Overview Factsheets

An ageing world
Populations are ageing in almost every country in the world.
HelpAge International

Population Ageing: A Public Health Challenge
By 2020 More than 1,000 Million People Aged 60 Years and Older Will Be Living in the World, More Than 700 Million of Them in Developing Countries.
World Health Organization

The Ageing of the World's Population
Over the past few years, the world's population has continued on its remarkable transition path from a state of high birth and death rates to one characterized by low birth and death rates. At the heart of that transition has been the growth in the number and proportion of older persons. Such a rapid, large and ubiquitous growth has never been seen in the history of civilization.  R
UN Programme on Ageing / Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nati

Abuse of Older Persons: Report of the UN Secretary General (PDF)
The report surveys the issues on abuse of older persons from a global perspective based on studies conducted in the past 20 years.
UN - UN Secretary General

Declaration of the World NGO Forum on Ageing
Final declaration and recommendations adopted by the World NGO Forum on Ageing, held concurrently with the Second World Assembly on Ageing (UN), held in Madrid, Spain, 2002.
World NGO Forum on Ageing

Elder abuse widespread and unreported
A report recently released by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan surveys abuse of older persons around the world and finds that abuse is widespread, is usually not reported, and has significant financial and human costs.
Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 2002

Equal treatment, equal rights: Ten actions to end age discrimination
HelpAge International has set out ten concrete actions to ensure that older people across the world benefit from the full range of internationally accepted human rights.
Help Age International

Equal Treatment, equal rights: ten actions to end age discrimination (PDF)
This document sets out 10 concrete actions to ensure that older people across the world benefit from the full range of internationally accepted human rights.
HelpAge International

Global Action on Ageing
Global Action on Aging is an international grassroots citizen group that works on issues of concern to older people. It reports on older people's needs and potential within the globalized world economy. And it advocates by, with, and for older people worldwide. Global Action on Aging carries out research on critical emerging topics and publishes the results.

Global Aging: The Challenge of the New Millennium (PDF)
Report to World Leaders from the CSIS Commission on Global Aging
CSIS - Center for Strategic and International Studies

HelpAge International
We are a global network of members and partner organisations working in over 80 countries on practical and policy work. We are the only network with a mission to improve the lives of disadvantaged older people.

Madrid International Plan of Action 2002 (Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing)
The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, adopted at the Second World Assembly on Ageing, is the first international agreement that specifically recognises the potential of older people to contribute to the development of their societies, and commits governments to including ageing in all social and economic development policies.
UN Second World Assembly on Ageing

Madrid Political Declaration (on Ageing) - (from Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 2002)
Political Declaration on Ageing - a key document from the Second World Assembly on Ageing.  R
Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 2002

Mark of a noble society: Human rights and older people (PDF)
A briefing paper produced to mark United Nations Human Rights Day 2000. The paper challenges the way poverty, social exclusion and discriminatory attitudes effectively set age limits to human rights.
HelpAge International

Second World Assembly on Ageing (Background Info / Factsheet)
Background and information on the Second World Assembly on Ageing.  R
Second World Assembly on Ageing

Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 2002
From April 8 to 12, 2002 in Madrid, Spain, at the Second World Assembly on Ageing 2002, both delegates of government and non-governmental organizations united to revise the International Plan on Ageing and elaborated a long-term strategy for the aging world.

Second World Assembly on Ageing: Madrid, 8-12 April 2002 (UN Programme on Ageing - Information site)
Website on the Second World Assembly on Ageing, by the UN Programme on Ageing
UN Programme on Ageing

State of the World's Older People 2002 (PDF)
This provides new evidence on the situation of older people in developing countries and in eastern and central Europe, drawing on recent statistics and research by the global network. Its unique feature is to reflect older people's views and experience, recorded in consultations held in 32 countries during 2001/2 in preparation for the Second World Assembly on Ageing.
HelpAge International

The Ageing and Development Report: Poverty, independence and the world's older people (Summary) - (PDF)
A report on the circumstances of older people in developing countries and countries in transition, with chapters on economic security, health, family and community life, poverty, gender and emergencies.
HelpAge International

UN Programme on Ageing
The United Nations develop the UN program on Ageing to facilitate and contribute to the creation of a society for all ages. This website presents all the information about this program.

United Nations Principles for Older Persons
The UN Principles aim to ensure that priority attention will be given to the situation of older persons. The UN Principles address the independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment and dignity of older persons.  R
UN (International Year of Older Persons 1999)

World Population Ageing 2002 Wall Chart (PDF)
UN Programme on Ageing