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Guidelines on the Implementation of the Macao Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and the Pacific |
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II Action in specific areas
A. Social position of older
persons III Coordination and resource mobilization IV Regional and international cooperation
Introduction
1. The Commission, recognizing the importance of
population ageing in Asia and the Pacific and acting in accordance with
General Assembly resolution 50/141 of 21 December 1995 on the
International Year of Older Persons: towards a society for all ages, in
its resolution 54/5 of 22 April 1998, requested the Executive Secretary to
convene a regional meeting to formulate a regional plan of action on
ageing to mark the International Year of Older Persons. The Macao
Declaration and Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and the Pacific was
adopted by the Regional Meeting on a Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and
the Pacific on 1 October 1998. 2. The Macao Plan of Action identifies the immediate
tasks for Asia and the Pacific focusing on four main areas: understanding
of the issues and implications of population ageing for society; the
preparation of the population for an ageing process that is productive and
fulfilling; the development of a service infrastructure and environment
based on traditional and modern institutions; and the delivery of
essential services needed by the growing number of older persons. The Plan
of Action addresses seven major areas of concern relating to ageing and
older persons: (a) the social position of older persons; (b) older persons
and the family; (c) health and nutrition; (d) housing, transportation and
the built environment; (e) older persons and the market; (f) income
security, maintenance and employment; and (g) social services and the
community. Specific actions are recommended for each of the seven major
areas of concern. 3. The Commission, at its fifty-fifth session held in
April 1999, endorsed the Macao Plan of Action. It requested the Executive
Secretary of ESCAP to provide full support and assistance to members and
associate members in the immediate implementation of the Plan, including
the provision of technical assistance, in the establishment of specific
time-bound national goals, targets and policies on ageing and the
coordination of regional and subregional activities. 4. To assist the member countries in their
implementation of the Plan, a set of guidelines on the implementation of
the Plan has been prepared and further revised following the International
Symposium on Planning Attainable Targets for Societies for All Ages, which
was held in Macao from 26 to 29 October 1999. These guidelines detail the
specific goals and targets that should be established at the country and
regional levels and recommend dates or a time frame for initiation and
review of action in achieving the targets. 5. The Plan of Action contains concise recommendations
on addressing important issues relating to ageing and older persons, which
represent the governments' desire to take concrete and appropriate action
to mitigate the adverse impact of population ageing. The Plan takes note
of the fact that issues related to population ageing may not be among the
top priorities of governments. However, in view of the significance of the
impact of population ageing, the Plan of Action and its recommendations
underscore the governments' concern that it will place increasing pressure
on the development process, especially on the social development of
countries. 6. The Plan of Action indicates that individual
countries will set their own goals and targets within the framework of the
recommendations and implement them in accordance with their national
circumstances. These recommendations need to be concretized and re-phrased
as specific goals and targets for each country to adopt for
implementation. A list of such goals and targets will help countries in
their national planning and monitoring process. 7. At the regional level, the need to establish a
mechanism to monitor progress made by countries in the implementation of
the Plan of Action has been mandated by the Commission. The monitoring
system requires specificity in the goals and targets, and a clear
indication of the target date for the initiation of activities and
achievement of such goals. The establishment of this set of goals and
targets will assist the secretariat in reporting to the Commission
periodically on the progress of implementation. 8. The proposed guidelines are in four sections. The
first section deals with the general recommendations mentioned in the Plan
of Action which are macro and systemic in nature. The second section
examines the specific areas that affect ageing and older persons. The
third section covers issues relating to coordination and resource
mobilization. The fourth section deals with regional and international
cooperation. I.
General recommendations
9. The Plan of Action proposed four immediate tasks to
be taken by the countries, in view of the importance of population ageing
for national social and economic development. The four tasks are essential
for the building up of effective national capacity and infrastructure for
dealing with the impact of population ageing. These tasks require the
establishment of a coherent national programme on ageing, and the national
infrastructure should build upon an integrated network of service
organizations with quality services and effective delivery.
II.
Action in specific areas
10. The Plan of Action recognized seven major areas
relating to ageing and older persons that would require special attention.
