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Speech delivered by H.E. Ambassador Mr. Mohammed F. Al-Allaf during the
International Day of Older Persons
H.E.Ambassador Mr. Mohammed F. Al-Allaf
October 8, 2009
I am very pleased to participate in this Symposium on the occasion of the 19th annual commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons. I would like to thank the NGO Committee on Ageing for organizing this important event.
The topic of this year, “Ageing Activism: A Global Tool to Create a Society for All Ages”, offers a great opportunity to discuss how active ageing can help to create a society for all ages in our respective regions and countries.
As the World Health Organization states in its document entitled “Active Ageing: a political frame”, active ageing is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age.
For his part, in his latest report on the follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing, the Secretary-General highlights that “active ageing is increasingly becoming the norm, with the emphasis on adding life to one´s years rather than simply years to one´s life”. In this context, it is very crucial to ensure the full participation of growing numbers of older people in our respective societies.
In my presentation today, first I would like to refer to ageing in the context of the European Union, and later on I will offer some reflections on active ageing in Spain.
1.As regards the situation in Europe, the age structure of the EU population is projected to dramatically change in the coming decades due to the dynamics of fertility, life expectancy and migration rates. In 50 years time, the population is projected to be slightly larger (505.7 million by 2060 in comparison with 495.4 million in 2008), and much older. In this sense, the number of elderly will almost double, raising from 85 million in 2008 to 151 million in 2060. The number of very old people (aged 80 years and above) is projected to almost triple from 22 million in 2008 to 61 million in 2060. In this context, the European Union through the European Commission, is dealing with the economic and social implications of ageing in the framework of the Social Policy Agenda (2005-2010). The main objectives are: adequate healthcare (public expenditure on health care is to increase between 0.7 and 2.3 GDP points for 2000-2050); active ageing (including working longer and being active after retirement); and ensuring adequate and sustainable pensions.
2.Turning now to the specific case of Spain, the Spanish population is ageing rapidly and 17% of the total population is already over 65 years. According to the OECD the percentage of people over 65 in Spain will reach 35.7% by 2050, and thus our country will be in third position world-wide after Japan (39.6%) and the Republic of Korea (38.2%).
Faced to this demographic reality, the concept of active old age as a phase of life full of possibilities for personal development and social participation is at the basis of Spain´s social policies for older persons. Today I would like to share with you the main areas where the Spanish Government is working on in order to promote active ageing:
1.Promotion of ongoing education and adaptation of the educational system to the changing demographic
conditions.
There are two types of ongoing education for older persons:
-Formal education. The Ministry of Education provides basic education for adults (literacy programs; and preparation for examinations to access secondary education and university), including distance education. In 2008 42% of the students included in adult formal education were over the age of 40 and 14% of this group were over 64 years.
-Informal education consists of training activities to promote the active participation of older persons in the social, cultural and political life. The training is organized by public and private institutions at the national, regional and local level. Two main initiatives in this area are:
• University for the Elderly programs, carried out in Spanish universities outside formal education. The programs are aimed at older persons between 50 and 70 years old, and are focused on 5 areas: humanities and social sciences, legal and economic services, environmental sciences, and new technologies. Around 23,000 people have taken place in these programs in the past 3 years.
• Mentor classes are distance-learning classes organized by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Autonomous Communities, City Councils and NGOS. There are more than 350 ongoing classes on subjects like internet, environmental issues, health and education.
2.Promotion of quality of life and an independent life for older persons.
The main areas developed by the Ministry of Health and Social Policies are:
-Personal autonomy and assistance to persons in a situation of dependency. The 2006 law on this matter created a new universal citizenship right in Spain: the right of older persons and persons with disabilities who cannot take care of themselves to receive attention and assistance with the support of the public system. More than 1 million persons have received assistance so far. One interesting provision of the law is that women that look after dependent family members (often older women) will receive financial remuneration and participate in the Social Security system.
-Remote assistance. The service is provided by a telephone line located in the users´homes, which allows older persons to speak from any part of their homes, 24 hours a day, with a centre staffed by professionals trained to give adequate responses to the needs of older persons. 176. 278 older persons used this service in 2008.
-Training of professionals. Training in social services is carried out by the Ministry of Health and Social Services in collaboration with universities, the Federation of municipalities and provinces, and associations of older persons among others. The target of the training are professionals, planners and those in charge of managing and implementing programs and services related to older persons; as well as university students.
-Program of holidays for older persons is a very popular program led by the Ministry of Health and Social Policies. It started in 1985 with 16,000 vacancies and has grown steadily in terms of destinations and participating companies. In 2008, 1 million vacancies were offered. The program is funded by the Government and the users.
3.Economic security for older persons and flexible retirement.
In recent years the pension system has undergone some reforms in order to reinforce it according to the principles of contribution, solidarity and sufficiency. Now there is greater correspondence between contributions and services in determining retirement pension. Upon the passing of a 2007 Act on Social Security, accreditation of 15 years of effective contribution is required. Furthermore, basic pensions have been increased between 20% and 25% in the last few years.
Finally, I would like to highlight that Spain is actively involved in the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and its Regional Implementation Strategy. In this sense, Spain participates in the newly constituted working group on ageing of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. The working group held its first meeting in Geneva in December 2008 and will hold a second meeting on 23-24 November 2009. During its first meeting, the working group identified 3 priorities: development of indicators to generate better yardsticks to measure the implementation of policies; capacity-building (including country road maps on ageing for the next 2 years); and a new format of policy briefs for policy-makers (the format will help to break down complex issues and provide advice on policy options).
I would like to end my remarks today expressing our great appreciation for the role of civil society on the issue of ageing. Civil society has proved to be a knowledgeable and dynamic partner and its contributions and encouragement are very important for the work of this Organization and its Member States.
Thank you very much.
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