Commission for Social Development

Acting as Preparatory Committee for

 Second World Assembly on Ageing

1^st Meeting (AM)

WAY MUST BE FOUND TO UTILIZE VAST CONTRIBUTIONS OF OLDER PERSONS,

PREPARATORY MEETING TOLD

Ageing must cease to be an “add-on” issue, the Commission for Social Development, acting as the Preparatory Committee for the Second World Assembly on Ageing, was told as it opened its first substantive session this morning. Instead, ageing must be recognized as part of a restructuring of social, economic, and cultural landscapes.

In his introductory statement, Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, John Langmore said that together with globalization, population ageing was a key architect for the future.  The world had always found wisdom from the experience of those who had lived the longest, but the demands of social and economic change had strained that perspective.  Now, a way must be found to reveal the potential of longer lives and utilize those vast contributions which millions of people were ready to share.

Marking the twentieth anniversary of the First World Assembly on Ageing, the Second Assembly will be devoted to an overall review of the outcome of that event.  It will be held from 8 to 12 April 2002 in Madrid, Spain.  Reflecting the rapid demographic changes in the world, the event will adopt a revised plan of action and a long-term strategy on ageing in the context of the theme of the 1999 International Year of Older Persons -- a society for all ages.

The focus of the current session, which will run until 2 March, will be the revision of the International Plan of Action on Ageing adopted by the First World Assembly.  The Preparatory Committee will also consider the modalities of non-governmental organization (NGO) participation in the event and its preparatory process, as well as the format and the rules of procedure of the Assembly.

Stressing the importance of both national and regional efforts to address the problems of the older people, the representative of Germany said that the debate on the ageing was, in fact, a debate on the future shape of society. Europe was particularly affected by the ageing of its population, and the demographic transformations urgently called for political action.

Speaking on behalf of the European Union, the representative of Sweden said that the Plan of Action had influenced national and global ageing policies in a positive and significant way.  Despite remarkable shifts in age structures,

1^st Meeting (AM)

as well as changes in economic, social and cultural life, the core challenges

remained:  how to create a society for all ages; and how to promote inclusion and equal opportunities for all.

While developed countries had had the opportunity to become rich before getting old, Thailand would become old before it got rich, that country’s representative said.  Economic development had not kept pace with the rapid ageing of the Thai population.  The migration of young people to the cities in search of jobs; smaller families; and more women entering the work force meant that fewer people were free to care for older persons.  HIV/AIDS and drug addiction were seriously affecting national health and social services, with an overall lack of productivity compounding the problem.  An alarming poverty rate and shrinking resources had stressed the need to integrate older persons into society.

The representative of Zambia said that her country’s efforts to improve the situation of older persons were frustrated by inadequate resources, poverty, HIV/AIDS and the collapse of traditional extended families.  Zambian families were not immune to the effects of urbanization and the increased influence of development. 

Also speaking in the debate were the representatives of Dominican Republic, Austria, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization.  The representative of Spain informed the Committee about the initial stages of the preparatory process in her country, which was going to host the event.  The first NGO to address the session was the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

Also this morning, the Preparatory Committee elected Felipe Paolillo of Uruguay as its Chairman and Maria Jose Carrilho of Portugal as one of its four Vice-Chairpersons.  The rest of the Bureau will be elected following the conclusion of informal consultations among the members of the African, Asian and Eastern European Groups of States.  The Preparatory Committee also adopted its agenda and programme of work and agreed that Spain would serve as an ex officio member of the Bureau.  The Committee’s Acting Chairman Faith Innerarity (Jamaica) and its newly-elected Chairman made short statements.

At the end of the meeting, the Committee saw a film “From Vienna to Madrid for the Second World Assembly on Ageing”, which had been prepared with the help of the Department of Public Information (DPI).  The film highlights the activities and contributions of older populations in various countries, as well as diverse approaches utilized in providing for the needs of the increasingly ageing societies.

The Commission will continue its general debate at 3 p.m. today.

