On the shores of Italy's idyllic lake Como, researchers and Commissioners worked closely together and engaged in open and fruitful discussions. Some of the dialogue topics included:
- How can the Commission best align its work with the on-going processes of the Post 2015 MDGs and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)?
- How do we ensure that the Commission's report has a “human face”, expressing the need to place people in the centre? We are not just talking about “absence of disease”, but about ensuring and improving human well-being!
- Where has the social pillar in the sustainability debate gone? The SDG debate is currently more centered on economic and environmental sustainability and the human factors needs to be put back in.
- Are there other remedies beyond universal health coverage that would alleviate health inequities? How can we address some of the root causes of ill health, such as volatility of global commodity markets and unregulated activities of global corporations? The Commission's ambition is to address these big political issues within the global governance system.
- There is a need to move towards more interconnected and inclusive governance, for instance via networked governance, thus the governance of knowledge and access to information also play vital roles.
The Commission is grateful to the Rockefeller Foundation for the opportunity to gather at its Bellagio centre. The location proved to be a perfect place for reflection and open deliberations.
The next and final meeting of the Commission will take place in Oslo from 12th to 13th of April.
View of Lake Como and Bellagio
The beautiful gardens of the Bellagio Centre