Mr. President,
 

My delegation would like to congratulate you on your unanimous election and at the same time, commend you for the manner in which you have been conducting our deliberations. Our congratulations are extended to the bureau as well.
I join the others on behalf of my delegation and on my own behalf, in expressing our gratitude to our host the Government of Spain for the warm hospitality accorded to us, as well as the excellent organization of this important Assembly.
My delegation fully associates itself with the statement of G-77 and China that was delivered by The Honourable Minister of Venezuela.
 

Mr. President,
 

The ageing of the population is no longer a phenomenon confined to developing countries. The latter are going through a rapid greying of their own populations. On the other hand, developing countries are hit hardest by the processes of globalisation, urbanization and population ageing. Also, there is no doubt that the process of population ageing in developing countries will produce new challenges that are different from those faced by developed countries.
 

Mr. President,
 

Several delegations in this Assembly have reiterated that elderly people are perceived as senior citizens who have experience and wisdom that should earn them respect from other members of society. My delegation concurs with this view. However, because the deteriorating nature of their physical and psychological being at times, the elderly of deserver special attention with regard to among others, their health, nutrition and emotional needs. The elderly, particularly in developing countries, need to be encouraged to participate in labour markets largely due to limited coverage of retirement schemes. In most cases elderly persons are advised or instructed to leave their formal jobs and retire at home while they are still active. As we are aware that can be devastating. It is reported that countries with high per capita incomes have fewer older workers. In the more developed regions 21 per cent of men aged sixty years or older are economically active. In the less developed regions fifty per cent of men are economically active. When it comes to women, ten per cent of older women in more developed regions are economically active, as compared to nineteen per cent in the less developed regions.
 

Mr. President,
 

In attempting to address the constraints faced by governments and the elderly, the United Nations has come up with five principles for guiding member states in upholding rights and provision services for the elderly viz. independence, participation, care, self fulfillment and dignity. Under care, elderly persons have the right to family care and access to health, social and legal services. Under dignity, they have a right to live safely, free from exploitation and abuse, as well as the right to fair treatment without discrimination.
 

Mr. President,
 

Although Botswana Government has no specific policy for the elderly at present, social support programmes do exist. One such programme is the destitute programme. This programme enables the elderly to get an allowance if there is no income from pension, or property, or childrens "earnings. Supplementary feeding is also provided by clinics and health care is virtually free (P 2.00, i.e. les than one Euro), and this fee is often waved since some of the elderly cannot afford the required amount.
The other programme which my government established in 1996 is the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). The scheme provides social security in form of a monthly allowance for the elderly. The 65 year olds and above are giving a monthly allowance of P 142.00 (i.e. about 200 Euros). This allowance is offered to all the elderly people regardless of their economic background. The most needy in this category do get some further assistance from other programmes in the country.
 

Mr. President,
 

Two years ago UNAIDS reported that HIV/AIDS will kill more than half of the young adults in most of the countries in the Southern African region - Botswana included.
Indeed, the majority of the young adults in my country have been dying from the disease at an early age, leaving the elderly to take care of their off-spring. The burden of taking care of the children, is a. burden borne largely by old women, including grand-mothers, as it is the traditional role of women to provide care in African society.
 

Mr. President,
 

 Like in other developing countries, the ageing process has brought along a threat to household food security in my country, as many older persons are engaged in subsistence agricultural activities. The same old people are unable to provide food for the household since they have to take care of children dying from AIDS. The dying children here are normally income earners. When Botswana gained its independence in 1966, life expectancy at birth increased from 47 years to 67 years, but this is expected to decline back to 47 years by year 2020 due to HIV/AIDS.

Migration has also played a part in population ageing in Botswana. The young members of households migrate in search of employment and schooling opportunities. This means that the elderly persons, particularly in the villages, are left with the responsibility of taking care of the children again.
 

Mr. President,
 

In trying to address problems related to the elderly, two regional stakeholders workshops were held in Botswana recently. The workshops addressed the following issues:

· Respect and cultural values to be included in school curricula.
· Raising awareness of the importance of social security schemes.
· Working with the media - to raise awareness of ageing issues and family obligations towards older people.
· Communities to be educated about the significance of wills.
· Recommendations of the workshops are intended to reach other organizations in the country.