Preparatory Committee Background

The Preparatory Committee for the Second World Assembly on Ageing, to be held in Madrid, Spain from 8 to 12 April 2002, met this morning for its first of two sessions.  It will discuss the revised International Plan of Action on Ageing (document E/CN.5/2001/PC/2, annex) and begin negotiations on the "strategy for a society for all ages" portion of the revised action plan (document E/CN.5/2001/PC/2, annex, sect.I).

The Committee was also expected to agree on a decision concerning the accreditation and participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the World Assembly and its preparatory process.  Also to be negotiated are the draft provisional rules of procedure of the World Assembly, as well as agreement on a draft decision on the Assembly's organization of work.

Today, the Committee was expected to elect the officers of its bureau and adopt the agenda and proposed organization of work (documents E/CN.5/2001/PC/1 and E/CN.5/2001/PC.L.1/Rev.1).  It will also hold a general discussion before proceeding to informal consultations to consider:  the provisional rules of procedure of the Assembly; the Assembly's proposed format; the participation of NGOs; and the draft outcome documents.  [For further details see background Press Release SOC/4568 of 23 February.]

Statements

At the opening of the meeting, FAITH INNERARITY (Jamaica), Acting Chairperson of the Preparatory Committee, said that after the First World Assembly, the Plan of Action had served as a catalyst for countries adopting relevant progammes and policies.  In view of the changing demographic situation in the world, the situation of ageing persons was becoming a high priority.  It was commendable that countries were seeking to create the best possible conditions for people of all ages.

In the developing world, she said, it was necessary to significantly update the Plan of Action, taking note of global changes.  That was the principal task of the Preparatory Committee.  The question of ageing and development had not received appropriate attention in previous national plans of action, and that needed to be addressed.  Population ageing also represented a challenge which needed to be addressed in a concerted and focused way for the benefit of all.  Future priorities had been identified by the Secretariat.  Concerns of both developed and developing countries should be addressed in the revised document, as well as the challenges of globalization, conflict and poverty.  Now it was time to get to work with the necessary tools to achieve the goals before the international community. 

The Committee then elected, by acclamation, FELIPE PAOLILLO of Uruguay as its Chairman.

The Preparatory Committee’s CHAIRMAN said that Spain would welcome the international community to Madrid for the Second World Assembly on Ageing.  That would mark a high point of the consideration of the problem of ageing in all its aspects.  In the past, there had been sustained growth of older populations throughout the world.  The coming decades would be characterized by a doubling of that population segment.  The group of older persons was expected to grow to 22 per cent of the general population in the next fifty years.  That trend was leading the world towards a true demographic revolution.  As a result, a more integrated approach was needed to the problems of older people.

He addressed the Preparatory Committee’s programme of work for the coming week, saying that each delegation would play an important role in adopting a broad and comprehensive approach to the challenges.  Flexible and thriving cooperation should be established between all the generations. 

Speaking on behalf of the host country, CONCEPCION DANCAUSA TREVINO, Secretary-General for Social Affairs and Vice-President of the Organizing Committee of Spain for the Second World Assembly on Ageing, said that the event would serve as a catalyst for numerous ongoing activities and many of the proposals made in the past.  It would bring together many actors from around the world.

Spain had begun its preparations for hosting the event, she said, having established an organizing committee for the Assembly in December.  Spain had also supported the early preparatory activities carried out by the Secretariat.  The planned activities included providing financial support for several upcoming events, including the meeting of experts in Berlin next year and the meeting of the Iberian countries on the problems of ageing.  Spain also intended to organize special activities parallel to the event, including a round table to bring together important world personalities. In March,  Spain was going to set up a Web page for the upcoming World Assembly to attract attention to the event and distribute information regarding the preparatory process.

JOHN LANGMORE, Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs,  said that ageing was a central issue for this century.  Now, a decline in fertility and the growth in older persons was no longer confined to developed countries or those with economies in transition.  There were some 600 million older people in the world today, and that number was expected to grow to about 2 billion by 2050.  That was more than a tripling in the next 50 years.  On the one hand, large numbers of older persons presented society with social and economic challenges, which were gaining momentum on an unprecedented scale. 

