At the 67th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, held from 11 to 14 September 2017 in Budapest, the theme of »Opportunities and challenges for 21st-century public health in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and the Health 2020 policy framework«, Peter Beznec, Director of the Center for Health and Development Murska Sobota, and a member of the board of the Regions for Health Network, whose member is the Pomurje region, also took part. In one of the main sessions where they discussed the implementation of sustainable development goals both at national and regional level, he presented good practices in achieving sustainable development goals at local level through cross-sectoral cooperation and the role of various networks and civil society groups in the transfer of these practices between regions and Member States of the European Region of the World Health Organization.

There was a panel discussion moderated by dr. Mihály Kökény, former Minister of Health of the Republic of Hungary and attended by Mira Dašić, Director of the Southeast European Health Network, Joan Devlin, Executive Director of the Healthy Cities Network of Belfast, Nina Renshaw, Secretary General of the European Public Health Association (EPHA) and CHD's Peter Beznec.

Other main topics of this year's session were:

• improving the environment and health within the framework of the Health 2020 program and the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 with an emphasis on the outcomes of the 6th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health;
• seeking a sustainable health workforce in the WHO European Region with a framework for action;
• strengthening the cooperation of Member States in improving access to medicines in the WHO European Region;
• speeding up the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) and strengthening laboratory capacities for better health in the WHO European Region;
• building regional partnerships for health.

The official website of the event sums up that "They noted that learning the languages of other sectors and providing them with evidence can facilitate collaboration. They also advised that it is time to move away from self-regulation initiatives for industry and instead implement proven pricing and fiscal measures. “We are not in a competitive business, but part of a movement for change,” concluded Mr Beznec.

The resolution on the timetable for the implementation of the 2030 agenda was adopted unanimously. You can read the whole article HERE.