FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO) has designated areas for possible future studies to include implications for agricultural productivity and sustainability of productive agriculture. Additional areas include to:
Conduct a study of participation of older persons in extension and communication programmes (dependent on funding availability);
Prepare two papers that examine the interrelations between ageing of rural populations, agricultural production and food security, with special focus on areas in Asia and Latin America where fertility has declined and rural and urban migration is important;
Focus, through FAO’s Women in Development Service, on the age of rural populations by introducing ""age"" as a variable in the study, ""Participatory Rural Appraisal and Socio-economic and Gender Analysis,"" which highlights the feminization of agriculture as a growing phenomena, particularly as these women will be increasingly older.
FAO
Mr. Jacques du Guerney
Director
Population Programme
Food and Agriculture Organization
Via della terme de Caracalla
1-00100 Rome, Italy
FAX: (39 6) 5225 5490
Web site:
http://www.fao.org
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO), working closely with the International Social Security Association (ISSA), sees the theme of the IYOP, Towards a Society for All Ages, as a framework within which to address rising social security needs at a time of declining government supports, and for evaluating measures needed for today and those that will be needed in 2020.
ILO
Mr. Jean-Victor Gruat
Chief,
Planning, Development and Standards Branch,
Social Security Department
International Labour Organization
Ch-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 799 7962
Tel: 799-7405; E-mail: Qruat@hq.ilo.ch
Web site:
http://www.ilo.org
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) perceives the theme, A Society for All Ages in terms of its systemic and fiscal implications for individual countries and for the global monetary and trading system. The IMF is actively involved in studying the social consequences of economic reform programmes and the design of appropriate safety nets for older persons adversely affected by reforms. The IMF published, in 1998, ""Social Safety Nets: Issues and Recent Experiences."" Additional activities include to:
Conduct studies on the issues of social security and public pension schemes on an ongoing basis;
Review the social consequences of economic reform programmes and the design of appropriate social safety nets for older persons adversely affected by the reforms.
IMF
Mr. Sanjeev Gupta
Division Chief
Expenditure Policy Division/
Fiscal Affairs Department
International Monetary Fund
Washington, D. C. 20431, U.S.A.
Web site:
http://www.imf.org
INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY ASSOCIATION (ISSA) notes that the provision of social protection arrangements for older persons represents 60 percent of the total expenses for social security in industrialized countries. ISSA, working closely with the International Labour Organization, sees the theme of the IYOP as a framework within which to address rising social security needs at a time of declining government supports, and for evaluating measures needed for today and in 2020. With this in mind, the activities for the IYOP will include to:
Publish a special issue of the International Social Security Review;
Contribute to the events organized by the Geneva International Network on Ageing (GINA); Reference web page: http://www.unige.ch/uta/utainf.htm
Develop a research project on Informing the Pension Debate - the purpose of which will be to share current and future research efforts in the areas of pension reform.
ISSA
Dalmer D. Hoskins
Secretary General
International Social Security Association
P.O. Box 1
CH-1211 Geneva 22
Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 798 8685
Web site:
http://www.aiss.org
UNITED NATIONS CENTRE FOR HUMAN SETTLEMENTS (HABITAT), with the Institute of Public Administration and the NGO Committee on Ageing/NY, is initiating a specific research project entitled ""Living Conditions of Older People in Urban Communities."" This project will:
Facilitate field research in a number of cities in both developed and developing countries that will lead to the compilation of a global report on the findings and recommendations of this initiative. The report will support the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 and the HABITAT Agenda.