He said that such a demographic burden would lead to many questions for which countries were now seeking the best solutions.  With half of humankind living in poverty and some experiencing a reversal in life expectancy, unprecedented national and international cooperation was both warranted and essential.  On the other hand, the situation was a cause for great celebration:  such a growth in older populations reflected remarkable nutritional and scientific public health advances, as well as improvements in economic and social polices.  The potential capacity to address the challenges of an ageing world was greater than ever. 

The Preparatory Committee for the second World Assembly, he noted, had two principle tasks:  organizational and procedural; and substantive.  On the further elaboration of the revised draft plan of action, the principle task this week was to reach a decision on the plan’s format, including its overall structure.  The revised plan had been developed in response to a request by the General Assembly that the plan pay particular attention to the ageing populations in developing countries.  The revised plan, therefore, had been drafted in a way that paid particular attention to ageing in developing societies while taking into account the different stages of development, as well as social, economic and cultural diversity.  Those economies were addressed in the revision in an integrated manner.

Ageing cut across all areas and borders and was a principal force shaping the future in this century, he said.  Together with globalization, population ageing was a principal architect of the future.  The relationship of older persons to the well-being of society could only be optimized within an inclusive framework.  Ageing must cease to be an “add-on” issue and must be recognized as part of a restructuring of social, economic, and cultural landscapes.  Eliminating barriers meant bringing thought and policy about ageing into the centre of policy discussions.

The vast resources of older persons were ready to be bestowed on societies, he said.  The world had always found wisdom in the experience of those who had lived the longest, but the demands of social and economic change had strained that perceptive.  Now, a way must be found to reveal the potential of longer lives and utilize those vast contributions since millions would be ready to share them. 

CARL ALFVAG (Sweden), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that during the past two decades, the International Plan of Action on Ageing had had a positive and significant impact on ageing policies, nationally as well as globally.  At the same time, however, remarkable changes in age structures, as well as economic, social and cultural life had created new challenges.  Those transformations had been the subject of discussions in the last decade, including at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen.  The International Year of Older Persons in 1999, including the work of the National Committees, also contributed considerably to strengthening government policies, programmes, and legislative measures favouring older persons.

He said the Second World Assembly on Ageing would be of great importance in providing opportunities to consider new realities.  Based on the commitments made in Vienna, the Assembly would revise the International Action Plan and set a long-term strategy for the future.  It should strongly emphasize that intergenerational issues as matters relevant to older persons could not be dealt with in isolation.  Despite recent demographic and societal changes, the core challenges remained unchanged:  how to create a society for all ages, ensuring income security and sustainable growth in an ageing world; and how to promote inclusion and equal opportunities for all.

Older persons should fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms and not face discrimination of any kind, he said.  Social and health services should be adapted to better meet the needs of an ageing population, including support for independent living.  Work, education and health should be seen from a life-cycle perspective, given that different life stages required different kinds of societal support.  The combination of older persons comprising a greater proportion of the population and the decline in birth rates in many European countries had increased attention to the potential contributions of older persons in the labour market.  Enabling older workers to contribute to the economy and mobilizing inactive human resources was crucial to social and economic development.

One example of the importance of life-long learning could be found in the area of Information Communication Technology.  Involving older persons in education and training for new technologies could enhance individual “employability” and knowledge and promote development.  Regarding health issues, the Union stressed the importance of preventive measures as well as access to health care, including rehabilitation.  It was vital that governments ensure a good quality of life for older persons.  Also, steps should be taken to counteract inequalities in health care. 

With the changing demographic patterns in many developing countries, he said, older persons were increasingly among the poorest in society and in danger of exclusion.  It could no longer be assumed that the extended family would support the elderly.  Indeed, in some communities such as those where HIV/AIDS had affected economic active people in poor households, older persons were assuming increasing social and economic roles.  Under those circumstances, it was often older women who had to carry the double burden of caring for sick family members and orphaned children.

He said the Union was committed to poverty eradication through its international development efforts and to the achievement of the 0.7 per cent target for official development assistance.  The situation of the elderly must be considered when formulating and implementing development cooperation policies and programmes to alleviate poverty.  Also, the role of elderly persons as breadwinners and contributors in the provision of health care, education and subsistence farming should also be recognized.  The gender aspects of ageing should also be given particular attention.

