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Remarks by the President of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly,
H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang,
at the High-level Meeting on Ageing
Thursday, 8 May 2025?
[As Delivered]
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Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
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Thank you for joining today¡¯s High-Level Meeting on Ageing.
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It comes as we grapple with a profound demographic shift.
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Over the coming decade, the number of persons aged 60 years or older is projected to grow to a staggering 1.6 billion people – close to 20% of the world population.
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?By 2030, older persons will outnumber youth. They will comprise twice the number of children under the age of five.
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This transformation will touch every country, every community.
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This transformation has implications for every sphere of policymaking: from human rights, and social development to economic planning.
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Demands on healthcare, social protection, and economic systems will surge.
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The international community must anticipate these changes and react accordingly.
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Governments must adopt policies that meet the diverse needs of older persons.
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As vibrant contributors to society, with equitable access to services protecting their dignity and human rights.
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Comprehensive reforms across healthcare, social security, and economic structures will be necessary.
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Fortunately, we are not without guidance.
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The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing?offers a vital framework for our efforts.
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However, vast inequalities remain in access to healthcare, social protections, and basic services.
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We must bridge these gaps, including the growing digital gap locking older persons out from the digital society.
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Your Excellencies,
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Ageing is not a gender-neutral experience.
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Women consistently outlive men, both in developed and developing societies . ?
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A lifetime of unequal access to education, lower wages and mostly informal work means that older women experience higher rates of poverty than men.
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They often receive lower pensions and enjoy less security in old age. ?
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Ensuring gender equality must last a lifetime ¨C extending throughout the life course of women.
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Your Excellencies,
My dear Friends,
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The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, along with its Political Declaration, recognises that development, social policy, and human rights are indivisible.
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And it calls on us all to create environments where older people live healthy, secure lives, enriched by full participation in their communities.
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The establishment of an intergovernmental working group by the Human Rights Council to draft an international, legally binding instrument on the rights of older persons is a welcome step in this direction.
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Your Excellencies,
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As the great Nelson Mandela once said, and I quote: ¡°A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future.¡± End of quote.
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Older persons are essential partners in shaping the future.
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Older people are also important.
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Each of us, if fortunate, will grow old or older than we can imagine.
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And older persons¡¯ contributions must be welcomed, respected, and actively sought.
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The Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons to the African Charter on Human and Peoples¡¯ Rights makes this point clear.
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Its principles align with the vision set forth in the Pact for the Future and the Declaration on Future Generations.
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Both documents reaffirm the need to strengthen intergenerational solidarity, enhance international cooperation, and integrate demographic trends into sustainable development strategies.
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As we prepare for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in June and the World Social Summit in November, Member States must act decisively:
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First, by embedding ageing into all development frameworks.
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Second, by strengthening legal protections for older persons.
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And third, by promoting intergenerational unity as a cornerstone of inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable societies.
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Consequently, whether young or old, let us leave no one behind.
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Thank you.
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Media Contacts
Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
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Resolutions of the 79th Session ¨C Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly