The co-operation concentrates on four main areas:

1. Promoting cross-border freedom of movement between the Nordic countries
2. Development of the Nordic welfare concept in a European perspective
3. Development of the Nordic Region's co-operation with the the Adjacent Areas
4. Exchanging experiences and information between countries.

The Nordic governments' social and health co-operation is headed by the appropriate ministers in the Council of Ministers for Health and Social Affairs (MR-S).

The ministers gather at least once year to discuss and make joint decisions in areas where Nordic co-operation generates greater value than can be achieved by the individual countries on their own – this is known as Nordic synergy.

The Committee of Senior Officials for Health and Social Affairs (EK-S), which consists of representatives of all the countries and autonomous territories, meets at least three times a year.

The Nordic Council of Ministers' Secretariat is responsible for the day-to-day running of Nordic inter-governmental co-operation.

The Secretariat includes the Department for Growth and Welfare (KV) which prepares questions for submission to the Council of Ministers for Health and Social Affairs (MR-S) and the Committee of Senior Officials for Health and Social Affairs (EK-S).

The Secretariat also takes responsibility for the implementation of decisions made by the relevant authorities.

The Council of Ministers for Health and Social Affairs (MR-S) funds a number of institutions and co-operation bodies within the social and health sector

that help achieve the sector's political objectives.

The institutions are:

• Nordic School of Public Health (NHV),
• Nordic Centre for Welfare and Social Issues

The organs of co-operation are the:

• Nordic Council on Disability Policy (NHR)
  
• Nordic Institute of Dental Materials (NIOM),
• Nordic Committee on Social Security Statistics (NOSOSKO)
• Nordic Medico-Statistical Committee (NOMESKO).

At their meeting of 2–3 June 2008, the Council of Ministers for Health and Social Affairs (MR-S) decided to establish a new Nordic institution, the Nordic Centre for Welfare and Social Issues (NVC), in Stockholm, Sweden.

The idea behind NVC is to concentrate Nordic resources on and raise awareness of welfare issues.

The new institution is a merger of the social institutions Nordic Co-operation on Disability (NSH) (incl. NUH), the Nordic Education Programme for Social Service Development (NOPUS), the Nordic Staff Training Centre for Deafblind Services (NUD) and the Nordic Council for Alcohol and Drug Research (NAD).

Nordic Centre for Welfare and Social Issues has been in operation since 1 January 2009.

Objectives and visions

The over-arching political framework for Nordic work on health and social affairs is a programme for co-operation, which is supplemented by annual action plans.

Priorities and outcomes

MR-S has placed significant emphasis on areas of co-operation relevant to globalisation. At the ministers' meeting in June 2007, it was decided that "Nordic Welfare Innovation" will be the core area for Nordic social and health policy co-operation.

The focus will be on refining the Nordic welfare model in response to the global competitive economy while retaining the ability to work together.

Co-operation on the challenges and opportunities posed by globalisation will focus on three areas:

• Demographic change and preventing the marginalisation of vulnerable groups
• Development and quality-enhancement in the social and health sectors
• Co-operation with the Adjacent Areas, especially on combating human trafficking.

One important element of the sector's work is targeted project funding. The focus will be on co-operation with neighbouring countries, promoting public health and social wellbeing, and combating drug abuse.

In 2009, project funding has been concentrated on quality enhancement in the social and health sectors, with a particular focus on mental health.

Read the strategy