Some Member States of the Union had recently undertaken a number of initiatives, including the provision of safe pensions and labour law reforms, he said.  Other programmes had focused on changing attitudes and promoting the benefits of age diversity in the work force.  Non-discrimination on the basis of age had also been promoted and opportunities had increased for the elderly with regard to life-long learning and improvement of skills.  The question of migration was particularly relevant as it resulted in new family patterns, often accompanied by geographical distances between family members.  The consequences for elderly migrants, as well as for those who stayed behind, were often ignored.  The special need for social networks and extra support required targeted social services.

JULIA TAVARES DE ALVAREZ (Dominican Republic) said the report before the Preparatory Committee provided a useful starting point for the discussion of the revision of the Plan of Action.  However, several concerns about a number of key elements should be addressed.  Specifically, the plan should take into account that the demographic changes in the developing countries, as well as the social and cultural context for ageing there, were different from those in the developed ones.  Also, public resources available to the developing countries were limited, which affected their priority choices.  While many aspects of ageing would affect all countries, most aspects differed from one country to another. 

She went on to say that the revised plan should focus on the positive role of older persons, and the first priority direction of “sustaining development in an ageing world” should be reflected as “productive ageing” in the text.  The second priority direction -– “advancing health and well-being into old age” -- was generally acceptable, but she would make it the third, rather than the second theme. 

The Secretary-General’s proposals on the third priority direction, she continued, “ensuring enabling and supportive environments for all ages”, had a number of good points.  She was concerned, however, that it was focused on “all ages”, rather than on older persons.  The revised Plan of Action should be placed in the context of a society for all ages, but it should be addressed specifically to older persons.  This theme should be called “achieving secure ageing”, emphasizing both the responsibilities of society and the role of older persons themselves. 

Regarding the structure of the revised plan, the three priority themes, appropriately modified, could form the basis for specific policy recommendations, she said.  However, within them, the differences between developing and developed countries, as well as countries in transition should be clearly reflected in the policies that needed to be included in the next 20-year plan for each.  The plan should recognize that it had to deal separately with three different ageing priorities and preferred policies and programmes.  The proposals in the Secretary-General’s report for a research agenda should focus more clearly on issues of concern to developing countries.  Research priorities should be elaborated after the main outlines of policy recommendations had been agreed on.  Although time was short, efforts should be made now to identify the main issues, and relevant information needed to be gathered about them.

EVELINE HONIGSPERGER (Austria) associated herself with the statement made on behalf of the European Union.  The revision of the 1982 action plan, which was both necessary and decisive for future social policies, required a special commitment.  Her country appreciated the acceptance by the United Nations of its invitation to convene the third preparatory meeting of the Technical Committee in Vienna from 23 to 26 April.  Vienna was a historical site in the context of United Nations activities on the subject of ageing.  The global Action Plan certainly marked the start of a re-evaluation of the role of older persons in society. 

She said that, like other countries, Austria had entered a phase of change to a demographically “old society”.  The share of over-60-year-olds was due to rise by 35 to 38 percent by 2035.  According to government projections, approximately 3 million persons over 60 will live in Austria by then, due to a rising life expectancy.  It was not just the fact of demographic change, but also its pace, which called for a determined political advocacy based on an active and forward-looking social policy framework.  Demographic change was not a threat but an enrichment.  Rising life expectancy -- made possible by progress in science, medicine and health care -– had been one of the most vital achievements of humankind.  In Austria, the average life expectancy for a

60-year old man had increased by 19 years, and for a woman of the same age, by 24 years.  Growing old in good health should be enjoyed by more and more people.

The International Year of Older Persons had led to a social revaluation of ageing and a greater awareness of related issues, she said.  In Austria, the course and paradigms of its old age policies were changed before 1999 through the establishment of policies aimed at the fair and equitable participation of older people in society.  Old age policies were doing more than just securing old-age pensions or the health care system; they were promoting the equitable participation of older persons.  The Austrian model of legally founded participation and co-determination by older persons might be considered a pioneering approach.  The “Austrian Council of Older Persons” was upgraded to a legal interest group that represented, promoted and guarded the interests of senior citizens in Austria. 

