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AARP Vatican Symposium 2025

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The Memory:

A Symposium Addressing the Opportunities and Challenges of an Aging Global Population

On May 9-10, 2025, as Pope Leo XIV spent his first full days as pontiff, AARP partnered with the Pontifical Academy of Life, Eta Grande Foundation, and the Memorial Papa Francisco to convene a landmark symposium on global aging in Vatican City.

This historic event, “The Memory: A Symposium Addressing the Opportunities and Challenges of an Aging Global Population,” convened heads of state, private sector innovators, intergovernmental organizations, and civil society leaders from more than 20 countries to discuss the coming challenges of an aging population.  Continuing the work that Pope Francis inspired, over the course  of two days, the symposium brought together a wide range of scientific, religious, and cultural perspectives to engage in conversations about caregiving, brain health, the longevity economy, and the unique challenges of aging in developing nations.

The symposium culminated in the signing of the "Vatican City Declaration of the Pontifical Academy of Life – AARP – Muslim Council of Elders,” a landmark document establishing the following key commitments and strategic priorities for global aging initiatives:

  • Actively support a world where older persons can live with purpose and dignity.
  • Recognize the critical contributions of family caregivers.
  • Support actions to enable healthier, longer lives.
  • Actively support brain health strategies in all countries.
  • Combat age discrimination in all forms.
  • Support an international treaty to protects the rights of older persons.
  • And support an international entity to focus on older adults globally.
Download Vatican City Declaration

"That spirit of unity is what makes this gathering so special. We come from many places, cultures, and faiths, yet we are joined by a common purpose; to ensure that older adults – especially in low income and developing regions – are treated with the dignity they deserve and are recognized for the wisdom and value they contribute to our societies."
- Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, Chief Executive Officer, AARP

Official Agenda

The agenda for the two-day symposium, along with the list of participants and speaker biographies, is available for download here:

Download Official Agenda

Recorded Sessions

MAY 9, 2025 | Opening Addresses and Session I

May 9, 2025 | Sessions II & III

May 9, 2025 | Session IV

May 9, 2025 | Session V

May 10, 2025 | Sessions I, II, & Closing Remarks

In the News

Pontifical Academy for Life Signs Elderly Care Declaration with Muslim Council, AARP
"The organizations launched the initiative in order to help safeguard the elderly from discrimination and abuse and to protect their human dignity, right to independence, and engagement in society..."
Read Article

Catholic News Agency, May 21, 2025

Muslim Council Of Elders Launches International Charter To Protect Elderly Rights And Dignity
"The Vatican, under Pope Leo XIV, hosted its first official event with the Muslim Council of Elders, the Pontifical Academy for Life, and AARP. They launched a charter to support older persons' rights and dignity..."
Read Article

One Arabia, May 17, 2025

Muslim Council of Elders, Catholic Church, and AARP Launch Global Charter to Uphold Rights, Dignity of Older Persons.
"In the first official initiative of the Vatican under the leadership of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the Muslim Council of Elders, the Pontifical Academy for Life, and [AARP] launched a document to support and protect older persons and uphold their dignity..."
Read Article

Bahrain News Agency, May 17, 2025

OPINION: White smoke, clear purpose: A reflection from the Vatican
"As the white smoke rose, that timeless symbol of renewal, I couldn’t help but feel the connection. The world is ready for new beginnings, not only in faith, but in how we see, support, and serve our aging populations...."
Read Article

May 16, 2025, Daily Nation / Kenya

Muslim Council of Elders Joins Vatican and AARP in Launching Charter for Elderly Rights
"In a significant collaborative effort, the Muslim Council of Elders, the Pontifical Academy for Life, and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) have launched a pioneering charter focused on supporting and safeguarding the rights and dignity of older adults..."
Read Article

Daily Emirates News, May 16, 2025

UCSF's Yaffe Participates in Vatican Symposium on Aging
"The event, held May 9-10, 2025, at the Palazzo San Calisto in Vatican City, was co-organized by AARP and dedicated in the former pontiff's honor. In her role as the AARP Global Council on Brain Health Governance Committee Chair, Yaffe was featured as a distinguished speaker and discussed strategies for maintaining cognitive and brain health across the life course..."
Read Article

UCSF News, May 12, 2025

The Vatican and AARP Team Up for First-Ever Symposium on Aging:
'One of the Most Pressing Issues of Our Time' (Exclusive)
"The historic collaboration will cover caregiving, brain health, and more as the world faces
a rapidly aging population..."
Read Article

