Calling attention to the urgent need to develop methodologies to improve the collection of disaggregated statistics by gender and age and to identify and evaluate the different forms of activities of older women that are not normally recognized as having an economic value, in particular their activities in the informal sector and as caregivers, Recognizing the importance of increasing options and opportunities for older women’s economic and social development, particularly in developing countries, Taking into consideration the fact that the United Nations has proclaimed 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons,19 Also taking into consideration the Secretary-General’s report on the fourth review and appraisal of the International Plan of Action on Ageing,20 1. Invites the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to pay particular attention to discrimination on grounds of age when evaluating national reports on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women;21 2. Decides to ensure that the contributions and needs of women of all ages, including those of older women, are taken into account when monitoring the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in all policies and programmes within the United Nations system; 3. Recommends that the preparations for the International Year of Older Persons include a gender perspective; 4. Invites the Statistics Division of the United Nations, in cooperation with the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, to expand the conceptual analysis and undertake a follow-up study on their pioneering work on methods of compiling and analysing statistics on older women that would provide specific techniques to improve the use of available data; 5. Also invites the Institute to develop analytical tools and methodologies for identifying options and mechanisms for evaluating and fully recognizing the role of older women as important members of the social, economic, political and cultural spheres and for identifying the barriers to the participation of older women in those spheres; 6. Further invites the United Nations Development Fund for Women to assist developing countries in increasing options and opportunities for older women’s economic and social development by providing technical and financial assistance for incorporating older women’s dimension into development at all levels; 7. Reiterates the request made to the Division for the Advancement of Women by the Commission in its resolution 36/4 to establish, in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, model profiles of the current situation of older 19 General Assembly resolution 47/5. 20 E/CN.5/1997/4. 21 General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex. -22-