Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen.
 

It is indeed a great honour for me to deliver this statement on the occasion of this Second World Assembly on Ageing to and review the outcome of the first World Assembly and the adoption of a revised Plan of Action.

My delegation extends warmest greetings from the Honourable Prime Minister, Government and people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and commends the Government of Spain for hosting this very important Assembly. We welcome the attention given by the international community to this global phenomenon of population ageing and its far reaching implications.

(Indeed, as the United Nations Secretary-General stated in 1998 at the launch of the International Year of Older Persons: "We are in the midst of a silent revolution that extends well beyond demographics with major economic, social, cultural, psychological and spiritual implications ".)

Mr. President, Trinidad and Tobago has been guided in its policies and programmes for older persons by the International Plan of Action and the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. We view these as blue prints for the development of policies and programmes that advance the cause of older persons, especially in light of statistics which indicate that the majority of older persons live in developing countries, like ours.

In this regard, Trinidad and Tobago wishes to associate itself with the statement made by Venezuela on behalf of the Group of 77 and China., and in particular to the reference made to the obstacles that prevent developing countries, including small island developing states, from fully participating in the global economy. These severely impact on resource mobilization at the national level needed for important social programmes.

Allow me to apprise this esteemed gathering of the situation of older persons in Trinidad and Tobago as well as some of the initiatives we have taken to address their needs.

Currently persons 60 years and over account for approximately 9% of the population of Trinidad and Tobago. By the year 2020 this figure is expected to increase to 15%. It is notable that the percentage increase in this subgroup will be about 91 % in just twenty (20) years as compared to an estimated 27% growth in the overall population for the same period.

My country has had a long history of providing social security for older persons via public transfers to persons 65 years and over based on an income criteria. Over the past five (5) years we have progressively increased the welfare grant to older persons. A task force has been established to review pensions and formulate a suitable model to ensure equity between the contributory and non-contributory systems of the Government.

In 2001 Government removed insurance premium tax for persons 60 years and over and extended free public transport to all persons in this group.

Free health care is provided for all citizens at the public health institutions. More attention is needed however to improve delivery and quality of this service and in the area of preventive and rehabilitative health care. There is also need for formal training in gerontology at the tertiary level.

In the area of Housing and Supportive Environments, the Government has adopted a policy of making available to older persons apartments at a very low cost. To this end, it has established a Social Affairs Department in the Ministry of Housing to address the special needs of the elderly. A number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in partnerships with the Government also provide care for older persons mainly in the establishment and operation of homes for the aged.

On the issue of the family, we in Trinidad and Tobago have not been spared the impact of industrialization and urbanization as evidenced by the numbers of women entering and remaining in the labour force. This has affected the ability of the family to meet the traditional role of caretakers of older family members. To deal with this phenomenon Government has sought to enhance the capacity of family members and the community to provide support to older persons.

Specifically, Government established a Geriatric Adolescent Partnership Programme to train and sensitize young persons between the ages of 17 - 30 years in care of the elderly.

Training programmes have also been mounted for family caregivers of older persons and workers in homes for the aged to equip them with knowledge and skills to understand the process of ageing and the social needs of the elderly. A project entitled "Peer Group Training for Older Persons" was also recently commenced. Under this project, groups of older persons are sensitized to the ageing process and healthy aging practices and provided with skills to mobilize and bond with their peers in order to disseminate the knowledge they have gained.

In pursuit of an integrated society, we have sought to bring older persons into the mainstream of society and to utilize their knowledge and experience and provide alternative employment opportunities for their benefit.

In 1996, a Senior Citizens Bureau was established as a joint effort between Government and an NGO. The Bureau is essentially a bank of information on skills of senior citizens who wish to contribute to the national community in their areas of expertise. The Bureau aims to provide the public with readily available information based on the skills and resources of older persons. In 1999, another bureau was opened in the sister isle of Tobago.

The Government has sought to provide opportunities for learning to senior citizens through its Adult Education Unit. This unit operates several life long Learning Centres throughout the country providing skills training in a range of areas. These Centres while catering to all adults also utilize retirees as trainers/tutors and supervisors.

Mr. President, since the early 1990's, Trinidad and Tobago has annually observed International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) with national celebrations to honour centenarians and senior achievers. The International Year of Older Persons was a major event in Trinidad and Tobago. Many initiatives were undertaken to observe the year. I am pleased to state that since 1999 there has been greater awareness of the issues related to older persons by various sectors in the society.

We have recently completed a Draft National Policy on Ageing and Public consultations on that draft Policy will soon commence. Government also enacted the Homes for Older Persons Act 2000, which seeks to provide for the standardization of care and accommodation as well as for a licensing regime for the control of Homes for Older Persons. It also provides for the establishment of a Division of Ageing with responsibility for all matters relating to ageing. This division will be operational by September of this year.

Trinidad and Tobago is guided by the vision of an inclusive society in which the interests of all groups are considered and integrated; a vision which places ageing within the life cycle perspective and takes account of the interdependence and reciprocity of and between the various ages and social groups.

An area that requires further development however is social and community care of older persons. It is envisaged that the proposed Division of Ageing will facilitate the process.

We recognize that much more is required to ensure sustainability of initiatives, to deepen the process already started and to provide enabling and supportive environments. Greater attention much be paid to gender issues in policies and programmes as women tend to outlive their male counterparts and are economically less independent.

There is need to target our youth and equip them with new knowledge to be able to reach their own later years as the beneficiaries of good health, income security and with supportive social networks.

Mr. President, the changing face of the family unit, the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS amongst our youth and not least the need for ongoing research on ageing issues are all matters for the national and international agendas.

Mr. President, the future is indeed a challenging one. Trinidad and Tobago looks forward to working with our international partners in the implementation of the revised Plan of Action and the Political Declaration to ensure that the dignity and human rights of older persons are preserved.

I thank you.