People, May 8, 2025

AARP, Vatican Launch Pioneering Summit on Global Aging and Brain Health
"As Pope Leo XIV spent his first full day as pontiff on Friday, AARP was at the Vatican meeting with doctors, scientists, academics, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and nonprofits from more than 20 countries to discuss the coming challenges of an aging population..."
Read Article

AARP.org, May 9, 2025

Photo Gallery

Welcome Dinner  - May 8, 2025 | Terraza Les Etoile
sPhotos by Pier Costantini

 

Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP) and Debra Whitman (Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer, AARP) during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
Site of the dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
Peter Rundlet (Vice President, AARP International), Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP) and Debra Whitman (EVP and Chief Public Policy Officer, AARP) during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
Francesco de Angelis, Peter Rundlet (Vice President, AARP International), Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP) and Debra Whitman (EVP and Chief Public Policy Officer, AARP) .
Bruce Miller (Founding Director, Global Brain Health Institute) in conversation with Alfred K. Njamnshi (Founder and Executive Director of Brain Research Africa Initiative, BRAIN)
Debra Whitman (Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer, AARP) and Laura Tamblyn Watts (President and Chief Executive Officer, CanAge) during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
Gregor Sneddon (Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing), Irene Arias Hofman (Chief Executive Officer, IDB Lab, Inter-American Development Bank), and Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP)
Shereen Hussein (Professor of Health and Social Care Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) in conversation with Peter Rundlet (Vice President, AARP International) during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
Cherian Mathews (CEO, HelpAge International), Dimiter Chalev (Chief, Rule of Law, Equality, and Non-Discrimination Branch, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), Peter Rundlet and Laura Segal, AARP.
Kristin LaRoche (Deputy Chief of Staff, AARP), Peter Rundlet (Vice President, AARP International), and Laura Tamblyn Watts (President and Chief Executive Officer, CanAge) during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
Debra Whitman (Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer, AARP) in conversation with Alexandre Kalache (President, International Longevity Centre-Brazil and Past Director, Department on Ageing and Life Course, World Health Organization)
Sarita Mohanty ( The SCAN Foundation), Cherian Mathews (HelpAge International), Dimiter Chalev (United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), and Rani Snyder (The John A. Hartford Foundation)
Peter Rundlet (Vice President, AARP International), Vijeth Iyengar (Director of Global Aging, AARP International), and Stefania Lenoci (Special Representative to Southern Europe, the Holy See and UN Agencies in Rome, World Bank Group)
Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP), Lina Walker (Senior Vice President, Global Thought Leadership, AARP), Peter Rundlet (Vice President, AARP International), and Hernan Reyes.
Sarita Mohanty (President and Chief Executive Officer, The SCAN Foundation), Rani Snyder (Acting President, The John A. Hartford Foundation), and Lina Walker (Senior Vice President, Global Thought Leadership, AARP)
Kristin LaRoche (Deputy Chief of Staff, AARP) and Dimiter Chalev (Chief, Rule of Law, Equality, and Non-Discrimination Branch, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights)
Gregor Sneddon (Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing) in conversation with Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP ) during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
June Andrews (Visiting Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, University of Leeds) in conversation with Shereen Hussein (Professor of Health and Social Care Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP) in conversation with Alfred K. Njamnshi (Founder and Executive Director of Brain Research Africa Initiative, BRAIN)
Sarita Mohanty (The SCAN Foundation), Cherian Mathews (HelpAge International), Dimiter Chalev (United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), and Rani Snyder (The John A. Hartford Foundation)
Participants at the site of the dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP) delivering welcome remarks during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP) delivering welcome remarks during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP) and S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and Founder of the Eta Grande Foundation) during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and Founder of the Eta Grande Foundation) delivering remarks during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.
In conversation with S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and Founder of the Eta Grande Foundation) during dinner at Terraza Les Etoile prior to Day 1 of the Symposium.

Day One  - May 9, 2025 | Sala Pio XI, Palazzo San Calisto, Vatican City 
Photos by Pier Costantini

