International Politics, Leadership and Diplomacy for Health Conference 2023

On November 20--22, 2023, the Karolinska Institute and House of Governance and Public Policy at the Stockholm School of Economics hosted the International Politics, Leadership and Diplomacy for Health Conference conference in Stockholm, Sweden. The aim of the meeting was to discuss lessons learned from historical defining moments in politics and health diplomacy, to identify the means of success and listen to emerging leaders on their priorities and needs with a view to developing learning and capacity building opportunities. 

The 60 participants in the meeting included existing leadership in the fields of health, politics, and diplomacy as well as a group of ‘emerging leaders’. The meeting involved a geographically and ideologically diverse group representing academia, civil society, government, the private sector, and multilateral organisations. The conclusions inluded the following potential next steps

1. Create a network of institutions and partners working on training in global health diplomacy, with a follow up meeting on how to collaborate and potentially share resources. This will include a web platform for sharing information, courses and learning opportunities. 
2. Mentors are willing to participate in future programs and be available to emerging leaders in global health diplomacy. This includes those with backgrounds in government, civil society, academia, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and philanthropy. 
3. Participants will advocate for global health ambassador’s role within governments and continue to facilitate opportunities for shared learning between ambassadors. 
4. A new fellows program will be established for mid-career professionals, with leadership potential hosted by the Karolinska Institute and Stockholm School of Economics. This program will involve both online and Master Class components and will launch in 2024. Its content will be informed by the outputs of this conference, and the interviews and focus group discussions conducted prior to the conference. 
5. A network of fellows from global health diplomacy programs will be explored, involving participants from the new fellowship program and other global health diplomacy programs. A web-based platform would facilitate connection and shared learning amongst alumni. 
6. Create a space for disruptive political and policy dialogues within, and outside, the context of academic programs, including opportunities to imagine different global health futures and confront areas of disagreement.