The United Nations General Assembly designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons on 14 December 1990. By definition of the UN Statistical Bureau, an “older person” is a person, who reached the age of 60 or older.
In accordance with the UNGA resolution, the objective of the International Day of Older Persons is to draw public attention to the problems of elderly people. Activities organized on this day are to raise the public awareness of individual and social needs of older persons, their contribution to the society development, changing attitudes towards them. Besides, this is another occasion to pay attention to the necessity of providing for the seniors’ more active participation in the society life, creating favorable conditions for realization of their potential and restoration of the intergenerational linkage, which continues to weaken under the dynamic development of the modern society.
According to international statistics, over the last half of the 20th century, 20 years were added to the average lifespan. Population is aging in all developed countries with no exception. By demographic estimates, over the period from 2000 to 2030, the proportion of older people (60 years and older) will make up 20-30 per cent of the population in the majority of developed countries. Such a situation is already taking place in Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Great Britain, Bulgaria and other European states.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Belarus, the number of seniors in Belarus totaled 2.435.997 as of August 2006, including 677,688 men (60 years and older) and 1.467.003 women (55 years and older). The number of working pensioners aged 50-55 and up to 99 reaches 1.061.056, which brings to a conclusion that older people are a powerful resource of our society, which should be rightly taken care of in order for the society to prosper.
‘The society attitude to seniors is an indicator of its civilization level. At different times of societal development this attitude was different. In the course of the time, a stereotype of an older person has been shaped, which is often associated with loneliness, vulnerability, dependency on the environment. The society associates the old age with the past, not with the present or future, and does not take account of the tremendous creative and labor potential of seniors. The society misses the fact that many older people take an active part in family life, continue to work, and make a significant financial contribution to each individual household and the country as a whole. I would like to wish all seniors to stay active, being an example for young people,’ UNFPA National Programme Officer in Belarus Tatiana Haplichnik said in her compliments on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons.
For reference: UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.
For additional information, please, ask Tatiana Haplichnik at 227-45-27, www.unfpa.by.