These are discussed in detail below. A. Social position of older persons 11. The governments were mandated by the Plan of Action
to make serious efforts to dispel the negative perception of older persons
and to inculcate vigorously a new role for them based on their positive
and continued contributions in the social, religious, political and
economic arenas. This was in response to the recognition that the
conventional perception of older persons tends to be negative. The Plan of
Action also stressed the importance of adequate lifelong preparation for
successful ageing and that governments should make serious efforts to
prepare the population for the ageing process.
B. Older persons and the family 12. The Plan of Action recognized the distinctive role of the family in Asia and the Pacific and took note of the special position of older persons in the family, giving and receiving support from each other. The governments appreciated the forces that had adversely affected the capacity of the family to support and care for older persons and agreed to initiate comprehensive programmes that would strengthen the family. They also agreed to provide special assistance to vulnerable older persons, including the destitute, those with low income, the minorities, the displaced, the disabled, and persons with long-term medical conditions. The special needs of widows and women without family support were also recognized.
C. Health and nutrition 13. The Plan of Action took note of the trend that cohorts of older persons were now reaching old age in better health than before. The maintenance of good health could be achieved through proper nutrition, diagnosis, preventive care and healthy lifestyles. The governments were asked to develop and promote these low-cost, prevention-based initiatives and to put in place a system of coordinated care to evaluate the health needs of older persons in a holistic manner. The governments were also asked to examine policy options on health-care financing, as the rapidly increasing need for health care for older persons would result in significant budgetary commitments .
D. Housing, transportation and the built environment 14. The Plan of Action emphasized that the quality of life of older persons was intertwined with the adequacy of their living conditions. The governments were urged to make resources available to address the housing needs of older persons and to ensure that they had a reasonable and adequate living environment. Special arrangements should also be made to meet the transportation and mobility needs of older persons.
E. Older persons and the market 15. The Plan of Action recognized that older persons were a special group of consumers, with many of the required goods and services provided by the private sector. The governments should protect their rights as consumers as provided for by the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection. It was recognized that private sector initiatives were important market mechanisms responding to the needs of older consumers. The governments should facilitate the development of that market.
F. Income security, maintenance and employment 16. The Plan of Action observed that while saving for old age had a long tradition in the region and its practice was widespread, the governments needed to assess the extent to which the different sectors of the population were actually saving for old age. It was agreed that that was a key element in a person’s lifelong preparation for old age. In addition, the governments recognized the particular importance of continued employment as a form of income security, and agreed that participation in the workforce should be encouraged as long as older persons were able to continue to work. As the providers of the final safety net, the governments would constantly review the adequacy of the social security schemes and provide additional resources to improve the coverage and the current level of benefits.
G. Social services and the community 17. The governments recognized the occasional needs of older persons for social service assistance to regain their well-being. The Plan of Action specified that the governments should ensure that a reasonable level of services was available to older persons, through a coordinated network of government and non-governmental agencies. It also recognized that older persons themselves formed a pool of expertise that could be tapped for community projects and activities, and that should be facilitated.
III.
Coordination and resource mobilization
18. The implementation of the Plan of Action is
primarily a national responsibility, requiring the concerted efforts of
the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other social
entities. A central element in the implementation is national
coordination. The Plan of Action requested the governments to designate a
national coordinating body to provide overall policy direction and
guidance in the planning and formulation of national programmes. It also
requested the governments to spell out the goals and targets for their
national plans and programmes in terms of quantifiable outputs and time
frames for their implementation. In the implementation process, close
cooperation and collaboration among government agencies, NGOs and the
private sector were extremely important, and a multisectoral approach was
emphasized. The Plan of Action further
urged governments to devote additional resources to the
establishment of a national infrastructure for ageing, and to harness the
resources of NGOs and the private sector, and among older persons
themselves.
IV. Regional and international cooperation 19. The Plan of Action recognized the importance of
international cooperation in the implementation of the recommendations.
Specifically, it asked ESCAP to be the focal point for the region on
issues related to ageing and older persons. In addition, the United
Nations system was asked to increase its support of the development of the
infrastructure for ageing at the country level. Finally, the Plan asked
the ESCAP secretariat to undertake a periodic review of the progress in
the implementation of the Plan.
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