In accordance with the Budapest declaration, which was adopted at the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Budapest 2004, an Intergovernmental Midterm Review (IMR) will be held in Vienna on 13-15 June 2007.

The aim of the meeting is for countries to report back on the status of implementation of the Budapest Conference Declaration through the development of children’s environment and health action plans (CEHAPE). The progress achieved so far will be examined, and the challenges still faced by Member States will also be assessed. Another goal is to contribute to the development of the agenda of the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health that shall take place in 2009.

In parallel with the IMR, an NGO and youth meeting will be convened to ensure that all stakeholders can report back on the implementation of commitments and express their concerns and suggestions towards the implementation of CEHAPE.

Before the IMR, the 4th International Conference on Children’s Health and the Environment will also take place in Vienna on 10 - 12 June 2007. The conference is organized by the International Network on Children’s Health, Environment and Safety (INCHES) and by the Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology (UMIT).

The conference shall be a world-wide platform dealing with health problems of children caused by important environmental influences. It aims at bringing together scientists, health professionals, researchers (clinical, environmental epidemiological and community oriented) and policy makers who have a special interest in children’s environmental health, as well as leaders from the private sector, non-governmental organisations, community organisations, and all levels of government.

The IMR is hosted by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management together with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health and Women.

To read more visit the conference website.