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At the International Labour Organization The ILO has a natural interest in mental health and other health issues in the workplace. It was very supportive of the 2000-2001 World Mental Health Day campaign, which opened at its headquarters in Geneva. Cooperation then continued in 2001 under the auspices of Barbara Murray, ILO Coordinator for Equity Issues, leading to a jointly cosponsored regional event in Hong Kong at the start of 2002 on the challenges of job stress and its impact in the workplace. The New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association was the local organizer, working with the ILO and WFMH to produce a program relevant to regional employers. In conjunction with the meeting the Federation received an ILO grant in 2001 that enabled some of the WFMH regions to hold related activities. Information was gathered from them by the Finnish Mental Health Association, which prepared a small publication for the Hong Kong conference. WFMH welcomed the opportunity to work more closely with a UN agency that is outside the health field but appreciates the relevance of health issues to all people at work, including issues that affect people who have experienced mental illness. Goals Two and Three — To promote mental health and optimal functioning Goals Two and Three (promotion and prevention) are often considered together because of their close aims in improving public health. This was the case at the Inaugural World Conference on “The Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of Mental Disorders” held on 5-8 December 2000 at The Carter Center, Atlanta, USA. The successful meeting to highlight progress in research was a program of the World Federation for Mental Health in collaboration with The Clifford Beers Foundation of the UK. It was intended as the first in a series of biennial meetings, to be held alternately with WFMH Congresses. Follow-up to the December event took place during 2001 and attention turned to planning the second international conference in London on 11-13 September 2002, organized by WFMH and The Clifford Beers Foundation in collaboration with The Carter Center, and cosponsored by WHO. The conferences are designed to strengthen the place of promotion and prevention in public mental health, alongside treatment and care. They bring together researchers and other professionals, those responsible for public health policy and national or local program development, and people engaged in advocacy on these matters. The areas covered are broad-based, ranging from prenatal and infant care to school-based programs, workplace issues and programs for older persons. International participants encourage recognition of cultural variations, so that advances in research can be adapted and implemented in different parts of the world. The Federation’s longstanding interest in prevention has been carried forward by an International Consortium headed by Beverly Long (chair), Sheppard Kellam and Pat Mrazek. They were founding members of the Biennial Conference Committee, along with Michael Murray and Clemens Hosman of The Clifford Beers Foundation and Gregory Fricchione, director of The Carter Center Mental Health Program. Professor Kellam also heads a WFMH Collaborating Center, the Society for Prevention Research, which is supportive of program developments. The Biennial Conference Committee held a planning meeting in London in February, 2001, and came together again in Geneva in December. Most of its members participated in a WHO meeting on 28-30 November on aspects of research on the effectiveness of prevention in mental health.
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