Calls Grow for Age-Inclusive Societies Worldwide

Two elderly people in Indonesia play with a child.

Member States, UN officials and civil society came together on Wednesday to shift the global perspective on ageing, calling for new policies and actions that bring older persons in from the margins of society.

“Every older person has the right to age with dignity, security and access to opportunities that enrich their lives,” said Arjanita Elezaj, one of the key organisers of the International Day of Older Persons.

“These are not privileges, they are human rights,” she told a meeting at UN Headquarters to commemorate the day. Discussions focused on key issues such as increasing opportunities for older persons to participate in civic and cultural life, as well as access to healthcare and housing.

This year’s theme highlighted that older persons must be given agency to play an active role in driving local and global action, amplifying their voices in policymaking and helping to build more inclusive societies.

“Older persons carry with them a lifetime of lived experiences, resilience and service,” said Ms. Elezaj. “They are the architects of communities, movements and institutions that continue to guide us today. Yet too often, their voices go unheard.”

The number of people aged 60 or over has more than doubled to 1.2 billion in the past three decades and is projected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050, according to event organisers.

With global life expectancy rising, the number of people aged 80 and over is expected to surpass the number of infants by the mid-2030s.

“We must respond with foresight and action. That means ensuring that the rights of older persons are fully respected, their dignity upheld, and their contributions recognised,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for the day.

Jeanette Takamura, Professor and Dean Emerita of the Columbia University School of Social Work, reminded the audience that ageing is a universal experience.

“When I last spoke at this podium, my hair was dark brown and I was an inch taller,” she said with a smile. “Now, 26 years later, I am an inch shorter with silver hair.”

She emphasised the “urgency of heightened multigenerational outreach and inclusion” to drive forward a global age-inclusive social movement.

Takamura underlined that social movements are most impactful when they embrace a broad spectrum and stressed the need for younger and older generations to learn from and about each other.

“The groundwork for a social movement has been laid by all the international years past,” she said. “Let us exercise wisdom, be agents of social change, and expand our tent to welcome the multiple generations of younger persons we need as partners and co-creators.”