Telephone Interview with Mónica Roque

Global Action on Aging

June 26, 2009

Argentina

GAA: Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you born? Where did you complete your studies? Were there important people in your life growing up?

MR: I grew up in Córdoba, which is a province in Argentina. I did my pre-med studies in Córdoba and completed my graduate studies in gerontology in Buenos Aires. There is not one person who stands out but the older persons in my family influenced me a lot.

GAA: How did you become interested in the field of aging? What was your path in the field?

MR: I was always interested in social justice. I worked as a doctor in the social work field, I belong to the Justicialist Party in which Eva Perón is a very key figure and from whom I learned I to love those who have been marginalized, and what social justice really means.

GAA: What are your responsibilities? How large is your team to carry out this enormous task? What are the main rights issues facing older people in Argentina?

MR: In addition to be the National Director for Older Persons, I am also the Director for the Career in Gerontology at the National University of Mar del Plata. Within the last two years, we have trained 300 gerontologists and we are training 300 more, who will be added to those who already existed. The public policy for older persons is carried out within Ministry of Social Development, under the National Secretary of the Child, Adolescent and Family, from which the National Management of Politics for Older Persons stems, which I head. However, other very important organisms exit such as the PAMI (the National Institute of Social Services for Retired Persons), ANSES (the National Administration for Social Security), the Federal Counsel for Older Persons and representatives from Argentina’s 24 provinces, with whom our office communicates with. As for the central office, I work with 50 staff members but I also communicate with the regional offices. I coordinate with 9 senior care centers around Buenos Aires, and with programs that focus on care, prevention against discrimination and abuse, older volunteers, university for older persons, etc. 
The principal goals are to maintain the social security being offered to over 90% of the population and to ensure medical coverage for all. The biggest challenges are to protect older persons in rural areas, especially in care centers. 

GAA: Why are you interested in a Human Rights Convention for Older Persons? When did you start becoming active in this effort? What do you make of the regional process?

MR: In a world as unjust as this one, it is necessary that legal instruments exist that hold governments accountable, especially the poorest ones, to guarantee the rights of older persons. It has been 2 years, in conjunction with the Brasilia Declaration, since I have started being involved in the Convention creation process. As for the regional process, we are in the process of working closely with CEPAL, OPS, the United Nations and the OEA.

GAA: Were you conscious of the issues around privatization of pensions that the World Bank and other international financial institutions imposed as conditionality on Argentina for funding? Did Did the actions of Paula Duarte (who hanged herself in political protest against pension privatization in 1992) and Norma Pla (a pensioners rights activist) impact your consciousness – or others you know – about elder human rights? 

MR: Yes, I was aware of the World Bank’s actions and other international funds but fortunately, our national pensions were made public about a year ago. Norma Pla was a strong fighter, who gathered with supporters to really for better pensions. The pensions were frozen for 10 years on the 150 Argentine pesos. Néstor Kirchner’s government was the first after 10 years to increase the pension amounts which Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has increased to 800 Argentine pesos. Furthermore we moved from the capitalist system to the distribution system, one which is more just and in solidarity. 

GAA: What are some of the essential topics that you feel must be covered in both a regional and a global convention on aging issues? 

MR: Retirement, pensions, health care, and those who are institutionalized.

GAA: You are a key figure in the worldwide movement for a human rights convention. How can NGOs and others be helpful to you in this effort?

MR: The most important thing that NGOs can do is to be a reliable source of information for the public. It is important for the public to know that we have a document which will link all of us together. We must also fight in our individual countries for a convention. We would like the International Convention to develop as soon as possible; therefore it would be useful if NGOs share the agenda with the public via their websites, newspapers, and their individual ways.

GAA: Thank you for taking your time to respond to our questions.

MR: Thank you, it was my pleasure.

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