General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

22 November 1983

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                   A/RES/38/27
                                                   22 November 1983
                                                   Meeting no. 66
 
                          Question of aging
 
     The General Assembly,
 
     Reaffirming its resolution 37/51 of 3 December 1982, in which it endorsed
the International Plan of Action on Aging adopted by the World Assembly on
Aging, and called upon Governments and the Secretary-General to make
continuous efforts to implement the principles and recommendations of the Plan
of Action,
 
     Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/87 of
25 November 1981, in which the Council decided to convene in 1984 an
International Conference on Population, and also recalling the International
Plan of Action on Aging, which it is acknowledged that aging is a population
issue that affects development and requires increasing international
assistance and co-operation,
 
     Recognizing the significant contributions of the World Assembly on Aging
and the United Nations Trust Fund for the World Assembly on Aging in the
promotion and strengthening of international co-operation in this field,
 
     Conscious of the positive response of many countries to the World
Assembly on Aging and to the recommendations contained in the Plan of Action
and of the need to provide national authorities, at their request, with
assistance in their efforts to implement the Plan,
 
     Noting with satisfaction that many Governments have retained or
established national mechanisms to facilitate the planning, implementation and
co-ordination of the activities recommended in the Plan of Action,
 
     Recognizing the role played by the United Nations and the specialized
agencies through their efforts in the field of aging and the need to
strengthen this role, especially at the regional level, in order to ensure the
implementation of the Plan of Action and the systematic and efficient
functioning of the technical advisory and co-ordination services of the United
Nations, 
 
     Acknowledging the role played by the international network of existing
information, research and training centres in exchanging information and
experience at the international level and in stimulating progress and
encouraging the adoption of measures to respond to the economic and social
implications of the aging of populations and to meet the needs of older
persons, 
 
     Noting that the relationship between aging and youth, particularly as it
relates to intergenerational matters, is recognized in the Plan of Action,
 
     Recognizing that women have a longer life expectancy than men and that
they will increasingly constitute a majority of the older population,
 
     1.   Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the question of
aging;
 
     2.   Affirms that the question of aging should be considered in the
context of economic development, political, social and cultural systems and
social values and changes;
 
     3.   Calls upon Governments to continue to make efforts to implement the
principles and recommendations contained in the International Plan of Action
on Aging in accordance with the economic, social and cultural circumstances of
each country;
 
     4.   Invites Governments to retain or establish, in a suitable form,
mechanisms at the national level to promote the implementation of the Plan of
Action;
 
     5.   Urges the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to ensure
effective implementation of, and follow-up action to the Plan of Action and to
maintain the impetus generated by the United Nations Trust Fund for the World
Assembly on Aging at the national, regional and international levels;
 
     6.   Requests the Secretary-General to continue to promote the Trust Fund
so as to assist countries in formulating and implementing policies and
programmes for aging;
 
     7.   Requests the Secretary-General to continue his information exchange
activities through, inter alia, the international network of existing
information, research and training centres and to convene, using voluntary
contributions, meetings of the members of this network, as appropriate, to
strengthen these activities and to promote technical co-operation among
developing countries;
 
     8.   Urges the Secretary-General to include advisory services to
developing countries that request them in technical co-operation programmes to
the extent feasible under the funding of those programmes;
 
     9.   Requests the Secretary-General to ensure, as requested in the Plan
of Action that the question of the aging of populations is brought to the
attention of the appropriate United Nations bodies responsible for the
preparation of the International Conference on Population and that the
question of aging is considered under the appropriate agenda items of the
Conference itself;
 
     10.  Also requests the Secretary-General to continue to promote, in
co-operation with the national committees concerned, joint activities in the
field of aging and youth, particularly as they relate to intergenerational
matters, especially during the International Youth Year, to be observed in
1985;
 
     11.  Further requests the Secretary-General to examine the gender-based
difference in longevity and the impact of the increasing number and proportion
of older women on living arrangements, income, health care and other support
systems, and to bring the question of older women to the attention of the
preparatory body for the World Conference to Review and Appraise the
Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women, to be held in 1985, for
its consideration;
 
     12.  Urges the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, in
co-operation with all organizations responsible for international population
assistance, to continue its assistance, within its mandate, in the field of
aging, particularly in developing countries;
 
     13.  Invites the regional commissions to review the objectives of the
Plan of Action and contribute to their realization and to organize and conduct
the regional periodic review and appraisal of the Plan in co-ordination with
that at the international level;
 
     14.  Invites the specialized agencies and other intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations concerned to continue to be actively involved,
in a co-ordinated manner, in the implementation of the Plan of Action;
 
     15.  Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at
its thirty-ninth session a report on the measures taken to implement the
present resolution;
 
     16.  Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-ninth
session the item entitled "Question of aging".