A/RES/71/164
Follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing
Noting also that, between 2015 and 2030, the number of persons aged 60 years
or over is projected to grow by 56 per cent, from 901 million to 1.4 billion, and that
this increase will be the greatest and the most rapid in the developing world, and
recognizing that greater attention needs to be paid to the specific challenges
affecting older persons, including in the field of human rights,
Recalling World Health Assembly resolutions on ageing, specifically
resolution 58.16 of 25 May 2005 on strengthening active and healthy ageing, 5 which
stressed the important role of public health policies and programmes in enabling the
rapidly growing number of older persons to remain in good health and maintain
their many vital contributions to the well-being of their families, communities and
societies, resolution 65.3 of 25 May 2012 on strengthening non-communicable
disease policies to promote active ageing, 6 which recognized that population ageing
is among the major factors contributing to the rising incidence and prevalence of
non-communicable diseases, and resolution 69.3 of 29 May 2016, entitled “The
Global strategy and action plan on ageing and health 2016 –2020: towards a world in
which everyone can live a long and healthy life”, 7
Acknowledging that many developing countries and countries with economies
in transition are confronting a double burden of fighting emerging and re -emerging
communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, in parallel
with the increasing threat of non-communicable diseases, and expressing concern
about the impact on older persons,
Concerned that many health systems are not sufficiently prepared to respond
to the needs of the rapidly ageing population, including the need for preventive,
curative, palliative and specialized care,
Deeply concerned that the situation of older persons in many parts of the world
has been negatively affected by the world financial and economic crisis, and noting
with concern the high incidence of poverty among them,
Recognizing the essential contribution that older persons can continue to make
to the functioning of societies and towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda
if adequate guarantees are in place,
Concerned about the multiple forms of discrimination that may affect older
persons and their enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly
those in vulnerable groups or situations, and noting that older women often face
multiple forms of discrimination resulting from gender inequality,
Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 2015/5 of 8 June 2015, in
which the Council invited Member States to identify actions they had taken since
the second review and appraisal exercise of the Madrid Plan of Action, with the aim
of presenting that information to the regional commissions d uring 2017, and invited
each Member State to decide for itself the actions or activities it intended to review,
utilizing a bottom-up participatory approach,
1.
Reaffirms the Political Declaration 1 and the Madrid International Plan of
Action on Ageing, 2002; 2
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5
See World Health Organization, document WHA58/2005/REC/1.
See World Health Organization, document WHA65/2012/REC/1.
7
See World Health Organization, document WHA69/2016/REC/1.
6
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