The Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE)

1. The Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) 1st Meeting of THE PEP Bureau, Rome 31 October 2003

2. Political Environment • The Declaration of the Environment Leaders of the Eight on Children’s Environmental Health (1997); • United Nations Development Programme of Children’s Health as a basic human right and a determinant and indicator of economic and human development (1999); • The Declaration adopted at the Third Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in London, (1999); • The United Nations Millennium Declaration adopted by the General Assembly (2000);

3. Environmental health process Europe Outcomes Ministerial conference 1989 1994 1999 2004 Frankfurt Helsinki London Budapest • - European Charter on Environment and Health • ‘Concern for Europe’s Tomorrow’ • WHO European Centre for Environment and Health • Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (EHAPE) • National Environment and Health Action Plans (NEHAPs) • European Environment and Health Committee (EEHC) • - Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on the • Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and • International Lakes • Charter on Transport, Environment and Health • Renewed the mandate of the European Environment and • Health Committee • - Children's environment and health action plan for Europe • Declaration committing the Ministers toincorporating such a plan into their own national processes

4. Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and HealthBudapest, 2004 European countries are expected to make specific commitments in endorsing a children’s environment and health action plan for Europe (CEHAPE). This will put children’s health at the top of the political agenda, for the sake of the adults of tomorrow. It is hoped that Member States • adopt the children’s environment and health action plan for Europe (CEHAPE). • recognise the need to set up an information platform to facilitate policy-making • include commitments to actions for health on newly emerging issues

5. A Political Call for Action • A Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) is currently being developed • Provides a framework that Member States can use to develop their national plans and policies for CEH • Responds directly to a political call by Member States • CEHAPE sets the stage for urgency of action • Adaptable to local situation; negotiable

6. BUDAPEST DOCUMENTS • POLICY DOCUMENTS • 2 Main Policy Outcomes to be adopted possibly through a signing ceremony by Host Country and WHO • CEHAPE Ministerial Document • Ministerial Declaration • Other Policy Documents to input the Declaration • Taking Action in uncertainty • Environment and Health Information Platform… • BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS • The Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe, A framework of Actions • Report on implementation of THE PEP….

7. Aims of the CEHAPE To mobilize Regional action to create healthier environments for children by: • reducing and/or eliminating children’s exposure to environmental risk factors; • highlighting the settings in which action should be taken and indicating the sectors that are responsible for taking action; • providing tools for implementation in setting priorities, building partnerships, using advocacy and IEC; • providing tools for monitoring and evaluation of actions and hence the level of national implementation.

8. CEHAPE’s components • Background document • Executive summary • Technical rationale and evidence • Framework for action • 15 Environmental risk factors • 2 cross-cutting issues • Tools for implementation • Indicators • Economic tools • Use of precautionary approaches • Annexes (Case-studies)

9. CEHAPE’s components • Ministerial Document (adopted with symbolic signature, like the Declaration) • 4 Regional Priority Goals • Promote Safe secure and supportive human settlements for children • Ensuring clean indoor and outdoor air • Access to safe water and sanitation • Protection from hazardous chemical, physical and biological agents • Call for commitments to establish mechanisms for implementation • adoption of the plan, make use of existing bodies or establish ad-hoc ones, ensure capacity building and stakeholders involvement...... • Call for international co-ordination

10. Framework of Actions • The key section of the CEHAPE • Will be annexed to the Ministerial Document • Format is a table with columns on: - environmental risk factors (15) - main objective/s - settings where action could take place - a code for the type of action - menu of actions which countries can select from • Receives Member State input by means of 3 Ad Hoc Working Group meetings • Currently under revision...

11. Framework of Actions

12. Involvement of sectors Because of inter-sectoral nature of children’s environmental health… • Action must be taken in a range of societal sectors (health providers, education, environment, communications, etc) • For now, actions within the framework have been categorized into 5 types to indicate which sector/s might be responsible for implementation of the given action Legend: L = pass and enforce legislation E = promote educational programmes and health promotion P = promote active involvement of children, caretakers, professionals involved in child care and education M = increase knowledge by promoting monitoring of environmental exposures, including research S = improve service delivery and infrastructure

13. CEHAPE process • Core WHO drafting group since February 2003 • 3 rounds of consultation with group of experts • Consultations with EEHC • Series of Ad-Hoc Workshops with stakeholders (MSs, IGOs, NGOs) • 1st Vienna 14-15 July • 2nd Ljubljana 25-26 September • 3rd Brussels 15-16 December • 3 Intergovernmental meetings (Stockholm, Portugal, Malta)