Condition of Elderly in Palestinian Occupied Territories, Countries in Economic Transition among issues raised in Ageing Assembly

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GUNTA ROBEZNIECE (Latvia): Due to historical circumstances, Latvia did not participate in the First World Assembly on Ageing in 1982, and the decisions made in Vienna did not significantly influence the life of the Latvian people. Under the old social system, little attention was paid to the integration of older people into society. A new system, based on decentralization and individual responsibility, is now being introduced in the country.

Latvia's demographic situation has worsened following the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the country's transition to the market economy. Up to 20 per cent of the population belong to the elderly group. Tobacco, drugs and alcohol abuse, as well as physical inactivity, remain among the problems encountered in the country.

To improve the situation of the elderly people, Latvia has decided to move towards a radical shift in the pension system. One of the main goals is to reverse the upward trend in pension expenditures and make the pension system affordable to following generations. Following the reform, people are able to make contributions towards their retirement throughout their working years. A number of years of projected life expectancy is taken into account when calculating the amount of payments. The pensions are directly connected to the number and amount of contributions to the pension fund made during an individual's working years.

SORAIA BARGHOUTI, representative for Palestine: As a result of the grave deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, we deeply regret that we have not been able to give you first-hand information about the situation in which our people live, particularly the elderly. This is truly saddening, as our older populations and all our people continue to live under the tyranny of Israeli occupation. Those actions are being committed in total contravention of international humanitarian law and, most significantly, the many resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. We call on the international community to intervene to urge Israel and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to put an end such savage practices.

In order to help older persons in developing countries, it is imperative to review policies and priorities at both the national and international levels in order to ensure continued assistance to them and to promote their full inclusion and participation in the development of their communities. The people of Palestine have been living under the harsh conditions of brutal Israeli occupation for nearly 35 years now. Since September 2000, Israel, the occupying Power, has intensified its bloody military attacks on the Palestinian people living in the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, resulting in the killing of more than 1,200 Palestinian children, women, men and elderly persons. While the collective punishment which the Palestinian people have suffered -- including forced detention and curfews -- has negatively affected the entire population, the highest price has been paid by the elderly. Those persons have been deprived of all fundamental rights and dignity and have been forced to walk long distances under perilous conditions and have lost access to even basic necessities such as food and water. The most critical situation is in Palestinian refugee camps.

We can do little to help the situation of our older persons as the occupying Power has paralysed any and all development and implemented a military rule which has suspended regulations governing civil society and social activity. In short, Israel has destroyed everything that we have built with your support. But even in the face of such intolerable conditions, the Palestinian Authority has been striving to create the foundation for a State framework that balances the duties and rights of its citizens. The most significant ministry created under the Authority's initiatives has been the Ministry of Social Affairs, which focuses great attention on the situation of the elderly. By the year 2025, the total number of Palestinians over 65 will constitute an estimated 10 per cent of the population. The Ministry provides care to all persons in need, including the elderly, and is working to implement various initiatives on their behalf, including promoting and strengthening the role of the family to enable older persons to care for themselves, and establishing mobile health service to reach older persons in need wherever they are.

In all this, we call on the international community, the United Nations and the donor community to bear their responsibilities towards all our people, including the elderly, in order to alleviate their suffering. We call on global actors to establish an international force to provide protection for the Palestinian people until Israel fully withdraws from the occupied Palestinian territories.

SHARON CAPELING-ALAKIJA, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers: There is nothing new about volunteering. Many older people in all cultures, far from withdrawing from participating in society, continue to contribute actively to their communities by volunteering through programmes led by NGOs, governments and the private sector. Many older people are actively engaged in voluntary action through mutual aid activities. Volunteering makes a vital economic and social contribution to society.

Lately, there has been acceptance of the need to approach voluntary activities strategically, as a means of enhancing resources, addressing global concerns and providing opportunities for all groups of society to participate. This acceptance has received particular impetus during the recently celebrated International Year of Volunteers. I am pleased to note that the draft Plan of Action on ageing, builds upon last December's General Assembly resolution on volunteering by recognizing the need to empower older persons to fully participate in the life of their societies, including through volunteer work. This recognition was absent from the first International Plan of Action.

The draft also makes an explicit point that voluntary activities in the community represent one of the areas where older persons make valuable contributions. The text expands on the General Assembly recommendations on government support to volunteering, with special emphasis on older persons. The International Year of Volunteers was a watershed in the ways volunteerism is perceived by all sectors of society. It is with satisfaction that we note how governments here are building on the momentum created by the International Year.

JUAN MANUEL SUAREZ DEL TORO RIVERO, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: It is clear that the global phenomenon of ageing will affect every person, every country and every aspect of our daily lives. The issues of health and social welfare, including the problem of HIV/AIDS, as well as of migration, are among the challenges now facing the world.