She said that the 1991 United Nations Principles for Older Persons -– independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity -– which were the basis of Austria’s old-age policies, should continue to guide the qualitative framework for the revised Action Plan.  The plan should be revised in view of the situation and targets in developing countries and countries in transition.  The draft before the Committee met that challenge.  Also important were the recommendations and agreements of other relevant United Nations summits; the outcomes should be compatible.  At the same time, the agreed objectives of those related conferences must not be threatened by the rapid ageing of societies in developing countries.  It was therefore necessary to adopt a suitable monitoring and review process to provide for objective assessment of the Action Plan’s implementation.

A key requirement of the revised Action Plan was the inclusion of a new understanding and image of the ageing phenomenon, she said.  Old people should not be seen as a burden, but as active participants with resources and potentials from which all members of society could benefit.  Older people must not be marginalized but placed at the core of society, which could not afford to do without their know-how and contributions to cultural heritage.  Older people must, therefore, have access to further education and training in order to work beyond retirement age if they wished to do so.  The marginalization or discrimination of persons based on their age must not be permitted in any sphere of life.  Active ageing and the advocacy of a new image of ageing promoted by older people was a central task of the revised Plan. 

CHRISTOPH LINZBACH, of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth of Germany, said that Europe was particularly affected by the ageing of its population.  The demographic transformations urgently called for political action -– both at national and regional levels.  Where possible, Germany was pursuing concrete goals directly related to the realities of persons’ lives.  It was creating incentives for citizens to live up to their social responsibilities and duties.  Germany was promoting further development of quality standards in assistance and care for older persons, aiming to strengthen solidarity among all generations.  Germany was also aiming at close cooperation with its partners in the region in order to develop common policies and measures in that area. 

The Madrid Assembly would adopt principles and recommendations of global significance, he continued.  Conscious of the need to develop direct regional strategies, the Ministerial Conference of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) would be held in September 2002 in Berlin.  The ECE and the German Government were working closely together in preparing for the Conference.  In January this year, the ECE’s Executive Secretary in Geneva had convened a first expert meeting to identify ageing issues of particular relevance to that organization. 

It was important to understand that the debate on the ageing was, in fact, a debate on the future shape of society, he said.  It was necessary to focus on the specific situation and special needs of older persons.  Other expert meetings were being prepared that would address the fundamental issues and challenges of ageing societies, thus contributing to the formulation of regional strategies for the revised International Plan of Action on Ageing.  In the preparatory process, the ECE aimed at close involvement of all relevant actors in the global and regional processes.  It also attached great importance to the contributions that all relevant NGOs could provide.  At the national level, Germany had recently organized national expert seminars focusing on such topics as the current situation of older persons and their enhanced integration and participation in society.  The results of the seminars had been published and were available to delegations.

MARY GRACE KABANSHI NKOLE (Zambia) said that programmes pertaining to the International Day for Older Persons, institutional care, policy review, national awareness on ageing and decentralization of welfare services had been among the concerns of her Government.  However, its efforts were frustrated by inadequate resources, poverty, HIV/AIDS and the collapse of traditional extended families.  Zambian families were not immune to the effects of urbanization and the increased influence of development. 

In response to the phenomenon of global ageing, she continued, her Government had been gradually introducing policies and programmes for older persons, including programmes on health, public welfare assistance, community and institutional care, financial support and awareness-raising.  The observance of the International Year of Older Persons had presented a number of challenges to her Government.  Despite socio-economic upheavals, efforts were still being directed at improving the well-being of older persons through prioritizing their needs and cooperating with NGOs. 

She concluded that in the future, her Government intended to continue its efforts to raise awareness, focussing on achieving a society for all ages and encouraging active ageing.  Zambia also intended to reach out to both traditional and non-traditional partners, such as the International Community Development agencies, the media, the private sector and the youth.  Also important was improved networking and collaboration among organizations working with older persons. 

