 2020 Growth Strategy. In addition, the Plenary will discuss the Regional Health programme, as part of the implementation of the SEE 2020 Growth Strategy.
2. The SEEHN health strategy, to be ready for the forthcoming 4^th SEE Ministerial Forum in 2016, will be meant to cover all the SEEHN countries and other strategic partners who will be ready to join this regional effort. This strategy will represent the contribution of the Network to the achievement of the objectives of the WHO Europe Health 2020 Framework Policy and the European Action Plan on Strengthening Public Health Capacities and Services.
3. On the other side, the recognition of health as a contributor to growth, economic development and employment under the Regional Cooperation Process will bring new opportunities for the SEEHN Member States to improve further the health of their populations and to deal with the social determinants of health and inequities in the region;
4.  Starting a policy dialogue to provide an overview of the regional efforts and cooperation to enhance the intersectoral governance of health in order to achieve inclusive growth;

Additionally, the Plenary will discuss and take important decisions on the following legal, political, technical and business issues of major priority:

1. Signing Memoranda of Understanding for partnerships with: (I) the UN European Center for Peace and Development in Belgrade (UN ECPD), the SEE Network of Workers´ Health (SEENWH) and the EU Joint Action for Health Workforce Planning and Forecasting (EU JHWPF);
2. The Macedonian Presidency Report;
3. Protocol for standard operation in communication within the SEE Health Network;
4. Approval of the SEEHN Health Regional Action Plan for 2014-2020 and the qualitative and quantitative health indicators for monitoring and evaluating the SEE 2020;
5. Launching of the new SEEHN official Website;
6. Outcome(s) of the EC/TAIEX Workshop(s) finalised or undergoing in the second half of 2014;
7. Endorsing Decisions from various SEE Health Network technical regional events;
8. SEEHN Secretariat Programme, Administrative and Financial Issues and ongoing activities:

• Country contributions for the years 2014 and 2015;
•  Recruitment process for the permanent staff of the Secretariat;
• SEEHN Secretariat financial report;
• SEEHN Secretariat financial plan, and
• Road Map for the SEEHN activities and the SEEHN Calendar of Events in 2015 under the Serbian Presidency of the SEEHN (01 January – 30 June 2015).