HIV/AIDS is the biggest health disaster in the world today, affecting the lives of millions of people and threatening the very survival of whole countries. The pandemic has a massive impact on the lives of older people. It is crucial that we recognize the vital role of older people in the fight against the disease -- particularly caring for sick children and orphaned grandchildren. The challenge faced by the volunteers of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and many other civil society actors, is to ensure the quality of care and support provided to both orphaned children and older people.

The concern of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in the area of migration is connected to the vulnerability of the groups of people affected by this phenomenon. It is the responsibility of governments and communities to protect and assist migrants, ensure their human rights and work with them to help them integrate and feel part of the community. It is also necessary to seriously consider the issue of older people from countries that send migrants and the protection of their human rights.

The work of our older volunteers has an immense impact on social, political and economic development. It helps them to stay "connected" with society, and it demonstrates their ability to be useful and productive members of society. We should work to expand and further develop the current knowledge and research into older people as volunteers. We must also strive to include older people in the search for solutions for improving their quality of life. Governments and civil society must acknowledge the contributions of older people and recognize their rights, at the same time enabling them to continue developing and participating in their communities.

DADI JANKI, Chief Administrative Head of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University: Our world is ageing as never before. In order to keep up with this transformation, individuals, families and communities everywhere will need to change too. Such change will be essential in order to ensure the rights and needs of the increasing number of older people. Yet, if a rapidly ageing society brings challenges, it also offers benefits in a world that needs the wisdom, maturity and insight of its elders. To realize the potential of our elder communities, we must call on humankind to enhance its spiritual development. Our university strongly supports the idea of a society that includes and values all people, regardless of age, gender and race. We believe that the foundation of an integrated society that lives by a culture of peace, dignity and caring will truly reflect the spirituality of humankind. So, if a society is to include all humanity, it must first include the human spirit.

To build a society for all ages we must recognize active ageing. By including elders as full participants in society, their self-esteem and dignity will be ensured. We must truly promote dialogue and interaction with our elders in order to learn from the past and make positive preparations for the future. This will help create harmony between generations, cooperation among equals and unity among all people. The values, principles and wisdom that seniors can give to others are humankind's forgotten treasure. Our efforts must now be focused on ways to develop these values and translate them as practical life changes for all. This will require inner power and spiritual practice -- the dedication of time and inner self. Collective change is possible, but it must start with each of us. And when our efforts are combined with the gift of God's blessing, the task of bringing about a better world can be achieved.

EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ ROVIRA, Chair of CEOMA and Co-Chairman of the NGO Forum: As you know, the NGO Forum was successfully held in Madrid, with very little resources but broad and active participation -- from 5 to 9 April. It included the participation of some 300 institutions, with representatives from over 179 countries. The outcome of our meeting aims to complement and strengthen international efforts to ensure the development of the rights of older persons. We have prepared a list of proposals for consideration by this Assembly, as well as all governments and civil society actors. The proposals address the fact that in many States, elderly persons face extreme poverty and social exclusion. Many elderly persons do not live a dignified existence and are often invisible to their governments.

We are calling on global actors to, among other things, enforce strict and full implementation of international human rights instruments, without distinctions to age. The Forum would like to seek the elaboration of an international convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against older persons. We call on governments to ensure that older persons have the right of social protection, guaranteeing long-term care and the non-use of pension funds for other causes. There should be social and health networks which aim to ensure dignified ageing at home, as well as the integration of the elderly, particularly elderly women, into labour markets. We call on international financial institutions to stop elaborating polices which cut back on social development resources for poor countries.

We call on developed countries, particularly those that host migrants, to stand by their international commitments in that regard. We call on United Nations Member States to re-commit themselves to ensuring the provision of the prescribed official development assistance (ODA) goals. The United Nations should seriously consider the setting up of a social emergency fund to alleviate the effects of prolonged economic crisis and natural disasters that exacerbate the precarious situation of older persons in developing countries. NGOs must participate in the planning and management of projects and services for senior citizens. The Forum proposes the creation of a council of senior citizens, which will promote peace and contribute to peace-building efforts. Although we have been presented with several arguments related to the availability of resources, we must insist on the creation of an agency within the United Nations specializing in issues related to older persons. Such an agency would monitor the Plan of Action adopted by this Assembly.

OILDA MONTOYA, President of the Union Democratica de Pensionistas of Spain and Co-Chair of the NGO Forum: Members of the Union are veterans defending the legal protection of their lives. We are also working to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable groups of society. As older persons, we call for recognition of our contribution to society.

NGOs must all work together to seek greater political influence and ensure that States recognize the right of older people to at least minimal income, personal independence and integration in society. Older persons are often excluded from the public arena, and yet the increase in our number means that new public activities should be considered for our benefit. There is also a political aspect of ageing, and that is represented by our participation in elections. In the NGO Forum, we spoke about the involvement of civil society in the design of public policies. We must have a society for all ages, based on solidarity, human rights and social commitment.

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