BROAD SUPPORT FOR SECOND WORLD ASSEMBLY ON AGEING EXPRESSED IN COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Press Release
SOC/4529

BROAD SUPPORT FOR SECOND WORLD ASSEMBLY ON AGEING EXPRESSED IN COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Speakers Stress Need to Update 1982 International Plan of Action on Ageing

Broad support for a second World Assembly on Ageing, to be held in the year 2002, was expressed this morning, as the Commission for Social Development met to consider the situation of social groups.

Numerous speakers stressed the need to update the International Plan of Action on Ageing, adopted at the first World Assembly (Vienna, 1982), to bring it in line with the complex realities of the twenty-first century.

Jamaica's representative told the Commission that by the year 2050, 4 per cent of the world's population -- 370 million persons -- would be over age 80. More than 2 million persons would be over 100 years old, 85 per cent of them women. She called for inter-generational solidarity and interdependence as guiding principles for updating the International Plan.

Ghana's representative proposed that the second world assembly emphasize policies that strengthened the relationship between older persons and the family and the community. Also, it should focus on social security policies that would embrace those in the informal sectors.

The representative of India stressed that the value systems and societal structures of developing countries provided more “non-formal” structures to assimilate the older population. Most of those countries also had a larger rural population. Ageing in the rural environment must be considered in a different light. Societal and cultural differences should also be considered.

The representative of Nigeria, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the accelerated ageing process would have dramatic implications for the Group of 77. Age-integrated societies would not be attainable without the improvement in the countries' economic conditions. He called for concerted international action to remove obstacles to economic development that continued to hamper the economic progress of the Group of 77.

Commission for Social Development - 1a - Press Release SOC/4529 5th Meeting (AM) 10 February 2000

Ageing in the information age was also discussed this morning. Sweden's representative said the older part of its population was at risk of being excluded from the national transformation into an information society. Those responsible for policy must see that knowledge and skills to use information technology were available for all. She described a recent programme in which thousands had participated when libraries in Sweden had invited elderly people to try "surfing the Internet".

Older workers must adapt to modern information technologies, Portugal's representative said, on behalf of the European Union and associated States. At the same time, the labour market must adopt legislative and operational measures to meet the needs of older persons, by offering flexible working hours, for example.

Also this afternoon, statements were made by the representatives of Spain, Republic of Korea, Belarus, Indonesia, Philippines, Ukraine, Cameroon, Russian Federation, Thailand and China. Also, the Commission heard from a representative of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and from the American Association of Retired Persons.

The Chairman of the consultative group for the International Year of Older Persons, Aurelio Fernandez (Spain), reported to the Commission on its work in 1999. The Director, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, John Langmore, introduced the Secretary-General's report on the International Year of Older Persons, 1999.

The Commission will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development.

Commission Work Programme

The Commission for Social Development met this morning to continue its consideration of agenda item 3(b): “Review of relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups".

The Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development was scheduled to introduce the report of the Secretary-General on the International Year of Older Persons (1999) (document E/CN.5/2000/4) and the Commission was expected to discuss issues related to the Year.

Also this morning, the Commission planned to begin consideration of its agenda item entitled: “Provisional agenda for the thirty-ninth session of the Commission” and exchange views on the selection of a priority theme for that session.

In June 2000, the General Assembly will hold a special session to consider implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and the Programme of Action adopted at the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995), and to agree on new initiatives.

(For background information on the Commission's thirty-eighth session, and for review of the reports being considered, see Press Release SOC/4524 of 7 February.)

Statements

JOHN LANGMORE, Director, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, introduced the Secretary-General's report on the International Year of Older Persons, 1999. The report had been prepared after requesting responses from Member States, non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies and the private sector for views on convening a second World Assembly on Ageing in the year 2002.

The responses showed that there was broad support, he said. To begin the process of preparation, the Commission might wish to hold an initial exchange of views at the current session, exploring options on the possible agenda, participation and supporting activities, among other matters. The Commission would need to take decisions on whether it wished to hold such an assembly, the nature of that gathering, its agenda and on its funding.

AURELIO FERNANDEZ (Spain), Chairman of the consultative group for the International Year of Older Persons, reported on work over the past year. In addition to regular meetings, and since the International Year was being celebrated, the coordinators of the consultative group had received more requests for meetings to take up issues of ageing, the International Year, and plans and prospects for the future. The consultative group had been effective because it held regular meetings together with Secretariat bodies that had been working on the issues of ageing. That was a positive development.

