Posted By Bethany Brown at 15:21, 12 February 2013

Last week, the 51st session of the Commission for Social Development (CSD) began at the United Nations in New York. Each year, the Commission takes up key social development themes; the focus this year is on empowerment.

This CSD included a review of plans and programmes worldwide that deal with certain social groups. Older people, as a social group, had a particular focus, as this year is the year for the ten-year review of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA). Indeed, a HelpAge delegation, including me, was present in New York to highlight the need to focus on empowering older men and women.

Improving quality of life for all

Members of the HelpAge International global network attended meetings to recommend that future development goals and the post-2015 development process are age-inclusive, with the goal of improving the quality of life for all.

The post-2015 development process is an important opportunity to acknowledge ageing and ensure that that the concerns of older people are taken forward in the framework that emerges. To that effect, we organised an event on Friday on how to develop sustainable ageing policies in the post-2015 agenda together with the Government of Finland and the United Nations Population Fund.

Policies that benefit all generations

Our aim was to present and discuss new thinking and innovations to ensure that the development framework for the post-2015 framework be sustainable, inclusive, rights-based and accountable to populations as they age, and that policies benefit all generations.

Richard Blewitt, HelpAge's Chief Executive was also there and teamed up with one of our Affiliates in the US, AARP, on empowering older people around the world, using our Age Demands Action campaign as a case study.

HelpAge USA discussed the importance for development of the empowerment of older people at the civil society forum. This is a great time for raising awareness about the important role older people have been quietly playing behind the scenes in the world's development.

Whether they are conducting a micro-entreprise, raising their grandchildren or teaching about HIV prevention; they have a perspective and a voice that the world needs to hear.

Meet our Age Demands Action leaders and find out what they have to say. 

Tags for this post age demands action, ageing in the 21st century, millennium development goals, policy, rights, , Millennium Development Goals