The Partnership is served by the NDPHS Secretariat that was established in 2012 as an international legal entity hosted by the Swedish Government located in Stockholm and funded jointly by the Partner Countries.

According to the founding document the main goal of the NDPHS is "to promote sustainable development in the Northern Dimension area through improving human health and social wellbeing."

All in all, as stated in the Oslo Declaration, "the activities (…) should contribute to greater political and administrative coherence in the area, narrowing of social and economic differences, and to a general improvement of the quality of life and of the demographic situation.

The Partnership engages in a number of activities, including policy and expertise exchange, project development and implementation, information production and dissemination, and advocacy.

By providing a platform for exchange and cooperation across borders and between different sectors, it enables sharing of best practices, identifying common challenges and goals, and developing of joint solutions.