Date: 24 April 2025
To: Dr Karmen Joller
Minister of Social Affairs
Ministry of Social Affairs
Suur-Ameerika 1
10129 Tallinn
Estonia
“Mental Health in All Policies: Address Challenges and Design Shared Solutions”
High-level Conference
Paris, France, 16–17 June 2025
Dear Madam,
We are pleased to invite you to support the nominations of up to three participants for the above-mentioned
conference which is being organized by the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) in collaboration with
the French Ministry of Health and Access to Care through the European Union (EU) funded project “Addressing
mental health challenges in the EU, Iceland and Norway”.
WHO/Europe established mental health as a flagship priority of its European Programme of Work, 2020–2025
(EPW), which aims to support Member States in transforming their mental health systems and services. The
Government of France has established mental health as the national “Grande Cause” of 2025.
Currently, mental health services and systems are overwhelmed in many countries. There is insufficient investment
and focus on prevention and promotion initiatives which can only be implemented successfully when ministries of
health partner with other ministries.
WHO/Europe has held several bilateral policy discussions with many Member States under the EU project. The
main common theme emerging from these discussions is the support countries need in bridging the work of health
ministries with that of ministries of education, welfare, justice, finance, employment, culture, agriculture and others.
The aim of this conference will be to present and exchange experiences on how to implement successful
intersectoral policies and practices to improve the mental health of the population.
To ensure the representation from other ministries, we kindly ask you to nominate one representative from your
Ministry of Health and to facilitate the extension of this invitation to two other representatives in your country,
coming from any of the following areas: education, welfare, justice, finance and employment, based on your
country’s context and priorities.
WHO/Europe will cover travel, accommodation and meeting expenses for up to three participants. The meeting will
be held in English, with simultaneous translation into French. An outline of the scope and purpose is attached.
We look forward to receiving your nominations, including the name, functional title and email address, by 5 May
2025. We will then communicate directly with the nominees, providing them with the necessary guidance,
documentation and administrative information in due time. We would appreciate it if you could address your reply
to
[email protected] with a copy to Ms Ida Strömgren,
[email protected] and Ms Alix Giroud,
[email protected].
Yours very truly,
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge Mr Yannick Neuder
Regional Director Minister of Health and Access to Care
WHO Regional Office for Europe Ministry for Labour, Health, Solidarity and Family Affairs
Encls:
Scope and Purpose
Provisional Agenda
Copy for information to:
Ms Helen Sõber, Adviser, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, Suur-
Ameerika 1, 10122 Tallinn, Estonia
Ms Agne Nettan-Sepp, Head, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs,
Suur-Ameerika 1, 10129 Tallinn, Estonia
H.E. Ms Riia Salsa-Audiffren, Ambassador Representative of the Republic of Estonia, Permanent Mission of the Republic of
Estonia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28A, CH-1209
Genève, Switzerland
H.E. Mr Andre Pung, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Estonia, Frederiksgade 19, 4th
floor, 1265 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Ms Kristina Köhler, Liaison Officer, WHO Country Office, Estonia, Paldiski Road 81, 10617 Tallinn, Estonia
2
High-level conference on mental health in all policies: addressing challenges and designing shared
solutions
Paris, France, 16–17 June 2025
Scope and purpose
Background
Good mental health is the foundation of any functioning society, enabling people of all ages and
walks of life to participate fully in their communities and to pursue what matters most to them –
education, employment, family and more. Poor mental health therefore carries a considerable
burden, both to individuals and society. This has become increasingly apparent during the
succession of crises of the last five years. However, countries continue to struggle to build the
systems infrastructure and capacity necessary for widespread access to mental health services
and supports.
In response to the need for urgent action, the WHO Regional Office for Europe is collaborating
with the European Commission on a four-year European Union-funded project entitled
“Addressing mental health challenges in the European Union countries, Iceland and Norway”.
The project aims to provide tailored support and capacity-building to these countries in building
stronger, more resilient mental health systems.
Since 2023, the Regional Office has engaged in tailored policy discussions with 29 participating
countries to identify their concrete needs in protecting population mental health. A common
throughline in these discussions has been how practically to enable cross-sectoral collaboration
in mental health policy work. In many countries, mental health is still primarily the responsibility
of the health sector, which has contributed to overwhelmed services and underinvestment in
prevention and promotion initiatives. Countries have asked for support in bridging the work of
the health sector with that of the education, welfare, finance, housing, employment, justice,
agriculture and other sectors, clarifying how each – in policy and practice – contributes to
population mental health. In this way, countries can move towards more efficient mental health
systems and thereby support more productive, inclusive and resilient populations.
Seeing an opportunity to answer countries’ calls for support, and acknowledging France’s
sustained championing of mental health in its national frameworks through innovating solutions
for mental health and its long-standing collaboration with WHO – notably through the WHO
Collaborating Centre of Lille, France – the WHO Regional Office for Europe plans to organize
jointly a two-day conference in Paris, France, centred on the theme of integrating mental health
into all policies. This initiative follows the recent calls to action by the French Prime Minister,
who established mental health as the “grande cause” for 2025. He emphasized that mental health
is a collective responsibility involving the state, local authorities, businesses and associations,
and placed mental health as one of the five major priorities, highlighting the urgent need to
improve access to quality public services and invest in prevention of mental ill health.