Also, he added, the group had functioned as a mechanism for getting the issues regularly discussed as part of the work of the United Nations. The main result of the International Year was the momentum towards another World Assembly. The Commission might recommend to the Economic and Social Council the continuation of the consultative group's activities, and that its work might extend to the follow-up to activities of the International Year.

MUSTAPHA BETARA ALIYU (Nigeria), speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the International Year of Older Persons had provided the international community the opportunity to raise awareness of rapid demographic change, stimulate debate and promote action strategies to face the challenges posed by the global increase in the ageing population. Demographic data suggested that by 2050, the percentage of the aged in developing countries would equal that in the developed world.

He said the implications for the Group of 77 were far-reaching, especially concerning health needs, and the retraining required to engage that important sector of society for productive employment. It was an imperative to stress the need for policy initiatives that focused on investment in human development, which would equip individuals to cope with all phases of life without the fear of dependence in old age.

Age-integrated societies would not be attainable without the improvement in the countries' economic conditions, he said. The Group of 77 called for concerted international action to remove obstacles to economic development that continued to hamper its economic progress. The Group called for addressing the worsening terms of external trade, structural adjustment programmes, the uneven gains of globalization, so resources gained from those constraints could be used to meet social development needs, including those of the aged.

Society owed a special responsibility to disabled persons, and must ensure that policies took into account the needs of the disabled in a manner that protected their fundamental human rights and ensured that they were neither excluded nor isolated, he said. An all-inclusive society required the complete integration of all its component units. The international community must invest in society's vulnerable groups, so that they could be transformed into society's valuable assets.

D. JESUS NORBERTO FERNANDEZ (Spain) said the Year had been a catalyst for focusing the attention of its citizens on issues of the elderly. A national evaluation had shown that one of the key instruments for its success was the formation of a Committee chaired by the Government, which included a number of non-governmental organizations and universities. More than 1 million activities had been organized and the publicity campaign included issuing special coins and commemorative stamps. Also, older persons had been encouraged to undertake voluntary work and a national gerontological plan had been developed.

He stated that the discussion held during the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly had focused on the dependence of older people and had considered issues related to successful and healthy ageing. His Government perceived ageing as a social issue and had been supportive of holding a second World Assembly in 2002 in Spain. He thought that that Assembly should pay particular attention to ageing in developing countries. It was necessary for the issue to receive attention in the various international forums. Increasingly, it was becoming a matter of concern for developing countries where, in the coming years, 70 per cent of the population would become old.

EWA PERSSON FORANSSON (Sweden) said the International Year of Older Persons had led to increased awareness of the needs and capacities of older people. But, much remained to be done. Sweden was transforming into an information society and the older part of its population was at risk of being excluded from those areas of development that presupposed use of computers. Sweden was anxious to prevent the growth of new divisions in society.

Those responsible for policy must see that knowledge and skills to use information technology were available for all, she continued. Recently, a project had been implemented that was of interest. In almost every library in Sweden, elderly people were invited to try their hand at "surfing the internet". Thousands attended. The purpose had been to enable older persons to overcome the resistance that most felt when faced with new technologies.

Another issue her country was focusing on was the meeting of generations, she continued. In today's society, opportunities for discussion and interaction between young and older persons were few and far between. When Sweden's teenagers of today reached the age of 40, every fourth citizen would be over 65. It was now time for them to start thinking about what kind of society they wanted and how they would be regarded when they got older. A society that was good for the elderly was a society that was good for all.

ANTONIO MONTEIRO (Portugal) spoke for the European Union, as well as for Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Iceland and Norway. There was need to strengthen inter-generational solidarity, he said, and that required improving the living conditions of old and young alike. Information technology could be used to enhance and disseminate knowledge and foster a more just society.

Ageing policies must take into account the growing diversity among older persons in terms of resources and needs, as well as the importance of their participation in policy planning and evaluation, he said. Modern information technologies could be used to disseminate knowledge and promote a just society. Governments, non-governmental organizations, social partners, businesses and older persons themselves were partners in the global effort of social integration.

The ageing of the labour force and the low employment rate of older workers presented the Union with challenges in employment policy and social protection systems, he said. The European Employment Guidelines advocated the development of policies aimed at enabling older workers to participate in working life. The labour market must adapt to the needs of older persons through legislative and operational measures in such areas as more flexible working hours. At the same time, older workers must increase their skills and adapt to modern information technologies. Discriminatory attitudes must be combated.

Retirement must be managed morally and socially by older persons themselves, and not just politically and economically, he said. In the field of social protection, besides the guarantee of an adequate minimum income, Union member States were faced with the need to adapt retirement ages to the increase of life expectancy and to explore new forms of gradual retirement, as well as to reform pension systems accordingly. Informal care -- from family, neighbours and social support networks -- was a major resource in many States, and there were related requirements for information, training and social protection for those caregivers. The ageing process, if linked to such pathologies as physical or psychiatric illness, restricted independent living and increased vulnerability and exclusion. Approaches to prevent and rehabilitate dependency situations and promote independent living for the old and the frail were being developed by member States.

