Building Societies for All Ages

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Upcoming Events:

• 21st IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics July 1, 2017
• 20th IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics June 23, 2013

More Resources:

• Global Lessons on Building Livable Communities for the Future
• Affordability and Safety of Livable Communities: Lessons from Around the World

Aging Everywhere Profiles:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Canada
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Latin America & Caribbean
• Mexico
• Nicaragua
• Northern America
• Peru
• United States of America
• Uruguay

Our world is rapidly changing. All the regions that make up our planet are undergoing massive transformations. The Western hemisphere, for example, is experiencing a significant demographic shift. Breakthroughs in public health, nutrition, and medical science and technology are dramatically increasing the life expectancy of men and women.

 A significant factor in this achievement has been the reduction in infant mortality. Life expectancy increased considerably in the 20^th Century. The richest parts of the world have registered the greatest improvements. The major exception to this pattern of improvement has been in countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, where major decrements in life expectancy have occurred.

One may conclude nonetheless, that the overall improvements are evidence of continued success in the development of most societies, and a clear testament of human progress. This new demographic reality also means that governments have to incorporate the needs of older persons in social policy design, and make them a priority. This new demographic reality also means that governments have to incorporate the needs of older persons in social policy design, and make them a priority.

Although the aging population of my country is experiencing moderate growth, the world’s overall aging population is growing at an accelerated rate. According to UN estimates, the proportion of older people has been rising steadily, from 8 percent in 1950, to 11 percent in 2007—and it is expected to reach 22 percent by 2050. As long as old age mortality continues to decline and fertility remains low, the proportion of senior citizens will continue to increase.

Put differently, in 2000, the population aged 60 years or over, totaled 600 million—a three-fold increase from 1950. In 2006, the number of older people had surpassed 700 million. By 2050, 2 billion senior citizens are projected to be alive, once again tripling the current number in a span of five decades.

 These dramatic statistics should galvanize governments, NGOs, other social actors, and the international community, to put the plight of the older population squarely on our agendas for policy responses.  

Because women live longer than men, women constitute the majority of older persons. According to UN figures, women currently outnumber men around the world by about 70 million among those aged 60 years or over. Among those aged 80 or older, women almost double the number of men, and among centenarians, women are between four and five times as numerous as men. This trend is forcing us to look at this phenomenon as a process of Feminization of Aging.

In 2002, the Second World Assembly on Aging, held in Madrid, Spain, dealt with these issues. The conference and its Political Declaration marked a turning point in how the international community should address the challenges of aging populations. The gathering provided a world perspective for this trend, and its Plan of Action focused on three priority areas: older persons and development; advancing health and well-being into old age; and ensuring enabling and supportive environments. 

The Madrid meeting represented the first time governments adopted a comprehensive approach linking questions of aging to other frameworks for social and economic development and human rights, particularly, those agreed to at several UN conferences and summits in the 1990s.

 These same issues were the focus of the XIV Conference of First Ladies, Spouses and Representatives of Heads of State and Governments of the Americas, recently held in San Salvador, El Salvador. The gathering last November, called Building a Society for All Ages, marked the first time that a high-level meeting of this nature had convened in our hemisphere to focus solely on the challenges of aging trends.

 Indeed, the Spirit of Madrid inspired our deliberations. The planning stages of the conference produced a commitment by all participating countries to make a real contribution to the analysis and evaluation of the Madrid International Plan of Action.   

 As such, the San Salvador Declaration included a reaffirmation of the commitment and willingness by all countries of the Americas to undertake concrete efforts by governments, NGOs, competent UN agencies, the Inter-American System, and other international fora, as follow up actions to the agreements adopted in Madrid.    

 Key points of the San Salvador Declaration include:

• To actively promote—at the local, national, regional, and international level—the principle of Building Societies for All Ages, incorporating the full participation of older persons into our societies, while ensuring respect for their capabilities, skills, experiences, and knowledge.    

• To support efforts made by our governments to promote the full respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms of older people, eliminating all forms of discrimination, neglect, abuse, and violence against them, in accordance with the Madrid Plan of Action. 

• To support the implementation of strategies that remove labor barriers, and empower older persons to enter, remain, or return to the labor market, in accordance to their capabilities and willingness to work, and in conformity with national legislation.

• To actively support the development of a gender perspective on all policies and programs that caters to seniors.

• To promote the inclusion in the health-care systems of specific programs for the holistic care of older persons, including information and education on prevention, risks, and self-care.

• To encourage governments to examine the social and economic impact of migrations in older people, in order to identify and promote actions to alleviate the consequences of family disintegration, the overwhelming responsibilities placed on seniors by caring for the children and youth left behind, as well as the effects on senior citizens who live alone.

• To fully support efforts by governments, in collaboration with civil society, relevant UN bodies, the Inter-American System, and other international organizations, in relation to the services to, and care of, older persons, particularly, in vulnerable urban areas, rural areas and indigenous communities.     

• To promote the incorporation of HIV/AIDS issues in the plans and programs designed for older persons.

• To support educational programs that promote creativity and recreation, and the intellectual stimulation of older persons, dealing with their needs and interests, and allowing them to achieve their learning objectives, thus contributing their skills and knowledge to their communities.    

The San Salvador Plan of Action seeks to serve as a proposed guide for the implementation of actions agreed to in the Declaration. The Plan of Action focused on three themes: 

1.         Promoting the creation of an environment that fosters the development and participation of older persons in our families, communities, and societies, through the transformation of economic, social, cultural, and legal aspects of society, aimed at furthering the respect, better treatment, and appreciation of older persons.
2.       Promoting actions in favor of improving the quality and specialization of health-care services for seniors.
3.         Promoting policies and actions to eliminate the discrimination of senior citizens with disabilities, and ensuring the full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including their active participation in society on an equal footing with others.   
   

The specific contribution of the XIV Conference of First Ladies, Spouses and Representatives of Heads of State and Governments of the Americas is the decision to promote concrete actions to improve the quality of life of older people, and make them a public policy priority in participating countries.

 One of the agreements of San Salvador was to submit its Declaration for analysis at the regional evaluation made every five years of the implementation of the Madrid Declaration and Plan of Action. Thus, the II Intergovernmental Conference of Ageing was held in Brasilia, Brazil, in December.

 The San Salvador Declaration was an important input for the Brasilia Declaration. The Brazil deliberations retook, among other themes, the impact of migration, HIV/AIDS issues, the gender perspective, and disabilities among older persons.     

Key points of the Brasilia Declaration included:

• The commitment to promote dialogue and strategic alliances to raise awareness on the evolution of population structures, in terms of rates of aging populations and its economic, sanitation, social, and cultural consequences.
  
• To reaffirm the commitment to make aging a public policy and programmatic priority.

Building just and inclusive societies requires social, economic, political, cultural and legal actions that are sustainable and well-defined. These should aim to create and promote conditions favorable for the development and participation of older people in our families, communities, and societies. Slowly but surely governments, NGOs, and the international community has taken stock of the challenges posed by current aging trends. Madrid, San Salvador, and Brasilia, are only a few stops along the way of progress on these issues.

The late American feminist and activist Betty Friedan said that “aging is not ‘lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” That view should guide our work in approaching the new realities of aging populations. Its economic and social impact is a challenge, but also an opportunity. Designing and implementing the right policies will help us harness the wisdom, the values, and the experiences of our seniors.

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