Better Health. Better Environment. Sustainable Choices. ‘Sixth Ministerial Conference EUROIOstravaz01716 ‘on Environment and Health Ostrava, Czech Republc 48 June 2017 13-48 June 2017 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH DECLARATION OF THE SIXTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ‘ON ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH In the WHO European Region, environmental factors that could be avoided andor eliminated ‘use 1.4 milion deaths per yar, The major health impacts of environmental determinants inthe Region ae relatd to noncommunicable diseases, disabilities and unintentional injuries, with ‘rowing concer about the impact ofelimate change and biodiversity loss on changing pttens of fxstng. and emerging sommuniable diseases, and about adverse reproductive outcomes. ‘Aadiesing the existing an emerging challenges rqures edition, rong joint ction. ‘We, the ministers and representatives of Member States in the European Region of the World Health OrganizaGon (WHO) responsible for health and the environment, with the WHO Regional Director for Burope, inthe presence ofthe Regional Director for Europe of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and of high-lovel representatives of the United Nations Economie Commission for Europe (UNECE) and ofthe European Uno, ‘ther United "Nations and intergovernmental organizations and nongoveramental “organizations Have some together tthe Sixth Ministerial Conference on Enviroment and Health ~ generously hosted by the Caech Republi, joimly organized hy the WHO Regional Ofie for Europe, UNECE and UNEP, and Heid on’ 13-15 Jane 2017 in Ostava, Czech Republic ~ to shape future ‘common actions to decree the burden of diseases caused by environmental factors for current nd the fare generation and t promote synergies between our two sectors and stakeholders a5 the key to achieving henkh and well-being objectives ofthe United Nations 2030 Agenda for Ststtnable Development, We: 1. Recognise thit the 2030 Agenda fer Sustenable Development highlights iil and inseparable links between development, environment, human Heath and- well-being, and the ‘conomy as seta to thettsinment ofa wide ange of human rights, inluding: the ihts to ie the enoyment of the highest asinable standard of physical and mental heath; an adequate ‘anand of living; safe foo, drinking-water and sanitation safety; and clean soi, waters and ar, ‘which ar key to promot ng just, peaceful, inclusive and prosperous societies today and inthe Tare apn Eso and Heats cme (EH) Sosa poe 4s Sco” nae EUSEHenato keEuROOHaa20171 ane 2. detmowledge that sound environment and health polices have greatly contributed tothe ‘overall increase in life eypectancy and welLbeing in the WHO European Region over the past, decades, and tha heath gains are among the mest socially and economically desirable benefits of ‘adequate environmental protection: 3. Note with concern tat cavironmental degradation and pollution, climate change, exposure to harmfl chemicals and the destabilization of ecosystems theaten the right 16 health, and isproponionately affect socially disadvantaged and. vulnerable population groups, thereby cexaeerbating inequalities; 4. Recagnice he health benefits of adéressing climate change, snl suppor! the Paris Agreement in its acknowledgment of he importance of the right to helt nthe ations fo be taken to address climate change; 5. Emphasize tha every government and public authority at all levels of governance shares the ‘common responsibilty for saeguanling the global covironment.throgh intersects Ccllaboraton and cizens patlpation, an for promoting and protecting human health for al fiom environmental bazare across generations and in all police. For this reason, governments and public authorities should be avare that their decision, actions and operations may affext ‘vironment and human health, bth within and across the borders ofeach county; 6. Recognize that the 2080 Agenda for Sustimible Development and Health 2020, the European poliey for health and well-being, commit us to coherent multisectoral strategies that ‘eniplasize’ system-wide and equitable preventive policies to Improve environmental health ‘conditions and keepin mind the consequences forthe social determinants of health, particularly amongst the east pivilgal inthe Region; 7. _Reafirm the European Charter on Environment and Heath of 198, the principles laid down therein, and cur decisions tom previous ministerial conferences; 8. _Note with concern thar the thee time-bound targets fr 2018 and two targets for 2020 fom the Fith Ministerial Caneease on Environment and Health have yet be achieve, 9, Wetheretore resale: ‘to proect and promt the health and wellbeing of ll our people and to prevent premature ‘eats, diseases and inequalities related to environmental polation and degradation; to consider equity, social inclusion and gender equality in eur policies on the environment and health, also with respect o acces o natural resources and to the benefits of ecosystems, ‘© to advocate the heh befits of sustainable prodution and consumption, a tanstion from fossil fo renewable energy in an appropriate time fame, the use of clean and safe technologies, and + shift to lowemssion and etergyetiient transport and. mobility negated with urban ad spatial planning: 4. to work towards sommunitis, inflastctures and health systems shat are resin, particularly to climate change; 10 rive 0 ful the vision of healthy plnet and healthy people dough our work inthe WHO Ewtopean Fegion, by working in partnership” with all relevant sectors. and stakeholders,EUROIOstavs207716 page 3 to strengthen the implementation of eur exiting international obligations and voluntary ‘commitments relate to promoting our envionment and health agenda; {& (0 maintain and futher develop adequate mechanisms to gather and analyse relevant evidence on health and enviroament 88 bass for our decisions, taking into aecount the presationary principles fh. to actively support open, transparent and relevant research on established! and emerging fsvironment and heath risks in onder to strengthen the evidence-ase to guide policy ‘aking and preventive action. 