KIM CHONG-HOON (Republic of Korea) stated that his country had formulated an action plan that emphasized capacity-building for older persons and nurturing their social interaction with individuals, family and the community. The Government was also expanding job opportunities and financial assistance for the elderly, and had organized events to strengthen multi-generational relationships.

Regarding the International Plan of Action on Ageing, he agreed that it needed to be revised in line with the current environment. That revision should consider national and regional differences and should result in a tailored plan of action and policy options for specific situations. He hoped that the revised Plan could be adopted at the proposed second World Assembly in 2002. He also supported the project to establish a database on public policies on ageing and suggested that, for it to reach its potential, Member States and non-governmental organizations should cooperate and share information on its development. Exploring the feasibility of an ageing-related development index would also direct the policy debate towards greater understanding of age issues in development.

OLGA DARGEL, Minister for Social Protection of Belarus, said the Year had prompted the Government to open up new possibilities for the elderly. Older persons occupied almost a quarter of the State’s population and the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster and the economic crisis had made it more difficult for them to cope, making the life-expectancy rate lower. Since the post-war period, life expectancy for rural men was just over 59 years, an even younger age than that for retirement.

She said the Government had approved a plan of measures to improve the status of older persons. The observance of the Year was not regarded as a one-shot event in Belarus. Its programme had been implemented as part of an ongoing social policy to ensure legal guarantees for older persons and improved social security and health care, among other services they were granted.

The present reform of the legislative base was being implemented to guarantee a life of dignity and independence, she noted. As part of the concept of active ageing, the Government was also ensuring that older persons were able to participate at all levels of society. For example, many retirees were currently working in new capacities, such as organizing and directing private companies or charitable organizations, and generally living a creative life. The Government had also organized a geriatric service and had published a compendium of statistics on their situation.

SYAUFII SYAMSUDDIN (Indonesia) said particular emphasis should be placed on the impact of globalization on older persons and on developing ways to mitigate any associated risks they faced. Elaborating a long-term strategy on ageing that would provide policy guidance on that change in individuals, as well as on societies, and its implications for future social and economic development would be useful. Holding a second World Assembly on Ageing should be considered. He supported the idea of discussing a framework for the Assembly during the Commission’s current session.

Indonesia was committed to the goals of equality and full participation and continued to work at national and regional levels to address the situation of the disabled, he noted. Despite the unavailability of resources, they remained committed to improving the situation of those persons and to implementing the Standard Rules. However, the events of the past two years had redirected the Government’s attention to recovering from the financial crisis and progress had been slow in other areas.

EVELYN AUSTRIA-GARCIA (Philippines) said that recent demographic trends and international developments, such as globalization, required a reappraisal of the relevance of the International Plan of Action on Ageing. The Philippines supported the holding of a second World Assembly on Ageing in the year 2002. That Assembly should consider discussions on: the implications of globalization for ageing and older persons; strengthening the family as a social structure in providing care to the elderly and preparing its members for productive ageing; and the need for lifelong education and consumer protection, to enable older persons to cope with the rapid changes and demands of increasingly interdependent economies and societies.

The tradition of providing family care to older persons was enshrined in the Philippine Constitution, which provided that "it is the duty of the family to take care of its older persons while the State may design programmes of social security for them", she said. The Philippines had enacted two pieces of major legislation for the benefit of older persons. One sought to maximize their contribution to nation-building and the other created the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs to monitor programmes for the elderly.

The national Plan of Action for Older Persons, launched last October, aimed to develop a holistic and multi-generational care programme for older persons within the family network. In aiming to uplift the living conditions of older persons by providing social services, resources were involved. Therefore, the Philippines would welcome an exchange of views on the adoption and implementation of the 20/20 initiative to social services and the expansion of coverage of social security schemes to the informal sector, during the second World Assembly on Ageing.

SVETLANA VEHERA, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Ukraine, said in her country older persons were affected by an increase in poverty. While life expectancy was decreasing, the number of older persons had grown. Their situation was complicated by the consequences of the Second World War, the Chernobyl disaster and the transition to a market economy. Ukraine had an unfavourable ratio of working and non-working people; the situation was worse in rural areas. The Government was striving to improve the quality of life for older persons, providing targeted aid for nursing care centres and care at home. It was continuing to prepare social networks for people at home, and a network of nursing homes at collective agricultural farms. A number of charitable funds and programmes focused on the health of older persons. Traditionally, 1 October was celebrated as the day of social protection for older persons.