SUTTHICHAI JITAPUNKUL (Thailand) urged societies to find a holistic approach to the challenges of ageing.  Economic development had not kept pace with the rapid ageing of the Thai population.  While developed countries had had the opportunity to become rich before getting old, Thailand would become old before it got rich.  Factors such as urbanization, or the migration of young people to the cities in search of jobs, smaller families, and more women entering the work force meant that fewer people were available to care for older people.  The sustainability of that traditional relationship, therefore, had been threatened.  Moreover, strokes, heart disease, accidents, blindness, deafness and hypertension were fast becoming the leading causes of death and disability. 

At the same time, he said, infectious disease still burdened the nation, straining its resources to the limits.  Recent evidence had suggested that Thailand was in a state of “morbidity expansion”, with disabilities on the rise. HIV/AIDS and drug addiction were other serious issues impacting families and national health and social services resources and allocation.  The overall lack of productivity was compounding the problem.  Most people adapted with shame to age.  The negative view of ageing on development must be changed.  Following the economic crisis in Thailand in 1997, economic difficulties were limiting funds for ageing.  That fact, combined with the already alarming poverty rate and shrinking resources, had underscored the need for policies that integrated older persons into society.

An assessment of the macroeconomic implications of ageing in the labour markets, social security schemes, and national services would help shape future policy directions.  His Government had traditionally used United Nations recommendations to guide its policies on ageing.  Beginning in 1996, invaluable research conducted in Thailand had provided data on older persons and led to the development of a national plan.  During same period, both governmental and non-governmental organizations, had motivated the Government to set up a National Commission of the Elderly, which was charged with developing a new national long-term plan for older persons.  The plan was due to be completed in 2001, one year before the Second World Assembly.

ALEXANDER KALACHE, World Health Organization (WHO), said the Organization’s understanding of demographic ageing had changed dramatically since 1982, and the Madrid revised plan of action would have to address the health and well-being of older people in developing nations.  It was with “absolute urgency” that policy-makers around the world would have to address issues related to the ageing of their citizens, particularly the issue of developing appropriate health plans.  Health was both an input to and an outcome of development -– in fact, it was central to development.  As a precious asset for people of any age, health should be nurtured throughout the entire life course; healthy children grew into healthy adults and healthy older people.  Healthy people of all ages contributed to their families, communities, the economy -– and thus to development. 

He said that the challenges were two-fold.  First, to postpone the onset of disease as long as possible, and second, to provide adequate services if and when individuals developed fatal or disabling illnesses.  The WHO estimated that by 2020, approximately 70 per cent of the burden of disease in developing and newly industrialized countries would be caused by chronic diseases along with mental health disorders and injuries.  If unchecked, chronic diseases might indeed pose a serious threat to the future solvency of health care and social protection systems.  The challenges for developing countries were particularly formidable because of the speed of population ageing and prevailing high levels of absolute poverty, combined with the high prevalence of infectious diseases.  Older people in the developing world were often yesterday’s malnourished children, sick adults, and poor citizens. 

Health was part of a more holistic paradigm that included action taken in many different sectors of public policy, he said.  The WHO called the action needed to address that new paradigm “Action for Active Ageing”.  Critics sometimes said that the paradigm of Active Ageing was not as meaningful in developing countries as it was in the developed world.  Clearly, many older people in developing nations did not have enough to eat, or enough income to ensure a decent existence and could not be preoccupied with lifestyle issues.  Many did not have the options available to their peers in the developed world.  The reality was that complex and powerful vested interests could retard the development of effective public policies aimed at better health.  It was also true that many older people in developing countries worked until they were no longer able, without even the most basic access to health care or income security.

Action was needed in three priority areas:  maintaining health and independence of older people for as long as possible; ensuring that they remained productive as long as possible; and, in the event that they were no longer able to support and protect themselves, to provide them with a minimum level of protection, dignity and care.  Ultimately, efforts should be focused on the prevention and/or postponement of disability and disease through appropriate health promotion and prevention strategies.  Action must be taken to address the underlying causes of health, such as poverty, lack of education, violence, and persistent gender inequalities and discrimination.  Towards that goal, health must be promoted as a basic human right and an invaluable asset for persons of all ages, including older persons.