DAY ONE Participants: Elena Becker-Barroso (Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Neurology) in conversation with Jacobo Mintzer (Professor, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina)
DAY ONE participants Cherian Mathews (HelpAge International), Laura Tamblyn Watts, (CanAge), and Shereen Hussein (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
The Memory Symposium - DAY ONE participants Alfred K. Njamnshi, Founder and Executive Director of Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN) and Zul Merali, Founding Director, Brain and Mind Institute, Aga Khan University
AARP Vatican Symposium 2025 Programme Booklet
The Memory Symposium - DAY ONE: Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan and S.E. Mons. Vincenzo Paglia
The Memory Symposium - DAY ONE Participants
DAY ONE - Peter Rundlet, Mohamed Abdel-Salam, Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, and S.E. Mons. Vincenzo Paglia opening the symposium.
DAY ONE - Opening Address from Mohamed Abdel-Salam, Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, and S.E. Mons. Vincenzo Paglia.
DAY ONE - SESSION I: An Interreligious and Intercultural Perspective on Shifting Dynamics in the Family and Community - Avraham Steinberg, Gregor Sneddon, Giulio Maira (moderator), and Omar Abboud
The Memory Symposium - DAY ONE Participants
DAY ONE Participants: Amal Abou Rafeh (Chief, Programme on Aging Section, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations) delivering an intervention.
DAY ONE - SESSION I session speaker Gregor Sneddon, Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing
The Memory Symposium - DAY ONE: Lina Walker, Senior Vice President, AARP Global Thought Leadership and Paul Ong, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, Tsao Foundation
DAY ONE Participants: Elena Becker-Barroso, Christopher Butler, Alfred Njamnshi and Facundo Manes
DAY ONE Participants: David Velasco (Director, Department of the Elderly, La Caixa Foundation) and Mercè Boada (Founder and Medical Co-Director, Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona)
The Memory Symposium - DAY ONE Participants
DAY ONE Participants Standing L:R: Jacobo Mintzer, Mercè Boada, and Avraham Steinberg
DAY ONE Participants Standing L:R: Christopher Butler, Zul Merali, Facundo Manes, John Hodges, Alfred K. Njamnshi, Lenny Shallcross
DAY ONE Participants: Sebastien Thuault (Editor-in-Chief, Nature Aging) in conversation with Elena Becker-Barroso (Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Neurology)
DAY ONE - SESSION II: Caring for our Carers: Approaches to Supporting Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia - Dale Goldhawk (moderator), Dévora Kestel, Sarita Mohanty, Joanne Pike, and June Andrews
DAY ONE - SESSION II panelists Dale Goldhawk Chairman of the Board, Alzheimer’s Disease International and Dévora Kestel, Director, Department of Mental Health, Brain Health, and Substance Use, World Health Organization
DAY ONE-Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP), S.E. Mons. Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and Founder of the Età Grande Foundation) , and Lina Walker (Senior Vice President, Global Thought Leadership, AARP
DAY ONE: Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP), Facundo Manes (Founder and Honorary President, INECO), and Lina Walker (Senior Vice President, Global Thought Leadership, AARP)
DAY ONE - SESSION III: Strategies to Maintain Brain Health as We Age: Steps to Achieve Healthy Longevity Across the Life Course - Christopher Butler (moderator), Chiara Costa, Alfred K. Njamnshi, Kristine Yaffe, Bruce Miller
DAY ONE - SESSION III featured discussant Jacobo Mintzer Medical University of South Carolina and Former President of the International Psychogeriatric Association
DAY ONE - SESSION III: Featured Speaker: Facundo Manes, Founder and Honorary President, The Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience (INECO) Foundation and Member, Chamber of Deputies (Argentina)
DAY ONE Group Photo: Standing from L:R Jacobo Mintzer, Facundo Manes, Claudio Lino Alberto Bassetti, John Hodges, Alfred K. Njamnshi, Dévora Kestel, Oscar Lopez. Seated L:R Zul Merali, Bruce Miller, Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, Kristine Yaffe
DAY ONE - SESSION IV: Protecting the Rights and Dignity of Older Adults - Cherian Mathews (moderator), Agnès Callamard, Federico Borello, and Dimiter Chalev
DAY ONE - SESSION IV: Featured Discussant: Laura Tamblyn Watts, President and Chief Executive Officer, CanAge
DAY ONE - SESSION IV panelists Agnès Callamard, (Amnesty International), Federico Borello (Human Rights Watch), and Dimiter Chalev (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.)
DAY ONE - SESSION IV moderator Cherian Mathews, Chief Executive Officer, HelpAge International
DAY ONE - SESSION IV featured discussant Martín Abregú, Vice President, International Programs, Ford Foundation
Christopher Butler, Bruce Miller, and Shereen Hussein
DAY ONE: Rani Snyder (Acting President, The John A. Hartford Foundation) in conversation with Gregor Sneddon (Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing).
DAY ONE - SESSION V: Aging in Developing Countries:  Fostering Inclusive Practices for Rapidly Aging Populations - Lina Walker (moderator), Cherian Mathews, Maria Eugenia Genoni, and Alexandre Kalache
DAY ONE - SESSION V featured discussant Patricia Araya Gutiérrez, Ambassador of Chile to the Holy See
DAY ONE - SESSION V featured discussant Antonella Sberna, Vice President, European Parliament (Responsible for Art. 17 TFEU)
DAY ONE - SESSION V featured discussant Shereen Hussein, Professor of Health and Social Care Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Day Two - May 10, 2025 | Sala Pio XI, Palazzo San Calisto, Vatican City 
Photos by Pier Costantini