Habitat
Mr. Selman Erguden
United Nations Center for Human Settlements
P.O. Box 30030
Nairobi, Kenya
Web site:
http://www.unhabitat.org
UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION (DPI) is working closely with the United Nations programme on ageing to develop a multi-media information campaign for the IYOP. DPI produced the logo and information kit for the Year, and is helping to launch the International Year of Older Persons at United Nations Headquarters on 1 October, 1998, with the UN NGO Committee on Ageing/NY and the UN programme on ageing. Ongoing plans for the IYOP include to:
Target activities and materials to key redisseminators such as media (print and broadcast) governmental agencies, NGOs, educational institutes and business organizations;
Disseminate information via the internet at UN Homepage
Coordinate activities with the Joint United Nations Information Committee (JUNIC).
UN/DPI
Ms. Shala Mokgethi
Focal Point on Ageing
Development and Human Rights section
United Nations Department of Public Information,
Room S-10403
New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.
FAX: (212) 9631186
Web site: http://www.un.org
UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP) is planning a major programme for the IYOP that will provide an excellent opportunity to promote a multigenerational dialogue on development issues. This plan includes to:
Convene the Global Meeting of Generations on 13-15 January, 1999 in Washington D.C., U.S.A. The conference, entitled ""Vision and Action for the Equitable Development in the 21st Century,"" is being held in collaboration with various international organizations whose objective is to stimulate dialogue between the generations to shape development for the future. Leaders will discuss key issues and opportunities facing humanity in the 21st century; Web site for further information: http://www.idc.org/gmg
Schedule a second Conference for 2001 following national dialogues throughout 1999 and 2000, to adopt a ""Visions for Development in the 21st Century.""
Web site:
http://www.undp.org
UNITED NATIONS DIVISION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN (DAW) interprets the IYOP as the possibility to highlight the importance of gender and to promote gender as an issue in the area of older persons. The DAW plans the following activities for the IYOP:
Prepare the Secretary General's report on key global issues regarding the differential impact of population ageing on men and women. The report will focus on the potential of older women and their active role in development;
Prepare the publication of country profiles on the role of older women in development for Spring, 1999.
DAW
Ms. Dorota Gierycz
Officer-in-Charge
Gender Analysis Section
Division for the Advancement of Women
Room. DC2 1250
New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.
Fax: (212) 963-3463
E-mail: Gierycz@un.org
Web site:
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw
UNITED NATIONS DRUG CONTROL PROGRAMME (UNDCP)
UNDCP
Mr. Gale U. Day
Chief, Interagency Coordination Section
United Nations Drug Control Programme
- Vienna International Center, P.O. Box 500
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Fax: (43 1) 21345-5866
Tel: 21345 4094
E-mail: GDAY@UNDCP.UN.ORG
Web site: http://www.undcp.org
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (ESCAP) organized, in cooperation with HelpAge International, a workshop on the Mekong Initiative on Ageing, where national plans of action and projects in support of the IYOP were designed and reviewed. They served as a preliminary contribution to the formulation of a Regional Plan of Action on Ageing. This result led to a meeting on a Plan of Action on Ageing in Asia and the Pacific from 28 September to 1 October, 1998, in Macau. Additional plans include to:
Integrate the theme of the IYOP, Towards a Society for all Ages, in programmes of ESCAP;
Convene a regional workshop/seminar on the theme of the IYOP from 1 - 4 December, 1998, focussing on multigenerational relationships and the interaction of ageing and development;
Undertake case studies on national policies and programmes for older persons.
ESCAP
Mr. Bienvenido Rola
Disadvantaged Groups Section
Social Development Division
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
United Nations Bldg.
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
FAX: (662) 288 1030
Web site:
http://www.unescap.org
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (ECLAC)
Convene a regional conference, ""Latin America and Caribbean Symposium on Older Persons"", to increase knowledge of population ageing and its economic and social consequences, 8 – 10 September 1999, Santiago, Chile.
