General Assembly Session 54 meeting 23

The President

Members will recall that the Assembly, pursuant to resolution 52/80 of 12 December 1997, decided at its 3rd plenary meeting on 17 September 1999 to devote four plenary meetings on Monday and Tuesday, 4 and 5 October 1999, to the follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons. I welcome to the United Nations those of you who have come to this important meeting from different parts of the world, and I wish you all a pleasant stay in New York.

The theme of the International Year of Older Persons, "A society for all ages", is founded on the basic idea of inclusiveness, which should inform the human relations, family cohesion and social development that strengthen the society. In this sense, the theme of ageing links us to an early period of the evolution of society and community interdependence when older persons were revered for their wisdom and as repositories of traditions, customs and past achievements. This is, indeed, a welcome sign of a return to our roots and humanity.

For these reasons, the presence in this Hall of so many senior Government representatives and other elderly and esteemed participants coming from their capitals demonstrates the importance which Member States attach to the issue of ageing of persons and populations.

Questions relating to ageing have been on the United Nations agenda since as far back as 1948. The noble ideals and objectives enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enjoin us to strive towards creating and maintaining human societies based on family values of loving and caring among all members of the family. Elders, parents, youth and children are all linked together through reciprocal relationships which continuously enrich their common heritage.

It was not, however, until the adoption of the International Plan of Action on Ageing by the World Assembly on Ageing, held in Vienna in 1982, that States and civil society started adopting public policy and other concrete measures to deal with ageing. This Plan of Action is now the central policy document of United Nations discussions and activities on ageing.

The United Nations General Assembly has taken significant steps since the World Assembly on Ageing to underscore the importance which Member States attach to the issue of ageing. These steps include: the designation, in 1990, of 1 October as the International Day of Older Persons; the adoption, in 1991, of the United Nations Principles for Older Persons; and, in 1992, the agreement on the global targets on ageing for the year 2001. In addition, in 1992, the General Assembly proclaimed 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons.

In the 1992 Proclamation on Ageing, the Assembly urged the international community to give generous support to national initiatives on ageing, consistent with national cultures and social conditions in relevant countries. Thus it is encouraging to see that in the course of this year, focal points have been established in more than 100 Member States. This clearly indicates that more and more nations are recognizing a significant increase in the population of their older citizens, who are now living longer. Perhaps more importantly, there is growing awareness of the extraordinary speed with which these numbers will grow in the years to come, sooner rather than later. These facts, I believe, have major implications for our thinking, attitudes and commitment and the public policy of nations.

The Secretary-General points out in his report entitled "International Year of Older Persons, 1999: activities and legacies" that legislative initiatives have been undertaken or reinforced and strategies to deal with ageing put in place by some Member States. While these efforts are forward looking, more concrete actions need to be taken.

The central theme of the International Year of Older Persons has drawn its inspiration from the World Summit for Social Development, held in March 1995 in Copenhagen. Since the Year's theme was first introduced in the Secretary-General's report of 1995 (A/50/114), its core ideas have been developed to the point where it is now possible to suggest a model for the development of a policy framework on ageing. This model aims to present a new view and a new way of assessing ageing of individuals and populations in a more holistic way. Surely, this is the best approach.

I am confident that over the next two days the debate will be characterized by new ideas and a renewed commitment to the Proclamation on Ageing, which calls for the recognition of humanity's demographic coming of age and the promise it holds for maturing attitudes and innovations in political, legal, social, economic, cultural and spiritual fields as our collective and determined way of preparing ourselves towards social justice, global peace, human development equality in the next century. "A society for all ages" is a solemn exhortation directed at us all for an enlightened and goal-oriented debate on the challenges and opportunities that it conveys.

I now call on the Deputy Secretary-General.

The Deputy Secretary-General

I am very happy to be with you today as you gather to discuss the follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons. When he launched this International Year last October, the Secretary-General said we were in the midst of a silent revolution. I am pleased to say that the silence has been broken.

Throughout the Year, 99 national committees and innumerable other actors from all sectors -- Governments, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and the corporate world, not to mention the United Nations family -- convened conferences, organized campaigns, launched studies, held cultural events and created Internet pages, all in pursuit of one goal: highlighting the issue of ageing and raising awareness of the implications of the demographic revolution for individuals and societies all over the world. I would say that together they have done excellent work.

