INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF OLDER PERSONS 'YEAR OF CELEBRATION' SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN REMARKS TO CONFERENCE
Press Release
SG/SM/6893
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF OLDER PERSONS 'YEAR OF CELEBRATION' SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN REMARKS TO CONFERENCE
19990211 Following are the remarks of Secretary-General Kofi Annan at a video conference for the International Year of Older Persons in New York on 11 February:I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all who have gathered here in New York, and all those from around the world who are participating by video conference. All of us, governments and non-governmental organizations alike, have come together in solidarity with the older persons in all our societies.
Many of us may be older persons -- and I hope you will notice that I have included myself among that group -- but we are able to join hands across several continents because we are mastering the new communications technologies. That is a potent symbol in this, the International Year of Older Persons.
This is indeed a year of celebration. We hail partnerships, such as the one that has made this event possible: between the NGO Committee on Ageing and United Nations entities, such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the Department of Public Information (DPI). We celebrate ageing itself. Over the last 50 years, 20 years have been added to the average lifespan. This is good news, despite the doom and gloom myths that have dominated public thought about ageing. And we celebrate diversity, young and old alike working towards the United Nations goal of "a society for all ages".
But, this year is also only a beginning, the start of our efforts to address the demographic revolution. In fact, we are in the midst of three distinct, but interrelated, social revolutions at once. Globalization is knitting us ever more closely together, having an impact not only on economies, but on value systems as well. Technological advances are quickening the pace of life and changing the very tools with which we communicate and live our lives. Against this backdrop, the demographic revolution is having equally far-reaching effects -- on individuals, families, communities and countries.
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So, while this International Year can do a great deal in terms of raising awareness, building coalitions and mobilizing both resources and political will, we must also recognize the need to plan for the long-term. We are in this for the long haul. As we move forward, three issues bear special mention.
First is the situation of older women. Women comprise the majority of older persons in all but a few countries. They are more likely than men to be poorer in old age and more likely to face discrimination. Moreover, their contributions as care-givers -- for example, to grandchildren orphaned by AIDS -- are often overlooked and underpaid, if paid at all.
Second is the situation of developing nations. All societies coping with the graying of their societies will have to set aside substantial resources, and ensure that public health and social services are up to the task. Developing nations, where the majority of older persons live, will continue to need international help and solidarity.
And third, in something of a paradox, the new longevity requires wiser investments in the earlier phases of life -- in childhood, youth and mid-life. This will contribute to healthy lifestyles and lifelong learning and all the other pillars of an active old age.
Last month in New York City, up in Harlem, a remarkable woman named Sadie Delany died at the age of 109. In the mornings, upon waking, Sadie was known to say, "Thank you, Lord, for another day". Her sister, Bessie, who lived until the age of 104, was not quite so cheerful. She would say, "Oh Lord, another day?"
The Delany sisters attributed their longevity to simple lives and good food. And so, we see again, on the eve of the millennium, that the needs and aspirations of the great majority of human beings can still be expressed simply and starkly: food for the family; shelter; a job; education; and a State which does not oppress its citizens, but rules with their consent. In this, the International Year of Older Persons, let us pledge again to bring those dreams to life for all people, of all ages.
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