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in Asia and the Pacific, 1999 Social Development Division, United Nations ESCAP |
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16-22 April 1998,
International Year of Older Persons: Towards a Society for all People
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 47/5 of 16 October 1992, the annex to which contains the Proclamation on Ageing, in which General Assembly decided to observe the year 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons and urged the international community, inter alia, to promote intraregional and interregional cooperation and exchange of resources for programmes and projects on ageing, including those for lifelong healthy ageing, income generation and new forms of productive ageing,
Recalling also General Assembly resolution 50/141 of 21 December 1995 on the International Year of Older Persons, in which the General Assembly invited the regional commissions, within existing mandates, to bear in mind the goals of the year when convening regional meetings in 1998 and 1999 at which to mark the Year and formulate action plans on ageing for the twenty-first century,
Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 49/162 of 23 December 1994 on the integration of older women in development,
Recalling further Commission resolution 51/4 of 1 May 1995 endorsing the Agenda for Action on Social Development in the ESCAP Region, in which, inter alia, the Commission called for measures to bring the active elderly into the economic and social mainstream and to meet the basic needs of rural and urban elderly who lack social security,
Recognizing the complexity and the serious challenge that the rapid ageing of populations is posing to all societies, the need to undertake lifelong preparation for old age and the need to have a policy framework for the protection of older people, including social security, income generation, health maintenance and continuing skill development, as well as for the promotion of the contributions that older persons can make to society,
Noting with appreciation that preparations for the International Year of Older Persons have been initiated and coordinating bodies on ageing have been established in various countries in the region with the objective of formulating national policies for older persons and coordinating activities in support of the International Year,
Reaffirming its commitment to according priority to the fulfillment of the goals and targets contained in the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing, adopted by World Assembly on Ageing in 1982, the Copenhagen Declaration and Program of Action on Social Development and the Agenda of Action on Social Development in the ESCAP Region,
1. Urges all members and associate members to take early and effective action to implement General Assembly resolutions concerning older persons and plan preparations for the International Year of Older Persons, bearing in mind the goals and objectives of the Year;
2. Calls upon members and associate members, who have not yet done so, to set up and strengthen national mechanisms on ageing, inter alia, to enable them to coordinate preparations for and observance of the Year and to set specific time -bound targets on ageing and related issues, in the light of the needs and aspirations of older persons, in keeping with indigenous traditions and their milieu;
3. Also calls upon all concerned UN bodies and specialized agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as well as other members of the civil society to enhance their efforts in generating greater awareness of issues relating to ageing and older persons and to support regional and national initiatives in observance of the Year;
4. Requests the Executive Secretary:
(a) To provide continuing assistance to members and associate members in preparing for and commemorating the Year, including the provision technical advice and the coordination of regional and subregional activities;
(b) To promote an integrated, intersectoral approach and ensure effective coordination of the activities of all concerned United Nations bodies and private voluntary and community-based organizations for the benefit of older persons and in support of the Year;
(c) To convene a regional meeting to formulate a plan of action on ageing for Asia and the Pacific, as called for in General Assembly resolution 50/141, and to consider the means of enhancing national and regional initiatives for older persons;
(d) To continue to facilitate the exchange of national experiences and information and to disseminate data and materials concerning older persons;
(e) To report to the Commission in 2000 on the observance of the Year and on progress in the implementation of the plan of action on ageing for Asia and the Pacific and, on the basis of consultations with members and associate members, to recommend further action and initiatives to achieve the goals and targets contained therein;