MARIANGELS FORTUNY, Employment Sector, International Labour Organization (ILO), said that older people were a rapidly growing population group for whom social inclusion was particularly significant.  For older workers, that meant a decent income from work or retirement and participation in community life through employment, volunteer work or other activities.  The global ageing of populations and the possibility of a growing, marginalized and socially excluded elderly segment of society had important socio-economic implications for pension systems, public sector budgets and health care.  Of critical importance were policies ensuring that people maintained the highest level of physical, social and mental functioning as they aged.

She said that a key challenge for governments was to mitigate the effects of a decrease in the working age population by increasing and prolonging the participation of older people in the labour market.  The emergence of equity issues, however, would need to be adequately addressed through policies. Although unconditional early retirement should be reduced, earlier retirement ages could be considered for workers with difficult working conditions or long contribution periods, she said.  The extension of one’s working life raised the issue of “intergenerational fairness”; future generations might not enjoy the same rights as the generation of their fathers and mothers. 

In most developing countries where conventional systems of social security applied to less than 20 percent of the labour force, however, the possibility of retirement was a luxury few older people could afford, she said.  In the developing world, most older people would continue to work as long as possible.  Informal support systems, such as family structures, played a major role in the daily lives of older people, particularly in developing countries.  Clearly, however, support for older relatives was not a given, as it was generally determined by culturally specific norms.  Older people increasingly had to rely on themselves as well as care for their younger relatives.  Social integration, family links, multi-generational relationships and the rights of older people should be addressed.

She said that ageing also raised important gender concerns.  Women’s participation would be the main source of future labour force growth in many countries.  Thus, demographic ageing underlined the importance of their participation.  Globally, women tended to live longer than men, but that did not necessarily translate into equal opportunities for older women in the labour market.  Indeed, they were more likely than men to lack basic literacy skills, and less likely to undertake paid work than older men.  Also, they tended to benefit less from pension schemes as they were often employed in the informal sector.  Furthermore, cultural and social practices, as well as legal systems, exacerbated their disadvantaged position.  Women’s lower status, weaker property rights, and more limited access to inheritance strongly influenced their economic security in old age.

Training and education were particularly important in helping older workers adapt to changing demands and opportunities, she went on.  The demand for new skills and knowledge placed many older works at a disadvantage, as their earlier training was likely to be obsolete.  Also, age discrimination fueled disincentives to train older workers.  The need for training throughout the working life was emphasized in the last ILO’s World Employment Report

1998-99, and the International Labour Conference in June 2000 highlighted education and training as crucial to preventing the social exclusion and discrimination of disadvantaged groups, including older workers.

ROGER PELLEGRINI of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), said that as an NGO concerned with ageing in the world, he was convinced that the World Assembly would provide the stimulus to a global effort to address the concerns of older persons.  The decisions of the Preparatory Committee would to a large extent determine the success of the event.  In terms of format and process, it would be important to find effective ways to involve the non-governmental community in the Assembly and its preparations.  He hoped that parallel to the Assembly, an NGO forum would be held.  The preparatory process should include NGO input in the drafting the revised Plan of Action.  Non-governmental organizations like the AARP could bring the views of older persons to those important deliberations.

Input from regional, national and international organizations was important, he continued.  Several NGOs had already begun gathering information, especially from developing countries, about the issues that needed to be addressed.  An early result of those efforts was a paper entitled "Elements of a Revised Plan of Action", which incorporated views provided by some 80 national NGOs from 50 countries.  There was also a summary of all the feedback entitled the NGO Perspective.

Concerns of the developing countries and countries in transition should be carefully drawn, he said.  While respecting the concept of a society for all, the plan should be directed towards older persons.  The title of the strategy should reflect that focus.  Preparing the draft had demonstrated how little was known about the key issues, particularly in the developing countries.  The preparatory process should become a stimulus for gathering up policy research findings to ensure that the recommendations adopted in Madrid were realistic and effective.  An effective follow-up mechanism would also be needed.  Wisdom of the older persons should be celebrated and utilized for the good of all ages.

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