10, Wewill use the Eurcpean environment and health proces san established intrsectral and Inclusive process and platform forthe implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and for cenibutions to the stategic planning, coordination, implementation, ‘monitoring and reporting cf progress made towards he objectives ofthis Declaration 11, In particular, while stengthening the public health fonctions of the health systems, we will expand our eapactes to work actos al ecor, levels of government and siakcholders to redace tenvitonmenteated healt risk frou tizens, and wil promote public participation, and access {information and justice on environment and heath 12, Through enhancing atonal inplomentation, we wil stve to make a diffrence for our citizen, To this effect, we wil develop national prtfolios of actions on environment and health by the end of 2018, as stand-alone policy decuments or prt of her, respecting diferences in ‘counties’ circumstances, eds, rorities and capacities. These portfolios wil draw on Annex T to this Declaration, which isa compendium of possible actions to faiitate its implementation, ocusing on the folowing areas: ‘improving indoor an outdoor ar quality forall, sone ofthe most important environmental Fisk Tacors in the Region, trough actions 10 meet the values of the WHO air quality {uielines in a continuous proces of improvement, casting universal, equitable ad sussinale acess to safe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene forall and in all setings, while promoting integrated management of water resourees and reuse of safely tated wastewater, where appropriate; inimizing the ave effets of chemicals on human health and the environment by: replacing hazardous chemicals with safer allermatives, including non-chemical ones reducing the exposure of wnerable groups to hazardous chemicals, particularly during the cay stages of huran development, tengthening capacities for risk assessment and ‘esearch fo secure a better understanding of human expose to chemicals andthe associated burden of disease; and applying the precautionary principle where appropriate; 4. preventing and cliinatng the adverse environment and health effects, costs and Inequalities rote waste management and contaminated sites, by alvancing towards the tliminaion ‘of unontolled and legal waste disposal and walficking, and sound Tanagement of wage and contaminated sites in the context of transition to a circular sono; strengthening adaptive capacity and resilience to health risks related to climate change and ‘sporting measures to mitigate climate change and achieve health co-benefis in ine with theParis Agreement,EUROIDevav201716 eae f. supporting the effiats of European cites and regions t© become healthier and more incisive, safe, resilent and sustainable through an Inteyated, smart and health-promoting approach to ban and spatial planing. mobility management, the implementation of ‘efToxive ad coherent policies across multiple levels of governance, stonger accountability mechanisms and theexchange of experieno and best pretces nlite with the shared Vision ‘stablshed bythe New Urban Agends ‘2 building the ervimnmental susiinailty of [health systems, and reducing. their environmental impaes trough such means as efficiency in the use of energy ad resources, Sound management of medical products and chemicals thoughout the Htecyele and ‘educedpolltion tg safely managed wast and wastewater, without prejudice tothe Sanitary mission of health services. 13, Through or national portolios for action, we wil also pursue, unl her achievement, the five time-hoond targets of the Fith Ministerial Conference on Environment and Healt on ensuring tobaceo smoke‘iee environments for chien, developing national programmes to liminate asbestos-related diseases, and identifying. the vsks posed by exposures to harmfil Sulbsonces and prparains an eliminating them as far as posible by 201%; and addressing ‘water, snitation and hyene in stings used by children, and safe environments that support Dysiealsetvity of ehildren by 2020, 14, Toaddvessthose pestis effectively, we will ‘4. engige in national implementation, sharing knowledge and providing a platform for ‘collaboration and communication; b. motitze resourses and build or pool eapcities, which may include bilateral or multilateral international eolaberation; ‘e. _promote policy coherence and convergence between the European environment snd heath Process, the “Enviro ment for Europe” process, UNEP, te governing bodies ofthe relevant Ilr agrees on caviranment and heath and intrsectoral programmes, processes and policies; 4. advance the implerentaton of existing commitments and instruments, particularly those resulting from the Baropean envionment and healt process (he Protocol on Water and Heath fo the Convention onthe Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercouses and Intemational Lakes, anid the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme "THE PEP), relevent resolutions of the World Health Assembly and. WHO Regional ‘Committee foe Eurpe, and conventions and related instruments jointly implemented by ‘environment and heh sectors; ‘© strengthen the knowledge and capacity of heath and environment professionals for heath limpet assesement ough frter education ad alin: i inerase the ole of mal and informs education in the public's understanding of complex ‘vironment and heh sues and eetive measures to address the; 1& confine and expand key strategic and institutional partnerships, while ensuring the ‘propa participation ofall elevantinterpovernmental and non-state actors,EUROIOs¥e201716 page 8 ‘h. encourage the European Environment and Heath Youth Coalition (EEHYC) to continue being an active patner in the European environment and health process, and commit ourselves 0 supporting the eration of national youth platforms In our counties and ‘continuing to work withthe EEHY, 15, We wll measure and report on progress towards the implementation of our commitments using national reporting ov the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals end their largess. the European environment and health process, we will support and participate in ‘avangements that are necessary for the realization of the commitments oF this ectration, which are elaborated in Annex 2. 17. We all upon he goweing bats of WHO and UNECE to support hese commitments inting Loyang every eff to mb the necessary resoues. 18, We reslve to supper the attainment of our commitments at the national and international levels, and the work of he WHO Regional Office for Europe and UNECE in environment and heath, in close collaborton with UNEP, according to our financial means and budgetary possibilitics, ‘Signed on 15 June 2017 in Ostrava, Crech Republic {, rN we Sp de oe ee Minister of Foreign Affairs Regional Director Czech Republic WHO Regional Office for Europe