7th Conference of European Health Ministers in Oslo 12-13 June 2003

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7th Conference of European Health Ministers
in Oslo Norway 12-13 June 2003

Welcome to
Health, Dignity and Human Rights

The role and responsibility of Health Ministers in meeting the challenges
of the changes in society and new technology at the beginning of the third millennium.

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Inaugural Session(open to the media)

Opening of the Conference and statement:
Mrs Maud de Boer-Buquicchio,
Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Statements by:
Mr Dagfinn Høybråten, Minister of Health of Norway,
The representative of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
The representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General, World Health Organisation
The representative of the Congress of Local / Regional Authorities of Europe

Managing the impact of the changing societies on health, dignity and human rights

Points for discussion:
Changing environments
• globalisation
• demographic transitions
• future generations

Dignity and vulnerability in a changing society
• rights and responsibility
• social exclusion and cultural diversity
• medicalisation and the increased role of law
• unhealthy environments and the challenge of SARS

Political responses
• new alliances
• transition of health systems
• new balance between curative, preventive and promotive health care

Managing the impact of new technology on health, dignity and human rights

Points for discussion:
Responsibility and equitable introduction of new technologies
• the Internet-informed patient
• new technologies to maintain coping for the vulnerable

Ethical and human rights challenges of technological innovations
• Ethical and human rights aspects
• violating human dignity by misuse of new technology
• controlling illegal and unethical research

Political responses:
• bridging the “knowledge gap”
• fair contribution of innovations
• secure equity in the access to new medical technologies

Reception at Akershus Castle given by the Minister of Health of Norway to all participants

Friday, 13 June

The role and responsibility of Health Ministers in meeting the challenges of the changes in society and new technology at the beginning of the third millennium

Points for discussion:
The responses of the European Health Ministers
• promoting health and human rights in protecting dignity
• sharing of new technological possibilities
• promoting international alliances to establish and further develop ethical and human rights framework for health policies in Europe

Adoption of the final text of The Oslo Declaration on Health, Dignity and Human Rights

Closing statement by the Chairperson (open to the press)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Secretariat of the Conference

Health Division
Department of Health and of the Partial Agreement
in the Social and Public Health Field
Directorate General III – Social Cohesion
Council of Europe
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex

Tel: +33 388 41 2214
Fax: +33 388 41 2726
E-mail addresses:
karl-friedrich.bopp@coe.int , Head of Health Division
piotr.mierzewski@coe.int, Administrator
caroline.hiller@coe.int, Assistant

Host Authority
Ministry of Health
POBox 8011 Dep • N-0030 Oslo • Norway

Tel: +47 22248468
Fax: +47 22248472
E-mail addresses:
postmottak@hd.dep.no
jre@hd.dep.no