1 October 2012: The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and HelpAge International have released a report calling on the international community to develop policy responses and explicit development goals on issues related to ageing and aged people’s concerns, as the proportion of older persons in the world population continues to increase.

The report, titled “Ageing in the Twenty-first Century: A Celebration and a Challenge,” reviews implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing since the 2002 Second World Assembly on Ageing.

The report presents ageing as one of the most significant trends of the 21st century, predicting that by 2050 one in five persons in the world will be over 60. The authors highlight that specific goals relating to older persons are “notably absent” in the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) framework, and call for these to be considered in the post-2015 development agenda.

In the report preface, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that responses undertaken now will determine whether society will reap the benefits of “the longevity dividend” in the future.

The report describes concerns of older people, including income security, access to quality health care, housing and transport, and prevention of discrimination, abuse and violence. It provides examples of programs that successfully address ageing issues and concerns of older persons, and discusses population dynamics and living conditions such as “skipped-generation” households consisting of children and older people, which result from rural-urban migration by the “middle generation” of adults.

Ten priority actions are recommended, including: ensuring that ageing issues are adequately reflected in the post-2015 development agenda through the development of specific goals and indicators; developing a rights-based culture of ageing and challenging age discrimination; and making social investments that prevent impoverishment and extend the autonomy and independence of older people.

The report was released on the International Day of Older Persons, 1 October. Around 20 United Nations entities and major international organizations collaborated to produce the report, which draws on interviews with 1300 older people. HelpAge International is an NGO working with older people to help claim their rights, challenge discrimination and overcome poverty. [Publication: Ageing in the Twenty-first Century: A Celebration and a Challenge] [UNFPA press release] [HelpAge International website]