The International Year had provided new impetus to Government efforts, she continued. Initiatives had included raising awareness, publicity and cultural events. The Governmemt paid great attention to creating conditions for the protection of older persons. It was working to combat the social isolation of older persons and committed to a long-term strategy on ageing, in the context of a society for all ages. Ukraine supported the holding of a second World Assembly for Ageing. The 1982 International Plan on Ageing was a good document, but it must be updated to reflect recent global developments. The Plan of Action, too, should be updated to enable the international community to develop additional recommendations for certain areas and regions. If the decision was taken to update the Plan of Action, there would be a need to postpone the fifth review and appraisal of the Plan.

ASITH BHATTACHARJEE (India) noted that the values systems and societal structures of developing countries provided more “non-formal” structures to assimilate the older population. Most of those countries also had a larger rural population and ageing in the rural environment was an issue to be considered in a different light. Those societal and cultural differences should be considered at the second World Assembly.

Turning to the situation of persons with disabilities, he stated that the Standard Rules functioned more as guidelines, since no uniform standard could be set for countries with vastly different social protection systems, family ethics and societal institutions. The difference between disability and disease was also important. There were several degrees of disabilities and there was no definite division between the “able” and the disabled. Therefore, monitoring of the Rules would be futile without that level of understanding.

He cautioned against analysing social development in isolation from economic developmental issues. To enable economic growth, there had to be a level of social development. They were symbiotic. The social agenda was apparently being pushed without realizing that the one governing the economic sector must be simultaneously addressed. Therefore, his country consistently favoured a balanced approach to the interrelated and mutually reinforcing aspects of economic development and social advancement. Furthermore, while the Government was increasing its outlay on social services, it was attaching equal importance to mobilizing resources.

FAITH INNERARITY, Director of Social Security, Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Sport of Jamaica, said the influences of increased life expectancy and declining fertility had fundamentally changed age distribution in the world's most developed regions. Developing countries were set to follow the same path -- only more rapidly. A critical dimension of demographic ageing was the growing number of people who were more likely to be dependent. In 1988, 66 million people worldwide were over 80 years old. In 50 years time, it was projected that the number would grow to 370 million, or 4 per cent of the world's population. More than 2 million persons would be over 100 years old. One fifth of those would be Chinese, and 85 per cent would be women.

In some countries, older people had extensive indirect economic power, notably through pension fund investments, she said. That was significant in a globalized economy, where financial markets played such a crucial role. In addition, in democratic countries, older people were a powerful pressure group.

The problem of employment and the prospects of demographic ageing raised questions on the future of pensions and the underlying principle of redistribution between generations, she said. Debate about inter-generational equity often served as justification for pension scheme reforms. Those reforms gave a significant share of responsibility to the private sector and preference to financial instruments, rather than political ones. The approach, however, contained risks of social exclusion for marginalized and vulnerable groups. State investment in education -- which normally favoured the young -- versus programmes favouring the elderly, was an issue of critical importance, particularly in regions such as the Caribbean, where resources were scarce. Youth unemployment, in view of recommendations for removing mandatory retirement, constituted a dilemma for some countries.

Inter-generational solidarity and interdependence should be guiding principles, she said. Jamaica supported the call for a second World Assembly on Ageing to update the international plan of action in the context of current trends and changing dynamics.

MARIE MADELEINE FOUDA, Minister for Social Affairs of Cameroon, said the report underscored that enjoyment of human rights, particularly those of the most vulnerable social groups, must be guaranteed. Her Government attached importance to promoting and integrating those groups and, to that end, had established appropriate laws and action plans through specialized State agencies. It also supported the work of non-governmental organizations in that area. The ratification of relevant United Nations instruments and conventions provided further proof of the State’s commitment.

In Cameroon, the elderly were often disabled, she pointed out. Legislation and regulations had been formulated to guarantee the right to protection of life and social development. But, due a lack of both financial and human resources, the full enjoyment of those rights was being delayed. Sectoral development strategies had been adopted by the Government and by non-governmental organizations for health, education and unemployment. Also, a project to reclassify associations for the disabled was currently under way. The State also operated a rehabilitation centre for persons with locomotor disabilities.

She stated that the socio-economic integration of the most vulnerable social groups was slowly taking shape, particularly for the elderly. Since 1999, round-table discussions had been held with elderly persons, in addition to other activities which had been held in observance of the Year, as part of the Government’s efforts to involve the citizenry themselves in the struggle for social development. However, results would have been better if they had not been impeded by the lack of resources.

