Honorable Chairman
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen

It's been two decades since we put our heads together at the World Assembly on Ageing, back in 1982 and adopted the International Plan of Action. 

Since then, we in our countries have: put efforts to identify, understand and to address the problems of elderly citizens and ease their livelihood. 
The problems of ageing however, increase with the demographic shift. And to cope with the multitude of problems stemming from ageing we need to understand the nature of problems in a given socio-cultural context before we come up with any strategic measures. 

Back home, in Nepal, the only Hindu kingdom, the problems arising from ageing is partly economic, partly social and partly cultural. 

Being a Hindu country inhabited by largely a religious minded people, Nepal's problem with ageing may differ from that of many developed and transitional economies of the world. 

With the materialistic life style taking over many developing and developed societies and the spiritual fabrics torn apart, the cohesiveness of family has been rapidly unraveling. 

In Nepal, the Vedic tradition still governs family values and the elderly citizens are largely loved, revered and taken care of.

However, with economic pressure increasing resulting in migration of youth across the border in search of works, the elderly population are left at home in rural hills, and the in-laws consider them "inactive", "burdensome" and " passive recipients of support". 

Nepali people traditionally have a joint family system where 2/3 generation live together under one roof in a perfect harmony. 

However, economic hardships and terrorism striking hard in rural hills, the elderly citizens are exposed to vulnerabilities and destitution. Most of them abandon their homes and come down to urban centers where they eke out their living by begging or doing hazardous works. 

While poverty and terrorism shatter the traditional family system in rural hills, the fragmentation of family system among the well-off in urban centers too, complicate the lives of elderly. 

While the elderly citizens from the poorest of the poor are largely abandoned, those from the well-off suffer from loneliness and isolation. 

Yet, a large segment of society is made of middle-class, people who abide to the old Hindu values of respecting and loving ,elders. It in this category of family, the elderly people are comfortably placed. 

We believe that we should develop a two-prong strategy with the objective of easing the lives of elderly people and making them creative force. 
At the first place, we should work towards reviving the old values of family cohesiveness and create the environment to keep them in families where they can be comfortably placed. 

Next, we need to work out strategy for them who find living away from home less painful than living in family. A rehabilitation of these elderly people away from home may be needed. 

With these objectives in mind, His Majesty's Government of Nepal carne with some concrete programs in the Ninth Plan (1997 - 2002). The Ninth Plan aimed at developing family-based security system to enable elderly lead a creative and dignified life. 

To promote it, His Majesty's Government began distributing monthly allowance to elderly on the basis of their citizenship or electoral identity cards. The Government also set up a separate Geriatric Wards at all zonal hospitals and made a provision of subsidized treatment to elderly citizens. 

Recently, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare has drafted a guideline for the implementation of a new program called " Senior Citizen Treatment Service". The guideline envisages offering the poorer and sick elders basic health case service free of cost. 

The Monthly Old Age Pension and the proposed Senior Citizen Treatment Service remains two major programs that potentially contribute to the benefits of the elderly people. 

His Majesty's Government of Nepal recognizing the potentials of – Non-Governmental sector is equally working in partnership with NGOs to address the problems of elderly. 

We believe that the best cares and opportunities to the elderly citizens can be given in their homes and not by brining them out. 

Finally, let me express my sincere thanks to the UN Commission for Social Development for organizing the Second World Assembly and letting us the opportunity to express our views. 

Also our  thanks goes to the Government of Spain for hosting the Assembly and  allowing us to be in this beautiful country. 

Thanks