ICN 125th Anniversary Declaration on the Future of Nursing: Bucharest

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) marked the 125 years since its founding in 1899 with an anniversary conference held in Bucharest, Romania and hosted by the Order of Nurses, Midwives, and Medical Assistants of Romania.

As well as celebrating this milestone event in ICN’s history, the conference was a prelude to the upcoming State of the World’s Nursing report and the Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery which will be released in 2025, and which will set the direction for the next four or five years. This important data will be on the agenda for the World Health Assembly in May 2025 and discussed at the ICN Congress in Helsinki, Finland in June. The delegates at the Bucharest conference agreed and signed an ICN 125th Anniversary Declaration on the Future of Nursing: Bucharest which identified key priorities for policy actions that will be central to the upcoming reports and discussions and which must be at the heart of the agenda moving forward.

The Declaration calls on governments to increase smarter public investment in nursing; make efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage; address global health challenges and the role of nurses in humanitarian disasters; focus on strategic and sustainable workforce planning for the future; improve the working environment and expand nurses’ scope of practice; expand nursing leadership in health care; and harness new technologies and digital health.

ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano highlighted ICN’s achievements, saying:

“From our founding in 1899, during the women’s suffrage movement, to becoming a global voice for the over 28 million nurses worldwide, ICN has been at the forefront of advocating for the nursing profession. We have lifted nurses’ voices for more than a century, and applauded the courageous nurses who advanced professionalism, education and ethics. We stood fast in support of improved working conditions for nurses and declared our commitment to vulnerable people through war time and peace. We championed the call for health promotion and today are key advocates for universal health coverage, person-centred care, and the first line of defense in the fight against antimicrobial resistance and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Our efforts have not only advanced the standards for practice and improved the working conditions for nurses, but they have also enhanced patient care and outcomes worldwide.”

Mr Mircea Timofte, President of the Order of Nurses, Midwives and Medical Assistants of Romania, and President of the European Nursing Council said,

“We were honoured to host this important event celebrating ICN’s 125th anniversary. We heard the voices of nurses from across the globe who joined with ministers and nurse leaders in signing the Bucharest Declaration which crystallized the priorities of the future of nursing. It is vital that every priority in this declaration is implemented so that we can meet the needs of patients everywhere and protect our nurses”.

With the theme “Nursing Legacy: ICN at 125 – celebrating, recognizing and shaping our collective future”, the celebratory conference, which was held at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, featured a historical exhibition and video showcasing ICN’s 125 years and messages of congratulations from ICN’s members.

Her Royal Highness Princess Muna Al-Hussein of Jordan was the guest of honour and named as ICN’s Global Ambassador for her six decades of advocacy for and support of nurses.

Professor Alexandru Rafila, Romanian Minister of Health and Professor Diana Loreta Păun, Presidential Advisor for Health, Romanian Presidential Administration also spoke to the delegates, offering inspiring words of support for the profession. Professor Păun delivered a message to delegates from His Excellency Klaus Werner Iohannis, President of Romania.

The conference also welcomed expert speakers from the World Health Organization and national nursing associations from around the world, as well as a message from support and solidarity from the WHO Chief Nursing Officer, Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu.

As well as celebrating the progress nursing and ICN has made over 125 years with a presentation by Dr Cipriano and the ICN Chief Executive Officer, Howard Catton, on ICN’s past, present and future, the conference also turned to the future with deep dives into nursing’s links with digital technology and climate change, which included insights from ICN Board Members Fatima Al Rifai and Jose Luis Cobos Serrano.

The ICN 125th anniversary conference was held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, the Committee for Health and Family of the Chamber of Deputies and the Public Health Committee of the Romanian Senate.