ECLAC
Mr. Miguel Villa
Head, Population and Development Section
Economic and Social Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Edificio Naciones Unidas
Avenida Dag Hammarskjold
Vitacura
Santiago, Chile
Web site:
http://www.eclac.cl
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA (ESCWA)
ESCWA
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
Web site:
http://www.escwa.org.lb
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA (ECA)
ECA
CHIEF
Social Development Section
Economic Commission for Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Web site: http://www.un.org/Depts/eca
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (ECE) is organizing, in collaboration with the Institut Universitaire Kurt Bosch (IKB), and the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA), a conference on the status of older people in Europe and North America, on 13 - 15 December, 1999, in Sion, Switzerland. The conference entitled ""Status of the Older Population: Prelude to the 21st Century"" aims to:
Review the conditions of life of older persons in the last decade of this century;
Highlight findings from a previous ECE project that collected and analyzed microdata samples from the 1990 round of census in Europe and North America;
Prepare an agenda of needed research in the field of ageing for the 21st century.
ECE
Mr. Miroslav Macura
Chief, Population Activities Unit
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais Des Nations CH-1211
Geneva, Switzerland
Fax: (41) 22 917 0101;Tel: 229172764
E-mail: miroslav.macura@unece.org
Web site: http://www.unece.org
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (UNESCO) co-sponsored in May, 1998, with the International Council for Global Health Progress, and the International Longevity Center, a conference entitled ""Worldwide Revolution in Longevity and Quality of Life: Opportunities, Challenges and Responses."" For the IYOP, UNESCO plans to:
Co-sponsor a 1999 symposium with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in New York, on LifeLong Learning;
Contribute to the publication of a book on illustrated images of older persons that will combine paintings and photographs.
Distribute a specially-made interactive calendar for 1999 as a means to inspire schools to carry out intergenerational dialogues and activities during the IYOP;
Publish a small booklet based on the most interesting and successful results achieved by the schools in observing the IYOP. The booklet will serve as a resource material for follow-up action during the International Year for the Culture of Peace –2000 and the International Year of Volunteers – 2001.
UNESCO
Mr. A. Mariro
Focal Point on Ageing
Adult Education Section
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
7, place de Fontenoy
F-75700 Paris, France
Web site:
http://www.unesco.org
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR), through their Inspection and Evaluation Service, carried out an analysis of the problems and issues relating to older refugees, and produced a study in 1998 which highlights three crucial issues affecting the older population: social disintegration, the erosion of social support systems through economic decline, and the dispersal of families. UNHCR seeks to integrate and mainstream organizational efforts to better assist older refugees within regular assistance programs. This will include to:
Create stronger linkages with agencies that specialize in service provision for older refugees and persons of concern;
Strengthen community service activities for the inclusion of older persons;
Prepare specific training manuals;
Coordinate a workshop for Eastern Europe focusing on the needs of older persons.
Web site:
http://www.unhcr.ch
UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN (INSTRAW) will conduct various projects during the IYOP that include to:
Address the older woman issue vis-a-vis violence against women, women’s health, and women’s life cycle, i.e., the girl child and older women;
Prepare a 1999 Calendar/Weekly planner that will feature prominent women from various countries around the world and within the United Nations;
Focus particular attention on the role of older women in supporting households and families where the principal woman migrates, in the programme, ""Temporary Migration of Women;""
Dedicate the December, 1998 issue (No. 29) of the periodical INSTRAW News to the IYOP which will feature articles on various issues related to women’s life cycle.
INSTRAW
Ms. Yakin Artwork
Director, International Research and Training Institute
for the Advancement of Women
Cesar Nicolas Person 102-A
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
Fax: (809) 685-2117
Tel. (809) 685-211
Web site: http://www.un.org/instraw
UNITED NATIONS POPULATION DIVISION has a long tradition of studying population ageing. They will issue the 1998 revision of the United Nations population estimates and projections, which will see the 80 years and above age group disaggregated in five-year increments for the first time. Currently the Population Division/DESA is engaged in a number of activities, including to:
Promote the theme of population growth, distribution, changing population age structures and socioeconomic aspects of changing age structure, in the 1999 Report, ""World Population Monitoring;""
Poll governments on views and policies on the age structure of population with the results of the inquiry published in a monograph;
Hold a United Nations Symposium on Population Ageing and Living Arrangements in Cities (pending funding).