D. KUGAYHINSKIY (Russian Federation) said older people in his country faced three acute problems: the deterioration of health; poverty; and loneliness. The risks associated with older age were exacerbated by the transition to a market economy. The Government was doing its best to mitigate the social problems associated with the economic crisis. It had recently been combating inflation and, now that a relatively stable currency rate was established, the Government would be able to accord greater priority to quality of life issues, including those for older people.

The calls by the United Nations for its system agencies and international financial institutions to help countries in transition were still relevant, he said. Measures should include steps to help older persons and more focus was needed on older persons in transition economies. The Russian Federation was interested in updating the International Plan of Action. It should be closer to the realities of today, and better reflect the interests and special features of regions. He supported the suggestion that in 2002 there should be a review and appraisal of the ageing situation, to enable the international community to improve the quality of efforts for the sake of older people.

SUWANEE KHAMMAN (Thailand) stated that the country’s new constitution had provided an enabling environment for implementing a national plan to integrate the vulnerable and marginalized groups into the mainstream of Thai society. The principles of participatory democracy, promotion and protection of human rights, good governance and civil society, enshrined in the constitution, had contributed to nurturing those groups and promoted partnership between the Government, public sector and civil society to ensure a balance between economic and social development.

She said the 1997 financial crisis had taught Thailand that the social dimension of development should not be overlooked and the Government had undertaken structural reform to avoid future negative economic impacts on the society. Further, her Government had paid greater attention to the plight of the elderly in Thailand, particularly to the problem of the transformation of the family unit from the extended family to a nuclear family. That had resulted in the inability of family members to function as primary welfare providers for the elderly. To overcome that trend, the Government had forged a partnership with the private sector; while it had continued to provide major social services to the elderly, non-governmental agencies and the community had increasingly contributed to the welfare of those persons.

She added that the country’s forthcoming national economic and social development plan for the period 2002 to 2006 would maintain the people-centred approach and strengthen the country’s effort in realizing the Copenhagen commitments.

AMA BENYIWA DOE, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare of Ghana, said her country welcomed the decision to observe the Year of Older Persons in 1999 under the theme "a society for all ages". The appropriateness of that theme could not be overemphasized, given the tendency to neglect the needs of the aged, even in societies such as Ghana's, where older persons were valued as repositories of wisdom.

Social changes in Ghana had resulted in the country's older persons now showing signs of loneliness and neglect, she said. A society for all ages would tailor structures to meet the needs and release the potential of all, for the benefit of all. In that connection, Ghana supported the convening of a second World Assembly on Ageing and felt that it should emphasize policies that strengthened the relationship between older persons and the family and the community. Ghana had a tax policy that gave relief to those who lived with and cared for their elderly. The policy was also intended to preserve traditional welfare systems and promote multi-generational relationships. The future World Assembly on Ageing should also focus on a social security policy that would enable developing countries to broaden the scope of their social security schemes to embrace those in the informal sectors, such as fishermen and farmers.

SU JINGHUA (China) said older persons currently occupied 10 per cent of the total population and the Government, recognizing the acceleration of the ageing of the population, had decided to take care of all the needs of older persons. Legislation had been appropriately formulated and, during the Year, celebrations had included activities that would increase public awareness of ageing persons. China had also begun a project focusing on reverence and love for older persons and had worked with regional experts on methods to generate family support and community service for those people.

HASUDUNGAN TAMPUBOLON, Director, Social Development Division, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), said its activities focused on three areas: strengthening regional and national capacities for developing policies and programmes for older persons; promoting appropriate cooperation between governments and non-governmental organizations; and supporting the observance of the Year. As a result, a number of countries in the region had adopted national plans of action on ageing. Also, an international symposium that ESCAP had convened had been well attended and one of its major outcomes was the production of a set of guidelines on planning attainable targets for societies for all ages. During the past year, ESCAP had also continued to provide technical assistance and advisory services to members in developing comprehensive national policies on ageing.

Ms. SMITH, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), said many events, programmes and proclamations had taken place worldwide during the International Year for Older Persons. But now came the hard part; developing, planning and implementing strategies that would give all persons a real society for all ages, which had been the theme and goal of the Year. The International Plan of Action on Ageing must be renewed and put into the context of the twenty-first century. The new plan should include the results of lessons learned and the possible application of newly available technologies as potential solutions.

The new plan must also include the principle of human-centred development necessary for the creation of a society for all ages, she said. She hoped the Commission would provide a forum in which all interested actors could participate in renewing the Plan of Action; and an infrastructure to ensure that an update to the Plan could truly serve as a valid guideline to lead to a society for all ages.

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