Arthur C.I. Mbanefo, Ambassador, Nigeria

ENVISIONING THE 2nd WORLD ASSEMBLY ON AGEING: APRIL 2002

ADDRESS by

H.E. CHIEF ARTHUR C.I. MBANEFO

Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the United Nations, New York

Mr. Chairman,

I feel deeply honoured to join you in commemorating the tenth annual celebration of the International Day of Older Persons.

Ageing is a significant phenomenon of life itself. It seems to attract some attention because it is associated with the terminal cycle of life as it were. It should therefore be considered in a holistic manner, with emphasis on long-term opportunities and problem prevention over the life cycle of families and societies. In the midst of a demographic revolution the ageing of a population has grave consequences on economic, social, cultural, psychological and spiritual activities in all societies, particularly in developing countries. A rapid increase in the number of ageing persons in developing countries will create serious difficulties of planning and managing of resources to be able to provide social safety nets to protect them and their families.

Humanity at the turn of a new millennium must take care of those who have saved it from the devastation of the world wars and who have built the bridges that have led us to peace and prosperity. Since the "First World Assembly on Ageing" held in Vienna in 1982 and the International Year of Older Persons observed in New York in 1999, Member States, Inter-governmental Organizations and International non-governmental Organizations have embraced the conceptual framework developed by the programme on ageing to facilitate the exploration of "a society for all ages". It is true that we have today a somewhat more differentiated view of ageing, prompted in no small measure by the global growth of the older population and the increase of global life expectancy, particularly in developing countries. As the UN Secretary-General aptly stated at the launch of the UN International Year of Older Persons on 1 October 1998, "life is becoming less like a short sprint and more like a marathon".

The First World Assembly had adopted the International Plan of Action, which established broad foundations for activities on ageing. The plan of action contained recommendations that focused inter-alia on education, employment and income security, housing and the environment, health and hygiene, social welfare and the family. Within the context of its implementation, it was recognized that while the population of the developed countries already have an infrastructure to deal with ageing, as well as the resources to expand it, the developing countries have neither the infrastructure nor the resources to do so. In many of these countries there are no provisions for the aged. This often is because in many cases the welfare of senior citizens is seen as the responsibility of their families to look after them. Consequently very little is done to provide for their welfare. In many cases when they are entitled to pension this regrettably is not paid and when paid it is not often on time. This is because of bad planning and management coupled with lack of interest in the general welfare of aged persons.

As one from a developing country, I am very concerned about the increasing neglect of older persons. The deteriorating economic conditions in developing countries have contributed in worsening the situation. Unless government and non--governmental organizations alike consider the provision for aged persons in our societies as important and deserving of serious attention, providing for the welfare of the aged will be neglected in a competition for scarce resources. The attitude that it is the responsibility of families to look after aged persons must change. We must accept that if they had not paved the way for us, we may not have gotten to where we are today in developmental terms. We therefore owe our future to them. Besides, it is only a function of time when we shall ourselves get to become older persons.

In Nigeria, a country that has a lot of respect and regard for older persons, Government is slow in developing a programme of action to reverse the attitude of neglect of older persons. This lack of official formal care of older persons results in early retirement with or without pensions, absence of social security, lack of adequate provision of health care, amongst others. These will continue to pose fundamental challenges to the empowerment of older persons, if urgent steps are not taken to address this neglect.

There is also need to raise public awareness on the plight of the ageing in society so as to prepare the ground for the desired policy change. Such policy change should go beyond care and be based on a balance between development and care. In addition, the needs of older persons within the context of poverty alleviation should be incorporated into national development and poverty eradication policies.

I wish to underscore the importance of the family as a whole in order to achieve a society for all ages. We must begin to invest in the phases of life and to understand that life should be "viewed and experienced as a unified whole, a continuum of inter-related and overlapping phases". Such phases range from childhood, youth, adult years, mid-life and late life (older persons). It is said that the consequences of early life experiences take effect in older years. Thus, in order to ensure adequate preparation for ageing, society cannot but invest in the youth, which is the phase when life styles for longevity begin. Society must be prepared to appreciate and provide for the aged amongst us. People must not be made to be afraid of ageing or death.

I would like to address an aspect of our ageing population that constitutes a greater percentage of the population of older persons. By this, I am referring to the gender dimension of the ageing population. The older women are more likely to experience poverty than older men are, as well as face a higher risk of disability and chronic illness amongst others. This is mainly due to the types of work they are engaged in their youth. In the developing countries majority of these women are farmers or small time traders. To address this problem therefore, efforts should be made to continue to examine the discrepancies that exist in the areas of status, opportunities, and entitlements of older women.

As we prepare for the "Second World Assembly on Ageing", the challenges of the serious and alarming consequences of the demographic revolution remain very much with us. It is in this regard that I welcome the decision of the 54th Session of the United Nations General Assembly to convene a Second World Assembly on Ageing in 2002 and to review the international Plan of Action on Ageing. It is also gratifying to note that the resolution emphasized the need to pay particular attention to developing countries. This will enable the international community to incorporate fresh and updated approach in the preparatory process of the forthcoming World Assembly, in order to cope with today's demographic and socio-economic realities.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the UN-NGO Committee on Ageing, in collaboration with the UN Department of Public Information and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs for organizing this important meeting. This is indicative of the collaboration and partnership that exist between the United Nations and Non-Government Organizations in addressing global issues.

Thank you.