DESA
Mr. Barry Mirkin
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Population Division
Population and Development Section
Room DC2-2040
New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.
FAX:(212) 963 2147
Web site: POPIN (United Nations Population Information Network)
[http://www.undp.org/popin/popin.htm]
UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA) supports a number of global and regional projects on population ageing. These projects are designed to train policy-makers, planners and local communities in developing countries and to seek approaches and policies that address the needs of older persons. In relation to the International Year of Older Persons, UNFPA will launch the report on ""The State of World Population 1998: The New Generations."" Additional plans include to:
Hold an international technical meeting on population ageing during October, 1998, in Belgium;
Produce, from the Belgium Meeting, a set of recommendations to improve the quality of life of older persons that can be incorporated into the background document being prepared for the February, 1999 International Forum. This Forum will be held in The Hague on the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme and Action.
Web site:
http://www.unfpa.org
WORLD BANK is actively involved in lending activities related to pension reform. Some activities that the World Bank will conduct during the IYOP include to:
Develop a pension toolkit to analyze a pension system and subsequent training workshops on its use;
Prepare a pension primer which will serve as a companion volume to ""Averting the Old Age Crisis;""
Participate in conferences and seminars organized by the Economic Development Institute which focus on pension reform issues;
Develop a Web Page containing a bibliography of documents pertaining to pension issues;
Study the effects of ageing on demographics: 1) how ageing affects mobility, migration, food availability and life expectancy; and 2) health finance--how ageing affects health care costs.
WORLD BANK
Mr. Steen Jorgensen
Acting Director
HDDSP
World Bank
Headquarters
Washington, D.C. 20433
U.S.A.
Fax: (202) 522-3252
Web site:
http://www.worldbank.org
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) believes that the IYOP theme reflects similar values and principles as WHO's Health for All strategy. The role of WHO's Ageing and Health Programme (AHE) is to act as a catalyst to stimulate Member States to adopt policies supporting interventions that slow down the loss or decline of functional capacity, or where this is not feasible, ensure the best possible quality of life. The AHE programme includes but is not limited to: research, advocacy, and World Health Day. WHO’s specific programme for the IYOP includes to:
Conduct research and develop global strategies to help countries formulate policies to address the public health impact of rapidly ageing populations in both developed and, especially, developing countries;
Convene, through the AHE programme, an International Ageing and Health Symposium in Kobe, Japan, on 10-13 November, 1998, ""A Global Challenge for the 21st Century."" Web site for further information: http://www.who.or.jp
Commemorate the International Day of Older Persons on October 1, 1999 through a world-wide walk to be celebrated the following day, October 2, 1999. This event will launch the Global Movement on Active Ageing. The Global Walk for Active Ageing will ""embrace the globe"" for 24 hours. Events will begin at the date line in Tonga, New Zealand, and proceed around the globe. Close cooperation with the media, GINA, and identifying local partners are part of the project. Guidelines for the walk are available through AHE.
In cooperation with GINA, launch the IYOP at the United Nations in Geneva with a three-day event beginning on 1 October, 1998; Reference web page: http://www.unige.ch/uta/utainf.htm
Devote World Health Day, an annual worldwide celebration, 7 April, 1999, to the theme, ""Active Ageing--Let’s Add Life to Years.""
Establish a Programme of Research on Ageing and Health; an Expert Committee on Determinants of Healthy Ageing will meet in Geneva on 1 - 7 December, 1998.
WHO
Alexandre Kalache, MD. PhD
Chief, Ageing and Health Programme
World Health Organization
Geneva-27 CH 1211
Switzerland
Fax: 791-4839;Tel. 791-3004
E-mail: KALACHEA@WHO.CH
Web site:
http://www.who.org
Welcome to the United Nations