Welcome to the United Nations
Overview
The United Nations Inter-Agency Group on Ageing (IAGA) is a network of entities and specialized agencies of the United Nations that coordinate on issues of relevance to ageing and older persons.
Building on and leveraging existing United Nations led initiatives on population ageing, the UN IAGA works collaboratively and in a phased approach to:
a. Exchange information within the UN system;
b. Strengthen internal system-wide capacity;
c. Contribute to mainstream population ageing, older persons and their human rights in existing United Nations processes and initiatives;
See the Terms of Reference of IAGA.
History
Born as an informal network of interested entities of the United Nations system, the UN IAGA was launched to exchange and discuss information on ageing-related work and identify areas of cooperation and synergies; raise the profile of ageing issues; integrate ageing and older persons into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development within the context of its focus on leaving no one behind; and systematically integrate the concerns and interests of older persons into the work of the group.
As an informal network, members of IAGA jointly undertook various activities, including joint publications and initiatives addressing ageing and older persons, such as:
- The first ever UN Global Report on Ageism (available in English, French and Spanish) was launched on March 18th, 2021 and co-branded by the Principals of WHO, OHCHR, DESA and UNFPA.
- Joint Publication: Ageing, Older Persons and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- Joint special event on “Making Sustainable Development Work at All Ages: Eradicating Poverty and Promoting Prosperity for Older Persons” during the 2017 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
In the context of its formalization in 2022, the IAGA enlarged its membership (see the bottom of this page for members) and currently includes representatives identified by the heads of 32 UN entities and specialized agencies.
Coordination
IAGA has two co-chairs. The Programme on Ageing within the Division for Inclusive Social of UN-DESA is the permanent co-chair of the group. As such, DESA coordinates administrative functions of the Network and provides support and continuity to the other co-chair and the Group, as required. The second co-chair of the Group is a United Nations entity agreed upon by the UN IAGA members that rotates on an annual basis. The World Health Organization (WHO) serves as the current second co-chair.
IAGA and its response to COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the IAGA provided a forum for cooperation and support to ensure a cohesive response in the context of older persons. The Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on the Impact of COVID-19 on Older Persons galvanized an unprecedented level of joint actions by the United Nations system to protect older persons in the pandemic and to support Member States in building ‘forward’ better:
- High-level commitment among UN agencies to jointly address the challenges faced by older persons in the pandemic. The Policy Brief sparked a number of webinars and events organized by several UN agencies and partners such as DESA, OHCHR, UNFPA, WHO as well as UN Regional Commissions in collaboration with partners from civil society including the International Federation on Ageing, HelpAge International and the NGO Committees on Ageing in New York, Geneva and Vienna. These webinars featured UN Principals, UN Resident Coordinators and Government and civil society leaders, who expressed strong commitment to protect the rights of older persons in the pandemic and to build forward better, through increased collaboration and coherence and building on existing initiatives such as the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-2030.
- Integrating older persons in UN Socioeconomic Response Framework. IAGA developed a checklist of potential actions, tools and resources, which was designed in line with the Policy Brief. The checklist aimed to support the UN Country Teams in integrating older persons in developing socio-economic impact assessments, responses and recovery plans with a human rights-based approach to help countries tackle the devastating social and economic dimensions of the pandemic, with a focus on older persons as a priority group.
- Regional initiatives to build forward better In response to the Policy Brief’s call for a long-term and collaborative actions by UN and stakeholders, UNFPA Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, WHO Regional Office for Europe, UNECE, OHCHR and HelpAge Regional Office for Eurasia and the Middle East, supported by the United Nations European Regional Issue Based Coalition on Health and Wellbeing established a joint initiative to support the work of United Nations Country Teams in the Europe and Central Asia region and help governments implement the response measures for older persons as part of the wider programme on ageing. In another example, ESCAP organized a regional breakout session of an expert meeting on “Socially Just Transition towards Sustainable development: The Role of Digital Technologies on Social Development and Well-being of All” to examine trends in digital technologies in the Asia-Pacific region, including the opportunities they bring and the risks they pose to older persons, women and persons with disabilities.
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Increased attention to older persons in UN human rights monitoring, protection and humanitarian work. UNHCR worked with operations and partners to monitor the protection risks and access to COVID-19 prevention and response services of older persons of concern to UNHCR by setting up a Global Protection Dashboard. In its human rights monitoring work, OHCHR paid particular focus on the situation of older persons and persons with disabilities living in institutions in countries and regions affected by COVID-19. OCHA ensured the inclusion of older persons as high-risk groups in the UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP).
- Collecting further data and evidence UNFPA launched a COVID-19 Population Vulnerability Dashboard including age-specific data. ILO monitored and collected data on social protection measures in response to the COVID-19 crisis. DESA Population Division and WHO established a Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Mortality Assessment that served as a broad scientific and strategic platform to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and application of methods on COVID-19 mortality.
- Members of IAGA produced a number of technical guidance and updates. For more information on activities carried out by IAGA partners regarding the pandemic please visit the website Relevant UN System Resources on COVID-19 and Older Persons.
Contact Us
You can contact IAGA by emailing ageing@un.org