The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO: AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan greets Cherian Mathews, Chief Executive Officer, HelpAge International
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO: AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan and Zul Merali, Founding Director, Brain and Mind Institute, Aga Khan University
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO participants
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO: AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, Antón Leis García, Director, Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and Peter Rundlet, Vice President, AARP International
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO: AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan with David Velasco, Director, Department of the Elderly, La Caixa Foundation
DAY TWO - SESSION I: The Role of Multilateral Institutions in Addressing the Global Megatrend of Population Aging. Amal Abou Rafeh (moderator), Irene Arias Hofman, Albert Park, and Sabine Henning
DAY TWO - SESSION I featured discussant David Velasco, Director, Department of the Elderly, La Caixa Foundation
DAY TWO - SESSION I featured discussant Paul Ong, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, Tsao Foundation David Velasco, Dire
DAY TWO - SESSION II featured discussant Alexandre Kalache, President, International Longevity Centre-Brasil and Past Director, Department on Ageing and Life Course, World Health Organization
DAY TWO - Session I featured speaker: Akira Chiba, Ambassador of Japan to Holy See.
DAY TWO - SESSION II featured discussant Shereen Hussein, Professor of Health and Social Care Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Day TWO Participants: Jacobo Mintzer, Oscar Lopez, and Joanne Pike
Caption: Day TWO participants: S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and Founder of the Età Grande Foundation) in conversation with Hana Jalloul (Member, European Parliament for Spain).
DAY TWO - SESSION II: Unleashing the “Silver Economy”: How Demographic Change Will Transform Societies and Present New Opportunities - Diana Rodriguez (moderator), Debra Whitman, Antón Leis García, and Roberto Speranza
DAY TWO - SESSION II: Debra Whitman, Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer, AARP
DAY TWO - SESSION II featured discussant Karabi Acharya, Senior Director, Global Ideas for U.S. Solutions, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
DAY TWO - SESSION II featured discussant Rani Snyder, Acting President, The John A. Hartford Foundation
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO: His Eminence Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò and AARP Chief Executive Officer Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO: His Eminence Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò, AARP Chief Executive Officer Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, and S.E. Mons. Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and Founder of the Età Grande Foundation
DAY TWO Participants: Hana Jalloul, Member, European Parliament (For Spain) delivering a special remark and reflection.
DAY TWO - SESSION II featured discussant Maria Teresa Bellucci, Vice Minister of Labor and Social Policies, Government of Italy
DAY TWO Participants: Yolanda Diaz, Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Government of Spain, delivering a special remark and reflection – via video message
Elma Saiz, Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, Government of Spain, delivering a special remark and reflection – via video message
The Memory Syposium - DAY TWO: Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan and S.E. Mons. Vincenzo Paglia during the Symposium’s closing remarks.
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO participants
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO: Laura Tamblyn Watts, President and Chief Executive Officer, CanAge and AARP Chief Executive Officer Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO: Amal Abou Rafeh, Laura Tamblyn Watts and Shereen Hussein
DAY TWO group photo (L:R): Shereen Hussein, Alfred K. Njamnshi, Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia, Lina Walker, Cherian Mathews
The Memory Symposium - AARP Team with S.E. Mons. Vincenzo Paglia
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO: Debra Whitman, Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer, AARP; S.E. Mons. Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life; and AARP Chief Executive Officer Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan
The Memory Symposium - DAY TWO concludes

 Vatican City Declaration Signing

Signing of the Vatican City Declaration: Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP), S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and Founder of the Età Grande Foundation), and H.E. Judge Mohamed Abdel-Salam
Presentation of the Vatican City Declaration: Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP), S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and Founder of the Età Grande Foundation), and H.E. Judge Mohamed Abdel-Salam
Celebrating the signing of the Vatican City Declaration: Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP), S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life), and H.E. Judge Mohamed Abdel-Salam
Celebrating the signing of the Vatican City Declaration: Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP), S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life), and H.E. Judge Mohamed Abdel-Salam
Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan (Chief Executive Officer, AARP), S.E. Mons Vincenzo Paglia (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life), and H.E. Judge Mohamed Abdel-Salam
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Our work to plan for global population aging will continue.
To share your thoughts or learn more, please email us at: international@aarp.org 

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