Third High - Level Symposium on Global Health Diplomacy: "Negotiating health in the 21st century: Regional voices in global health governance" (15 October 2009, Geneva, Auditorium Jacques - Freymond)
A Commentary by Professor Ilona Kickbusch
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On 15 October 2009, 190 global health experts from academia, civil society, governments and institutions from across the globe gathered in Geneva to discuss the future of global health diplomacy. The discussions took place at the third high-level symposium entitled ‘Negotiating Health in the 21st Century: Regional Voices in Global Health Governance’, which was organized by the Graduate Institute’s Global Health Programme.
The symposium explored the changing role of regional institutions in global health governance. Since the outbreak of SARS and avian influenza, regional bodies in particular have started to include health in the functional areas of their cooperation and have discussed how to jointly approach regional and global health threats. Without a doubt, this changing environment poses new challenges.
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Ambassador Martin Dahinden, Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), addressed the symposium’s international audience and highlighted the role of global health governance from the perspective of a donor agency, outlining what he saw as the key challenges facing developing countries as they strive to meet the health-related Millennium Development Goals.
Dahinden’s welcome speech was complemented by a keynote address delivered by Zsuzsanna Jakab, Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and Director-Elect for WHO’s Regional Office for Europe. She gave a summary of her experience in leading ECDC through its first four years as an active EU agency and she talked about plans for WHO and EU cooperation through her new role at WHO’s Regional Office for Europe.
Professor Andrew Cooper from the University of Waterloo in Canada gave a thought-provoking presentation on the potential role in global health that the G-20 could have as it takes over from the G-8 as the predominant club for global leadership. The Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations, Ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkeow, provided an insight into ASEAN’s contribution to global health, as well as that of new groups of nation states such as those behind the Oslo Ministerial Declaration on Health and Foreign Policy. The discussions continued through a panel of diplomats, where representatives from Canada, Finland, Indonesia and Mexico discussed their changing role in global health diplomacy.
In addition to the global perspective, the symposium also focused on European regional actors, namely the European Union and WHO’s Regional Office for Europe. The event also coincided with an announcement by the European Commission to launch an online open consultation to gather input for a communication on the EU’s role in global health.
Finally, the symposium served as a launching pad for Global Health Europe, a new platform and think tank for policy dialogue, which is currently hosted by the Graduate Institute’s Global Health Programme. More information on this new initiative can be found at www.globalhealtheurope.org.
More on the European Commission’s open consultation: http://ec.europa.eu/development/how/consultation/index.cfm?action=viewcons&id=4765
Programme [pdf]
Opening and key note addresses
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Welcome by Professor Philippe Burrin
Director, Graduate Institute, Geneva
excerpt from the intervention
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Introduction to the Symposium by Professor Ilona Kickbusch
Director, Global Health Programme
excerpt from the intervention
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Welcome by Dr Gaudenz Silberschmidt
Vice Director, Head of Division for International Affairs,
Swiss Federal Office of Public Health
excerpt from the intervention
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"Challenges for Regional Health Cooperation in Global Health Governance", welcome and speech by Ambassador Martin Dahinden, Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
excerpt from the intervention
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"The Role and Partnerships of the ECDC, a New EU Agency, in Regional and Global Governance"[pdf], keynote by Mrs Zsuzsanna Jakab, Director, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; and Regional Director-Elect, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
excerpt from the intervention
interview
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A EUROPEAN VISION OF GLOBAL HEALTH
PRESENTATION
COMMENTARY
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Ms Louise Van Schaik
Research Consultant, Global Health Europe; ResearchFellow Clingendael
Netherlands Institute of International Relations
intervention
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Dr Nick Banatvala
Head of Global Affairs
Department of Health, UK
intervention
interview
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Dr Simon Adebola
Member, NEPAD Council Global Health Commission
intervention
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PRESENTATION
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"Bringing Health Governance into the G20: Global and Regional Dimensions" presentation by Professor Andrew Cooper, Professor of Political Science, University of Waterloo; Associate Director and Distinguished Fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Canada
excerpt from the intervention
interview
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COMMENTARY
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Ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Thailand to the UN Office, Geneva
excerpt from the intervention
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A PANEL OF DIPLOMAT: Global Health Diplomacy at the Interface of National, Regional and Global Interest
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Ms Maria Jaquez, First Secretary,
Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN, Geneva
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Dr Eero Lahtinen, Counsellor,
Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, Geneva
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Mr Acep Somantri, First Secretary,
Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the UN, Geneva
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Ms Joanne Hamilton, Counsellor,
Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN, Geneva
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CLOSING REMARKS
Short Bios of Speakers
