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International Day of Older
Persons - 1 October
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October 1 is recognized as International day for
Older persons.Older persons play an invaluable role in all societies — as
leaders, caregivers and volunteers — yet are also vulnerable to discrimination,
abuse, neglect and violence.
The world is in the midst of a unique and
irreversible process of demographic transition that will result in older
populations everywhere. As fertility rates decline, the proportion of persons
aged 60 and over is expected to double between 2007 and 2050, and their actual
number will more than triple, reaching 2 billion by 2050. In most countries,
the number of those over 80 is likely to quadruple to nearly 400 million by
then.
Older persons are increasingly seen as
contributors to development, whose abilities to act for the betterment of
themselves and their societies should be woven into policies and programmes at
all levels. Currently, 64 per cent of all older persons live in the less
developed regions — a number expected to approach 80 per cent by 2050.
To begin addressing these issues, the General
Assembly convened the first World Assembly on Ageing in 1982, which produced a
62-point “Vienna
International Plan of Action on Ageing”. It called for specific action
on such issues as health and nutrition, protecting elderly consumers, housing
and environment, family, social welfare, income security and employment,
education, and the collection and analysis of research data.
Nearly two-thirds of older persons live in
developing countries, yet older persons are still largely excluded from the
wider global, regional and national development agendas. At a time when the
international community is preparing to take stock of sustainable development
and is looking to forge a development agenda for the future, it is important
that the needs and contributions of older persons become a bigger part of the
picture. Older persons are vibrant and essential contributors to the
development and stability of society, and more can and should be done to utilize
their potential.
Over the last decade, there has been progress in
the formulation of national plans of action related to ageing, including the
emergence of non-contributory pensions in some developing countries. However,
discrimination and social exclusion persist. These issues are a priority for
the recently established General Assembly open-ended working group on ageing.
In the current fiscal environment, we must be
vigilant in ensuring that the provision of social protection, long-term care and
access to public health for the elderly is not undermined.
The composition of the world population has
changed dramatically in recent decades. Between 1950 and 2010 life expectancy
worldwide rose from 46 to 68 years, and it is projected to increase to 81 by the
end of the century. It should be noted that at present women outnumber men by
an estimated 66 million among those aged 60 years or over. Among those aged 80
years or over, women are nearly twice as numerous as men, and among centenarians
women are between four and five times as numerous as men. For the first time in
human history, in 2050, there will be more persons over 60 than children in the
world.
Almost 700 million people are now over the age
of 60. By 2050, 2 billion people, over 20 per cent of the world’s population,
will be 60 or older. The increase in the number of older people will be the
greatest and the most rapid in the developing world, with Asia as the region
with the largest number of older persons, and Africa facing the largest
proportionate growth. With this in mind, enhanced attention to the particular
needs and challenges faced by many older people is clearly required. Just as
important, however, is the essential contribution the majority of older men and
women can continue to make to the functioning of society if adequate guarantees
are in place. Human rights lie at the core of all efforts in this regard.
The introduction of new policies and programmes
During the last decade, population ageing has
led to the introduction of new policies and programmes, in which the social
sector has taken centre stage, as shown by the majority of contributions to the
present report. Many Governments in developed and developing economies have
designed or piloted innovative policies in the health, social security or
welfare systems. In addition, several policy framework documents, including
national plans of action on ageing have been enacted. Specific age-related
legislative measures in areas as varied as building codes, licensing and
monitoring of care centres and vocational training have also begun to emerge.
All levels of government, from local to national, have taken a share in this
responsibility, and have either created new institutions or renewed existing
ones to seek ways of gradually responding to the challenges faced by older
persons.
Understanding the roles of older persons in
family and society
Government institutions have chosen diverse
approaches in setting priorities. These choices highlight different perceptions
of the role that older people play in the family and in society at large. In
some cases, measures aim to capture the rapidly evolving dynamics of communities
and societies, inviting a second look at current perceptions about older persons
and work, elder-care mechanisms, intergenerational support systems and financial
constraints. Some Governments have designed policies founded on the principle of
active ageing and autonomy, aimed at facilitating the continuation of
independent lives at home, with services and facilities that cater for various
types of needs. Others emphasize family ties and support for the family unit as
the primary source of care for older persons. In all cases, a network of private
actors, including various volunteer organizations and community-based centres,
are essential to the smooth functioning of the entire system.
Of special resonance is the situation of older
women who face inequalities as a result of their gender-based roles in society.
Gender relations structure the entire life cycle, influencing access to
resources and opportunities, with an impact that is both ongoing and cumulative.
The different circumstances that shape the lives of women and men in old age are
the outcome of a lifetime of experience. Good health, economic security,
adequate housing, an enabling environment, access to land or other productive
resources, these are the fundamentals of ageing with dignity, yet achieving them
depends on decisions and choices only partly determined by each individual. The
impact of gender inequalities in education and employment becomes most
pronounced in old age. As a result, older women are more likely than older men
to be poor. Furthermore, older women often take on greater responsibilities for
family care while managing inflexible working conditions, mandatory retirement
ages and inadequate pensions and other social security benefits, which leave
them, and those in their care, extremely vulnerable. Without doubt, ageing, its
human rights challenges and its feminization constitute an unprecedented shift
in the social fabric of all societies, with far-reaching consequences.
Addressing the situation
The international community started to highlight
the situation of older persons in the Vienna International Plan of Action on
Ageing, adopted at the World Assembly on Ageing in 1982. The 1991 United Nations
Principles for Older Persons, the 1992 Global Targets on Ageing for the Year
2001 and the 1992 Proclamation on Ageing further advanced international
understanding of essential requirements for the well-being of older persons.
The Political Declaration and the Madrid
International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002, adopted at the Second World
Assembly on Ageing, and endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution
57/167, reinvigorated the political consensus on an agenda on ageing,
emphasizing development and international cooperation and assistance in this
area. Since its adoption, the Madrid International Plan has guided the drafting
of policies and programmes at the national level, inspired the development of
national and regional plans and provided an international framework for
dialogue.
Courtesy:
http://www.un.org/en/events/olderpersonsday/
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