News
Highlighting the importance of older persons, the World Summit on the Information Society Forum in 2020, for the first time, has dedicated a special track to older persons and ICTs. Technological advances are becoming entrenched in many aspects of…
The focus of this event is on how the United Nations, together with civil society partners, can support Member States at global, regional and country level to collectively step up action for older persons to preserve their rights and dignity at all…
UN report finds youth social entrepreneurship can create jobs and help the most underserved communities
Tearing down barriers that prevent more young people from becoming successful social entrepreneurs will contribute to advancing the …
COVID-19 is exposing and deepening the inequalities, discrimination and ageism that older persons and persons with disabilities experience every day.
We need inclusive programmes and policies that address the rights of people of all ages to ensure…
The UN General Assembly designated 15 June as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (res. A/RES/66/127). According to WHO estimates, 1 in 6 people aged over 60 suffers from abuse. That means nearly 141 million people globally. This number might be…
The Stakeholder Group on Ageing (SGA) Africa, in collaboration with UN DESA and other partners, held a regional webinar on the impact of COVID-19 in the context of the rights of older persons, on 5 June 2020. The purpose of the webinar was to signal…
As the world grapples with an unparalleled health crisis, older persons have become one of its more visible victims. The pandemic spreads among persons of all ages and conditions, yet available evidence indicates that older persons and those with…
The COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan, produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), prioritizes the needs of the the most vulnerable including older persons.
Given that the pandemic has…
Socioeconomic impacts
Prior to the onset of COVID-19, youth (aged 15 to 24) were already three times more likely to be unemployed compared to adults, while 126 million young workers were in extreme and moderate poverty worldwide (International…
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing untold fear and suffering for older people across the world. As of 26 April, the virus itself has already taken the lives of some 193,710 people, and fatality rates for those over 80 years of age is five times the…
The unprecedented global health crisis we are facing is affecting all parts of society and changing lives and livelihoods. In all types of crises and times of need, from climate change to armed conflict or political unrest, young people and youth-…
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the current global pandemic is the first known to emerge as the result of a novel coronavirus, identified as SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19. This respiratory disease is…