Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being

The Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being (NDPHS) The NDPHS is an intergovernmental network comprising participating countries and international organizations.

Abbreviation	NDPHS
Formation	2003
Type	Regional/Intergovernmental Organization
Headquarters	Stockholm, Sweden
Official language	English
Website	www.ndphs.org

NDPHS Secretariat in Stockholm

The Partnership is served by the NDPHS Secretariat, established in 2012 as an international legal entity hosted by the Swedish Government, located in Stockholm, and funded jointly by the Partner Countries.

History

The NDPHS was formally established at a ministerial-level meeting in Oslo, Norway, on 27 October 2003 through the Oslo Declaration, signed by several governments and international organizations, including the European Union (EU).

Since 2009, the NDPHS has acted as the Policy Area Coordinator for "Health" (PA Health) in the European Union Strategy of the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR).

Objectives

The Partnership constitutes "an umbrella for collaboration on the regional, subregional and local levels, serving as a forum for coordination and exchange among the various actors. According to the founding document the main goal of the NDPHS is "to promote sustainable development in the Northern Dimension area through improving human health and social wellbeing." In doing so, reducing the spread of major communicable diseases and preventing life-style related non-communicable diseases as well as enhancing peoples’ levels of social well-being and promoting socially rewarding lifestyles are further tasks of the NDPHS. All in all, as stated in the Oslo Declaration, "the activities (…) should contribute to narrowing of social and economic differences, and to a general improvement of the quality of life and of the demographic situation."^[1]

Structure

The highest decision-making body of the NDPHS is the Partnership Annual Conference (PAC), a high-level ministerial dialogue that formulates the overall policy orientation of the Partnership. The operational decision-making body is the Committee of Senior Representatives (CSR) which is composed of senior representatives appointed by each Partner and chaired by a senior representative of the Partnership. The CSR reports to the PAC, ensuring the fulfilment of the PAC's decisions and recommendations. The chairship rotates among the Partners every two years. In 2024-2025, the Partnership is chaired by Lithuania and co-chaired by Norway.

The Partnership’s work is built around thematic areas led by expert groups specialised in different public health topics. The cross-cutting thematic areas are addressed in cross-sectoral multilevel collaboration with various regional stakeholders.

Thematic areas:

• Antimicrobial Resistance
• Alcohol and Substance Use
• HIV, Tuberculosis, and Associated Infections
• Non-communicable Diseases
• Mental Health
• Occupational Safety and Health
• Primary Healthcare

Cross-cutting thematic areas

• Active and Healthy Ageing
• Economy of Well-being
• Health in All Policies
• Resilience of people and communities

Activities

The NDPHS engages in various activities, including policy and expertise exchange, project development and implementation, information production and dissemination, and advocacy. As the PA Health coordinator in the EUSBSR, the focus is on improving and promoting the health of people in the Baltic Sea region as an essential precondition for ensuring resilient, prosperous, and healthy societies. By providing a platform for exchange and cooperation across borders and between different sectors, it enables the sharing of best practices, identifying common challenges and goals, and developing joint solutions.

Members

Partner countries:

• Estonia
• Finland
• Iceland
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Norway
• Poland
• Sweden

Partner organizations:

• European Commission
• Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC)
• Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC)
• Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
• Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM)
• Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
• World Health Organization (WHO)