United Nations Programme on Ageing

The United Nations Programme on Ageing is the focal point within the United Nations system on matters related to ageing. As the focal point, its primary action is to facilitate and promote the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, including designing guidelines for policy development and implementation; advocating means to mainstream ageing issues into development agendas; engaging in dialogue with civil society and the private sector; and information exchange.

Towards A Society for All Ages

The concept of a society for all ages is rooted in the Programme of Action adopted at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995. At the Summit, Member States explored the meaning of "a society for all". Viewed as the fundamental aim of social integration, it is a society where "…every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play". By integrating "age" into a society for all, the approach becomes multigenerational and holistic, whereby "generations invest in one another and share in the fruits of that investment, guided by the twin principles of reciprocity and equity" (A/50/114, para 38).

The United Nations Programme on Ageing Website

Related Links

Second World Assembly on Ageing Madrid 2002

International Day of Older Persons, 1 October every year

Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing: Madrid Political Declaration and International Plan of Action 2002:
[ English ] [ French ] [ Spanish ] [ Arabic ] [ Chinese ] [ Russian ]