Follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing A/RES/72/144 bearing in mind that countries have the primary responsibility for their own economic and social development; 41. Also encourages the international community to support national efforts to forge stronger partnerships with civil society, including organizations of older persons, academia, research foundations, community-based organizations, including caregivers, and the private sector, in an effort to help to build capacity on ageing issues; 42. Encourages the international community and the relevant agencies of the United Nations system, within their respective mandates, to support national efforts to provide funding for research and data-collection initiatives on ageing, as appropriate, in order to better understand the challenges and opportunities presented by population ageing and to provide policymakers with more accurate and more specific information with regard to a gender perspective on ageing; 43. Recognizes the important role of various international and regional organizations that deal with training, capacity-building, policy design and monitoring at the national and regional levels in promoting and facilitating the implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action, and acknowledges the work that is undertaken in various parts of the world, as well as regional initiatives, such as the Fourth Regional Intergovernmental Conference on Ageing and the Rights of Older Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Asunción from 27 to 30 June 2017, the AsiaPacific Intergovernmental Meeting on the Third Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, held in Bangkok from 12 to 14 September 2017, and the fourth Economic Commission for Europe Ministerial Conference on Ageing, held in Lisbon on 21 and 22 September 2017, and the regional review processes and reports of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and the Economic Commission for Africa, as well as the work of institutes such as the International Institute on Ageing in Malta and the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research in Vienna; 44. Takes note with appreciation of the establishment of an informal network of interested United Nations entities to exchange information and integrate ageing into their work programmes on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; 45. Requests the focal point on ageing of the United Nations system, the Programme on Ageing of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, to continue to enhance its collaboration with the focal points of the regional commissions, funds and programmes, and recommends that Member States reaffirm the roles of focal points within the United Nations system, increase technical cooperation efforts, consider expanding the role of the regional commissions on ageing issues and continue to provide resources for those efforts, facilitate the coordination of national and international non-governmental organizations on ageing and enhance cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, to promote ageing issues and develop partnerships in this regard; 46. Reiterates the need for additional capacity-building at the national level in order to promote and facilitate further implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action, as well as the results of its review and appraisal cycle, and in this regard encourages Governments to support the United Nations trust fund for ageing so as to enable the Department of Economic and Social Affairs to provide expanded assistance to countries, upon their request; 47. Requests the United Nations system to strengthen its capacity to support, in an efficient and coordinated manner, national implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action, where appropriate; 17-22932 7/8