Mr. President
Distinguished delegates
Ladies and gentlemen

It is indeed a great honour for me to address this Second World Assembly on Ageing. My delegation fully associates itself with the statement given by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Permit me at this stage however, to extend to the Government and people of Spain, deepest appreciation for their warm welcome in this beautiful city of Madrid and the excellent arrangements in place for this Assembly. Similarly, special tribute must be paid to Spain for its important role in the preparatory process for the Assembly, including in its current capacity as President of the European Union. 

Mr. President, it is hoped that this Second World Assembly on Ageing will mark a watershed for national policies on ageing to effectively deal with what is increasingly being referred to as a demographic agequake. As a small developing country whose population has remained steady over the past two decades, Guyana notes with great interest, projections that by mid century the population of older persons in the world will be one in five. At the same time, we recognise that the transition period needed to effectively address the challenges of such a major demographic change will be less than twenty five years thus requiring a major rethinking of development policies and practices in a relatively short period of time. 

An important element of the review process of the First World Assembly which has emerged, has been the human rights approach to the debate on ageing. This approach upholds the freedom and dignity of all irrespective of age, the inalienable nature of all human rights - civil, political, economic, social and cultural - and the essential nature of the right to development to provide an enabling environment at both the national and international levels. It is clear that in the context of the major global social, political and economic transformations that have taken place since the First World Assembly, a human rights perspective can contribute significantly to policy options for the further empowerment of older persons. For indeed, in an increasingly globalised economy where economic growth and modernisation are upheld as significant development goals, the older generation which has always been important pillars in our society imparting wisdom, values, insight and advice, are increasingly seeing their role questioned as being irrelevant and outdated. Their identity as active contributors to society is undermined by a growing perception of them as passive recipients. Their contribution to the workplace, family and community is at best overlooked and their productivity, skills and experience are called into question. Many countries are witnessing the increasing divide between youths and the elderly as rapid changes in society transform value systems and traditional practices. The decisions taken by youths are increasingly influenced by their peers and their own thoughts on longevity, survival, their ability to make a long term contribution to society and the socio-economic conditions of their parents, grandparents and great grandparents. 

While recognising the positive impact of economic growth on the welfare of all persons, including older persons, an important lesson that has been learned is that it should not be at the expense of social inclusion. Isolation, disabilities and vulnerabilities already provide a breeding ground for the social exclusion of older persons. Policies therefore need to be adumbrated to address the wide cross section of challenges. All actors, including the media and academia, have a role in ensuring that the ageing process is not seen as a path to dependency and victimisation but rather as a continuation of personal achievements and participation in daily life. There is growing consensus that the more elders are seen as living respected and productive lives, greater will be the support from the wider community to provide an enabling environment for their survival and continued contribution. At the same time, emerging phenomena as increased urbanisation, changing family structures, inadequate pensions if at all available, different income and employment opportunities and a reduced role of the government in providing goods and services cannot be ignored. Likewise, the special vulnerability of older persons to mental health problems, poverty related illness, violence and abuse would require some amount of coordinated intervention. 

With medical advances and longer life expectancy worldwide, multigenerational relationships are also requiring increased attention. For most developing countries, including Guyana, the family and community continue to play a significant role in reducing the social exclusion of older persons, providing care and interaction. However, studies have shown that family structures are changing, with poverty reducing the capacity to remain at home to provide care and more older persons living alone whether due to the death of spouses, divorce, childlessness or having never been married. These changes also reinforce the importance of the theme "a society for all ages" for long term policy formulation on ageing rather than simply restricting analysis to the situation of older persons. In focusing on individual lifelong development, greater attention could be given to promoting a lifetime approach to education, health, employment and the upgrading of skills. Ensuring early and equal access to social services and employment can likewise result in improved well being in older life and greater inclusion in decision-making processes. 

Mr. President, the UN conferences of the 1990s, their review processes, the Millennium Summit and the recentlyconcluded Conference on Financing for Development which placed people at the centre of development will continue to make a significant contribution to the debate and policy formulation on integrating all groups of society for national development. Thus far, the mainstreaming a gender perspective in the debate on older persons has benefited from the comprehensive agenda for women's empowerment aimed at "removing all the obstacles to women's active participation in all spheres of public and private life through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision making". The special needs and challenges facing the older population in developing countries have been examined in the context of the conclusions of the UN development conferences over the past decade. Similarly, recognition is given to the fact that a New Global Human Order which addresses the major challenges of globalisation can only redound to the benefit of all peoples around the world . 

In conclusion therefore, Mr. President, it is incumbent upon, the Second World Assembly on Ageing to produce an outcome that will have an impact for all older persons - rich and poor, male and female, married, widowed or single. The older persons themselves have taken part in this process as information was gathered and policy decisions were taken. Now is the time to strengthen our resolve to ensure that the global phenomenon of ageing is addressed in an urgent and timely manner for the continued integration and empowerment of older persons. 

I thank you.