Scope and purpose
page 2
Objectives
The conference will bring together representatives of European Union countries, Iceland and
Norway, and the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of
Moldova and Ukraine). Participants will include high-level policy-makers from across
government sectors, health professionals and people with the lived experience of mental health
conditions, to:
• facilitate cross-fertilization and knowledge sharing on how to realize effective cross-
sectoral collaboration in mental health;
• convene stakeholders from various sectors outside health to discuss mental health care,
promotion and prevention, and to strengthen collaborative efforts to ensure
comprehensive mental health support for all;
• foster meaningful connections between policy-makers, professionals and people with
lived experience across different sectors; and
• issue a call for actions to mainstream mental health in all policies at European Union,
national and subnational levels.
Key stakeholders
• The conference will aim to convene representatives of various government ministries
(including health, education, solidarity, welfare, finance, housing, employment, justice
and agriculture) and people with lived experience of mental health conditions. Around 3–
4 delegates from each participating country are expected to attend, along with WHO
partners, non-State actors, observers and WHO experts.
• Countries themselves (notably representatives of ministries of health) will be tasked with
contacting their counterparts in other sectors and securing their participation on the basis
of their context and relevance.
High-level conference on mental health in all policies: addressing challenges and designing
shared solutions
Paris, France, 16–17 June 2025
Provisional programme
Day 1 – Monday 16 June
12:30–14:00 Registration and refreshments
Opening and welcome
14:00–14:30 Ministry of Health of France
Representative
WHO Representative
European Commission Representative
Short video
Keynote
14:30–15:00 Highlighting the positive outcomes for service Keynote
users when there is coordination,
collaboration and cocreation for mental health
Session 1. Mental health in all policies: frameworks and governance
15:00–15:45 Ministerial panel discussion (Ministers of health/state secretaries)
15:45–16:15 Coffee break
Session 2. Showcase interventions
16:15–17:15 Ministerial panel discussion Ministers from other ministries including
agriculture, housing and employment
Session 3. Paris Declaration on Mental Health in All Policies
17:15–17:30 Reading and signing of the Paris Declaration (Following a consultation with countries
on Mental Health in All Policies in May)
17:30 Close
18:30–22:00 Reception hosted by France at the Pavillon Elysée Té
Day 2 – Tuesday 17 June
08:30–09:00 Registration and refreshments
Opening of Day 2
09:00–09:30 Recap of Day 1 Ministry of Health of France
Representative
WHO Representative
European Commission Representative
Plenary session 1. Introduction to PERA (an online question-and-answer tool)
09:30–09:45 Mental health in all policies: the rationale Keynote 1
for intersectoral collaboration
09:45–10:00 Mental health in all policies: leading the Keynote 2
change
10:00–10:30 Investing in mental health: the role of the Keynote 3
financial sector in enabling resilience and
well-being in the population
10:30–11:00 Coffee break and transition to the parallel sessions
Parallel sessions, morning
11:00–12:15 Parallel session 1 Parallel session 2 Parallel session 3
Mental health in all Youth mental health across Suicide prevention across all
policies: localized actions all policies policies
leading the way
12:15–13:15 Lunch break
Marketplace to showcase posters during lunch
Parallel sessions, afternoon
13:15–14:45 Parallel session 4 Parallel session 5 Parallel session 6
Protecting mental health in a Preventing vulnerabilities Mental health in the
changing world through intersectoral work workplace
14:45–15:15 Coffee break and transition from parallel sessions to plenary
Plenary session 2. Leading the change
15:15–16:15 Dare to lead: driving intersectoral change in tbc
uncertain times
Launch of the mental health leadership course tbc
and information on upcoming webinars
Plenary session 3. Summary and the way forward
16:15–16:45 Panel: rapporteurs from each parallel session – tbc
main findings, take-home points and way
forward
16:45–17:00 Close
Saatja: MHF <
[email protected]>
Saadetud: 24.04.2025 14:48
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[email protected]>; KÖHLER, Kristina <
[email protected]>; LAZERI,
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[email protected]>; GIROUD, Alix (DMSMP)
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[email protected]>; MHF <
[email protected]>
Teema: EST - Invitation letter “Mental Health in All Policies: Address
Challenges and Design Shared Solutions” High-level Conference Paris,
France, 16–17 June 2025
Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.Tundmatu saatja
korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.Tähelepanu! Tegemist on
välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja
faile mitte avada.Dear Sir/Madam,
Please see attached letter from Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional
Director for Europe and Mr Yannick Neuder, Minister of Health and Access
to Care, Ministry for Labour, Health, Solidarity and Family Affairs for
the High-level Conference Mental Health in All Policies: Address
Challenges and Design Shared Solutions that will be held in Paris,
France, on the 16th and 17th of June 2025 .
Please find attached in addition scope & purpose and provisional
agenda.
With thanks and kind regards,
WHO Secretariat