· Introduction

I am delighted and honoured to be present at such an auspicious occasion.

This Assembly has highlighted that we are facing a huge demographic challenge as people live longer whilst the birthrate in many countries is declining. By the year 2050 every third person in Europe will be aged 60 or over.

But the Assembly also recognises that increased life expectancy is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. After all, we have all striven for many years to raise the life expectancy our citizens, and to improve their quality of life.

Clearly one of the greatest challenges that face us in the 21st century is to make the most of the opportunity these extra years offer, as well as making sure we can respond effectively to the needs of our ageing populations.
 

· Our Commitment to Older People

In the United Kingdom, there are around 19 million people aged 50 and over and they account for 40% of the adult population and by 2020 the population of 50 plus people will have increased by a further 3 million.

We are determined to respond positively to this age shift in our population.

We want to ensure that our older citizens can enjoy secure, active, independent and fulfilling lives.

We want to build communities where all are valued and where everyone, young and old, has the opportunity to play a full part. I am delighted that the United Nation's International Plan on Ageing will reinforce this message and help us all to focus on the needs of our ageing societies.
 

· Tackling Poverty

The International Plan recognises that one of the key issues for older people across the world, is financial security.

So do we.

We want all pensioners in the United Kingdom to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country.

At the same time we recognise that it is important to make sure that pension provision is affordable, safe, secure and sustainable over the long term.
 

· Opportunity in Later Life

We also recognise that as more people live longer, emotionally fulfilling and physically fitter lives enabling them to remain active and valued members within their families and society in general.

We believe that later life should be a time of increased and diverse opportunity not stagnation, isolation, poor health, poverty and loss of self worth and self esteem.

Therefore we aim to give people in the UK real choices in later life.

The choice to:

   o remain in work for longer
   o engage in new pursuits or hobbies,
   o engage in lifelong learning, and
   o to participate in community activity.

We fully support the International Plan's call for people to have the opportunity to be what they want to be - whatever their age. But to succeed we need to change society's narrow view of later life and what older people are capable of.

Clearly changes of this magnitude are always a challenge but we are determined to promote the reality of active older people with energy and time and a willingness to contribute to society.

I know that many of you here today will acknowledge that this makes sense - both morally and economically.
 

· The Empowerment of Older People is crucial to our strategy

We recognise the importance of working positively with older people to shape policies and services to meet their many and varied needs. We have set up successful partnerships between central and local government, the voluntary sector and older people as part of our Better Government for Older People programme.
 

· Health and Care

As the International Plan acknowledges - health and care are key issues for older people across the world. At the heart of the United Kingdom's approach are person-centred care and delivering services that enable older people to maintain and regain their independence and to make real choices about their living environment.

We have set up a National Service Framework to focus specifically on addressing the health and care needs of our older people.
 

· Developing Countries

I hope that this Assembly and the International Plan of Action on Ageing will be of particular help to developing countries, who are facing significant challenges. It will help us all to understand the real problems they face.

Clearly our strategy for older people will be different from those of other countries for historical and cultural reasons. And each country will need to find its own solutions.

But I believe we can and we should learn from each other. That's why this conference - bringing together people from across the world is so important.

Our special side-event on Sharing Experience - which took place yesterday evening - revealed that there are many excellent initiatives for older people across the world. And I look forward to having a further opportunity to listen to the experiences of my colleagues from other countries in the days to come.
 

· Conclusion

I hope that this overview has given an indication of our Government's commitment to addressing the needs of the United Kingdom's ageing population.