Asia and the Pacific is the fastest ageing region in the world. It is expected that by 2050, one fourth of the total population in Asia and the Pacific will be 60 years old or older. Due to increased life expectancy and continuing fertility decline, all sub-regions in Asia and the Pacific are ageing. In East and North-East Asia, the fastest ageing sub-region, one third of the population will be above 60 and in South Asia, persons above 60 will make up almost one fifth of the population.

The Open ended Working Group on Ageing, established by the General Assembly in its resolution 65/182 of 21 December 2010, for the purpose of strengthening the protection of the human rights of older persons, held its sixth working session at United Nations Headquarters from 14 to 16 July 2015. The Working Group held six meetings. The session was opened by the Chair of the Working Group, Mateo Estrémé (Argentina).

The observance of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will take place on Monday 10 August 2015 in ECOSOC Chamber, from 3:00pm to 6:00pm at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

To raise awareness on the importance of investing in youth skills development, the United Nations General Assembly has decided to celebrate the first World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) on 15 July 2015.

#WYSD2015 – spread the word!

Join us in celebrating the first-ever World Youth Skills Day on 15 July 2015! Use the hashtag #WYSD or #WYSD2015 on social media to join a global movement for youth and skills and share your story let us know what you think!

Did you know...

The Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing was established by the General Assembly by resolution 65/182 on 21 December 2010.

The working group will consider the existing international framework of the human rights of older persons and identify possible gaps and how best to address them, including by considering, as appropriate, the feasibility of further instruments and measures.

The sixth working session of the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) will be held in New York from 14 to 16 July 2015 in Conference Room 4 (CB) at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Population ageing has profound implications for many facets of human life. An ageing population will affect everything from economies, labor markets to health and social care. This prospect requires a better understanding of the implications and possibilities posed by population ageing as well as the situation of older persons themselves. While the older population is growing at an accelerated speed, many gaps in ageing related statistics and data exist, affecting the ability to develop targeted policies and programmes that address ageing related challenges.

On 29 Jun

DSPD Focal Point on the Family organized an International Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on "Family Policy Development: Achievements and Challenges" at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 14 to 15 May 2015. The meeting focused on changing families, family law reforms, violence in the family and their impact on family policy development. The EGM took place in response to recent General Assembly and Economic and Social Council resolutions, in line with the overall objectives of the International Year of the Family and its follow-up processes.

The International Day of Families is observed on the 15th of May every year. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 with resolution A/RES/47/237 and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families. The International Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.