The UN Press Kit for the Second World Assembly on Ageing

March 2002

Population ageing: facts and figures
According to the United Nations Report - World Population Ageing: 1950-2050, the demographic changes of today and tomorrow are extraordinary and profound. Human society will itself be restructured, as social and economic forces compel us to find new ways of living, working and caring for one another.

Ageing and Development
Today, human society is being "restructured" by three simultaneous processes: globalization, urbanization and population ageing. Developing countries, once again, are being hit hardest. The process of population ageing in developing countries will bring with it new challenges that are different from those confronted by developed countries. Hopefully, the Second World Assembly on Ageing holding in Madrid, in April 2002 will have some of the answers.

Population planning on the development agenda
Population has long been recognized as one of the most important factors in the development process. But today, the ageing of the population is increasingly being recognized as a process of major significance for all societies.

Social research takes on challenges of population ageing
According to the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), population ageing is both part of and influenced by the wider processes of development and transformation. The well-being and quality of life of older persons depend largely on their ability to manage opportunities and risks in a time of rapid and complex change.

Putting older experts to work
For older persons, getting connected could mean getting in touch and staying engaged on many levels. Information available on the Internet can bring libraries to one's fingertips. Chat rooms can bring house-bound older persons right into the stream of human discourse, in something very close to real time. 

Training for elder care
Over the past few decades, governments have begun to realize the implications of population ageing within their own countries, and they have responded by creating care programs and delivery services aimed at meeting the needs of older persons. But these services have not always produced the expected results.

Providing a safe and enabling environment
The living environment for older people becomes tremendously important as they age, and families and older persons are often confronted with painful or expensive choices. Homes that were wonderful for a young family can prove to be an obstacle course for an older person.

Productive ageing: voluntary action by older people
The "grey cloud" on the horizon today - the rapidly ageing population feared by the doom-and-gloom crowd - has several silver linings that have too long gone unnoticed, under-appreciated and under-utilized. One of these is the contribution of voluntary work by older persons, those who choose and who are able to remain active and productive members of society.

No safety net for older migrants and refugees
Older refugees represent some 11.5 per cent of refugee populations and, in some cases, they may represent as much as 30 percent. The majority of older refugees are women. Older refugees commonly encounter three main problems: social disintegration, negative social selection and chronic dependency.

HIV/AIDS and older people
Twenty years after the first clinical evidence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was reported, AIDS has become one of the most devastating diseases humankind has ever faced. While most of its victims are young adults, the pandemic has had major consequences for older people as well. And the demands on older care-givers, especially in Africa, are particularly onerous. HIV/AIDS is a major area of concern for participants of the Second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid.

Elder abuse widespread and unreported, says new report by Secretary-General
Abuse of older persons - physical, sexual and emotional - and their financial exploitation, commonly go unnoticed and unreported, with only the most severe cases commanding attention. The subject of "elder abuse" is for the first time on the United Nations agenda.

Decent jobs: social inclusion and social protection
As the number of older persons increases, so will the need to ensure their social inclusion, based on an income from decent work or retirement and a chance to participate in community life. According to the International Labour Organization, "decent work" is work that meets people's basic aspirations, not only for income, but also for security for themselves and their families, in a working environment that is safe.