Excellencies:

The Conference of NGOs or CONGO, is an association of National, Regional and International NGOs in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council. Its primary focus is on the enhancement of the role and influence of NGOs at the United Nations.
 

CONGO takes positions of substance through its NGO Committees. The three CONGO Committees on Ageing, in Geneva, New York and Vienna have been involved with NGOs from all over the world, from the South as well as the North. Many of our colleagues have come to participate in the NGO Forum deliberations and to influence this Second World Assembly on Ageing. I am speaking today on behalf of our three Committees on Ageing.
 

Ageing is a life course progression. In today s context, issues of ageing are a necessary concern and responsibility for individuals, communities and governments. To understand this view, we go back to 1982, the time of the First World Assembly on Ageing, when we began to collect examples of good practices. This wealth of information has been shared, developed and revised in continuous, ongoing exchange. The Madrid Forum demonstrated interest in continuing this networking.
 

The Plan of Action on Ageing that has been debated for several years now and is about to be adopted has been developed as a result of the very hard work of the member states and the United Nations. It has been fought over and wept over. In order for it to be worthy of this effort, it must have strong means for implementation. Without strong means, the Plan will be ineffectual. By this we mean that it must contain measures, which insist that the governments respond to United Nations requests for evaluation and reporting of the progress made in bringing the objectives and goals into fact.
 

The Plan should be given recognition and high priority in government policies and programs, with sufficient resources to accomplish this. The issues and concerns regarding the ageing of the world s populations must be kept in front and at the center of activities of every stakeholder, i.e., governments, UN agencies and NGOs.
 

Implementation requires that governments take very seriously their commitment to the document, to make every and serious effort to plan for how the goals set out in the Plan will be reached, within each given government s ability. We are aware that some governments will reach certain goals very quickly; other goals and other governments may require much longer terms, even with international solidarity.
 

We remind this audience that twenty years have gone by since the First World Assembly on Ageing, which produced the landmark International Plan of Action on Ageing. Particularly since we are now so knowledgeable about the worldwide growth in the numbers of those over 60 years of age, we insist that governments report comprehensively to the UN every five years, and that in accord with the annual review cycle for other major UN conferences, there be a full scale decade review. Indeed, at the current pace of knowledge and population growth, we believe that in-between the five and ten year reviews, there should be substantial regional reviews. Goals can be adjusted to meet regional situations and needs, and be more closely tied to the particulars for any given part of the world.
 

To begin to implement this, some NGOs have suggested that a Special Rapporteur for Ageing be appointed. This proposal has met with broad acceptance by many at the NGO Forum. We urge your serious consideration of this item.
 

We bring to your attention the proposal of the forthcoming Berlin ECE Ministerial Conference for an Implementation Monitoring Committee composed of representatives of governments, NGOs, employers organizations and trade unions. NGOs want to be partners in implementation. However, there needs to be some financial backing and commitment from the governments to make this possible.
 

In closing, I want to remind you of Undersecretary General Nitin Desai s question: What will we do on Monday morning, after we have gone home to our respective countries? I ask my question: Can governments pledge that by the end of six months from now they, and we, will have identified one goal in one specific area to implement? And may I go further to suggest the goal of specifying an action based on the United Nations Principles for Older Persons ---which in our judgment can be the basis for recognition of the social, human and civil rights of older people.
 

In closing, I want to mention the role of NGOs and governments in working towards a Society for All Ages. We really need to become partners in achieving the goals of this 2002 International Plan of Action on Ageing. Partners need to trust each other. We need to find common ground in order to do problem-solving together. Governments need to trust that NGOs do not really want their duly elected jobs but want those duly elected to do the best jobs they can in improving the quality of life for their older constituents. If that is accomplished, life for all becomes better.
 

                         Thank you.