Although it was not news to anyone that our societies are ageing, it was necessary to put some basic facts into sharper focus. Globally, 1 out of every 10 persons is age 60 or over. By 2020, the corresponding figure will be one out of every eight persons, and by 2150, every third person will be over 60.

Although statistics are often said to hide more than they reveal, these are, by any standards, startling numbers. They show beyond any doubt that, even if all other things remain equal, families, communities and societies will be dramatically different a century from now. And since we don't know very much else about what tomorrow's world will look like, it would indeed be foolish not to prepare for one of the transformations we do know we will have to face.

Another important fact the Year has brought to light is that although Europe is projected to remain the major area of the world affected by ageing, future changes will be more dramatic in the less developed countries. Moreover, these regions will be facing the ageing factor at the same time as they face a large increase in their total population, as well as the ongoing challenge of development. So their strategies will have to be tailored accordingly. When it comes to ageing policies, one size does not fit all.

Developed countries will mainly have to address the special needs of the growing number of very old people in their populations and to examine the appropriateness of current retirement policies and practices, income security provisions and pension schemes. Less developed countries will have to focus more on the link between ageing and development, the eradication of poverty in older populations, support for families, health care, and human and institutional capacities to address the needs of older people.

The Year also helped put the ageing revolution in a more positive perspective. Extending life expectancy is, we have been reminded, something humanity has always striven for; achieving it is truly one of the greatest successes of this century. With it naturally comes the ageing of societies. Like all structural changes, this poses a challenge. As long as we do not cling to outdated ideas and habits, this challenge can be a great opportunity.

Of course, this will only be possible if the older generations participate fully in the life of their communities and countries. They have to be given the means to do so. As the International Plan of Action on Ageing said as long ago as 1982, in paragraph 32:

"the transition to a positive, active and developmentally oriented view of aging may well result from action by elderly people themselves, through the sheer force of their growing number and influence."

This is an appealing idea. But we should not take it to indicate that everything will just fall into place once there are enough older people around. A lot of planning can be done, and must be done, for ageing to become a positive force.

The Deputy Secretary-General

The International Year has helped us to become aware of the fact that, throughout the twentieth century policies concerning older persons were drawn up in the context of young societies. Henceforth, it is with ageing societies in mind that we need to tailor our policies, that we need to formulate all our policies, including those concerning other age groups.

Having collectively realized our dream of a longer life expectancy, we now need to adapt to it. On the level of policies, infrastructures and distribution of resources, Governments will need to seek the means to meet varying aspirations and needs.

Financial security and the health of older persons naturally remain a key concern. Our thinking should go much further, however, to include questions such as continued training, the promotion of healthy life styles from early in life, extended families, relations between generations, the status of women, labour policies and the link between ageing and socio-economic development. In all these spheres, investments made today will avoid considerable imbalances and dependencies later on, both for the individual and for ageing societies. I would go further: if these policies are carefully thought out, they will allow for the transformation of what could otherwise become a burden into a valuable source of human, social and economic capital.

Well thought out investments assume concerted and planned action, rather than timely intervention. The question of ageing, with its numerous and extremely complex ramifications, has to be examined in the broadest context possible. In other words, the way to confront it seriously is to make it an integral part of all economic and social development programmes, whether local, national or international.

The United Nations, for its part, is determined to play its part so that the International Year may continue to bear fruit. As the Assembly knows, we have launched long-term initiatives, such as the Research Agenda on Ageing for the Twenty-first Century and a data bank on national policies and programmes, accessible on the Internet. I invite all States Members to actively support these projects and benefit from them. And I thank all those who have already made a generous financial contribution.

The International Year of Older Persons is not an end in itself, but a springboard. Like all springboards, it can change a resolute impulse into a great leap forward. It can give us the necessary impetus to create a richer and more mature society in the next century, relying on the participation of each individual and meeting the needs of all its members, no matter what their age. Let us not lose this opportunity.

I wish the Assembly success in its work.

The President

Before calling on the first speaker on the list, I should like to recall that a note verbale dated 3 September 1999 was transmitted to permanent missions, with the suggestion that statements at these four plenary meetings should not exceed 10 minutes.

In view of the large number of speakers on the list, it would be appreciated if speakers adhered to the 10-minute guideline.

Ms. Perho (Finland)

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