UN’s Special Attention to Older People

It is impressive, remarkable, and highly surprising what the United Nations Organization has done for “Older People”, the official term it uses for the Elderly.

Many of us may not know the things the UN has been doing for the Older People which are instructive and educational. They are mentioned in the equally instructive document of the Pontifical Council For The Laity (PCL 1 Oct 98) whose official title is, The Dignity of Older People and their Mission in the Church and in the World. By a quick gaze at its Contents we can deduce the importance and value of this document.

The Contents are: I. Meaning and Value of Old Age, II. The Older Person in the Bible, III. Older People’s Problems are the Problems of us All, IV. The Church and Older People, V. Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of Older People/Conclusions.

Citing UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs section on Population, the PCL document reveals that “The number of older people is constantly increasing, while that of the young is constantly decreasing.” In a footnote, UN Dept reports that “66 million octogenarians and over-80 year-olds in the world today are destined to increase to 370 million in 2050, including the estimated 2.2 million centenarians.”

To address the enormous problems arising from such huge numbers, the United Nations held a World Assembly on Ageing in Vienna, Austria, from July 26 to August 6, 1982. The result of that gathering was the formulation of An International Plan of Action on Ageing. Following this assembly as a point of reference, “recent studies have led to the definition of eighteen United Nations Principles for Older Persons (grouped under five headings: independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment and dignity, and to the decision to dedicate an annual World Day to older people, to be celebrated on 1st October each year.” More next week.