PRESS CONFERENCE ON WORLD ASSEMBLY ON AGEING

PRESS CONFERENCE ON WORLD ASSEMBLY ON AGEING

At a Headquarters press conference today on preparations for the Second World Assembly on Ageing, John Langmore, Director of the Division of Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said the fact that many people were living longer was one of the greatest achievements of the twentieth century.

The Commission for Social Development acting as Preparatory Committee for the Assembly, which is scheduled for 9 to 12 April 2002 in Madrid, Spain, is concluding its session today.  Joining Mr. Langmore at the press conference were Avrelio Fernandez, Commissioner of Spain’s Organizing Committee for the World Assembly, and Helen R. Hamlin, President of the International Federation on Ageing and Chairperson of the NGO Committee on Ageing.

Many policies needed to be changed to adapt to the fact that populations were ageing, said Mr. Langmore.  Governments, community organizations and civil society organizations needed to reflect that positive change.  "The fact that populations are ageing is an enormous triumph", he said. "We’ll want to live longer.  We all need to think about the contribution that older people can make."  Many traditional societies regarded older people as a source of wisdom.  The positive contribution of older people was under-discussed and under-emphasized in community discussion and in policy discussion.

The goal of the Assembly was to change attitudes, he told a questioner.  A lot of people tended to think of ageing as a problem, he said.  Given the proportion of people living longer was growing, he said there was need for increased support in a number of areas, as well as policy adaptations to respond to the demographic revolution in ageing.

Mr. Langmore added that the number of older people would more than triple in the next 50 years worldwide.  There was enormous demographic transition under way.  So far, that had been particularly apparent in developed countries.  But in the next 50 years that transition would be particularly pronounced in the developing countries.

Concerning the preparatory committee, Mr. Langmore said the session had been dealing with organizational matters.  There had been preliminary discussions about the outcome document, particularly, its structure and contents.  A draft was being prepared about the negotiating document.  An inter-sessional conference was planned for further discussion of the document next August or September.  There would be a second full preparatory meeting in February next year, before the Assembly itself in April.

Mr. Fernandez, Commissioner of Spain’s Organizing Committee for the World Assembly, said a strong preparatory process was under way with the establishment of a Spanish national organizing committee, chaired by the country's Vice-President.  It was following very closely all the regional preparatory processes and activities, leading up to the Assembly.  A Web site was being created as a channel for all activities relevant to the preparatory process.  Special events

were being organized in connection with the Assembly, including round-tables with world personalities.  The organizing committee was also in touch with the key United Nations agencies that would be involved in the Assembly, as well as with civil society bodies and non-governmental organizations.

Ms. Hamlin, Chairperson of the NGO Committee on Ageing, said the demographics on ageing were quite revolutionary.  The greatest growth in the older population would occur in the developing world.  NGO activities had included the organization of a forum designed as a marketplace of ideas and networking opportunities on the Assembly.  One of their plans was to take to Madrid as many representatives of NGOs as they could from developing countries.  They thought it critically important that NGOs from the developing world were well represented at the forum and efforts were being made to ensure that happened. 

She added that the media had a role to play in that effort.  Ageing was often depicted in a dependency mould, but most older persons were now quite vigorous well into their seventies.  The chronic conditions they picked up as they grew older were now quite manageable.  Ageing persons could make a great contribution, if given the opportunity and the NGO forum wanted to underline that during the preparatory process.  She said the Council for NGOS would facilitate a lot of the work of the forum, as they had a worldwide reach.  A Web page was being designed, she added.

Mr. Fernandez also told a questioner that an important element in the issues facing older persons was the question of ageing and development. Twenty years after the first conference, it was now clear that ageing today was not an issue that affected older people alone.  A missing issue in the identification of strategies to eradicate poverty was the implication of the effect on the ageing population.

Commenting, Ms. Hamlin also said that the needs of people changed as they grew older.  The idea of living longer and better had to be celebrated.  One of the objectives of the NGO forum was to encourage all persons, particularly older ones, to be participants in policies or decisions affecting their lives.  Life-long learning was important for older persons wherever they were.

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