On October 11-12 a workshop was held in Minsk with the participation of the leading ageing experts. The event was organized by UNFPA in the framework of the project "Support to the Implementation of the National Programme of Demographic Security of the Republic of Belarus".

The main task of the event was to present the expert opinion of the leading scientists on population ageing to the professionals in social service and health care, and to journalists.

"For Belarus the workshop could not have come at a more opportune time! This year the country is to report on the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Actions, the analysis of the situation with ageing and a national study "Current State and Prospects of the Demographic Development in the Republic of Belarus in 2000-2015" are being prepared," said in her greeting speech Elena Kasko, Assistant Representative at United Nations Population Fund. "The issues of population ageing and active ageing are more and more often discussed in various circles, both at the level of public agencies and non-governmental associations, and these issues demand certain political and practical actions."

Recognized European experts Marvin Formosa, Director of the International Institute on Ageing, United Nations-Malta, and Alexander Sidorenko (Senior Advisor of the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (Austria) participated in the workshop. The reports of Dr. Formosa, in particular, address the principles of population ageing policy and best practices of the work of special care institutions for elderly people. Mr. Sidorenko focused on the information policy regarding population ageing, and the national capacity in this area.

The workshop was also attended by Russian and Belarusian scientists: Andrey Ilnitsky (Department of Internal Medicicne, Geriatrics and Anti-Aging Medicine of the Institute of Advanced Training of the FMBA of Russia), Maria Varlamova (Centre for Studies of Income and Living Standards of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (Russia), Anna Zakrevskaya (Research Institute of Labour of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus), Natalya Milkota (Research Institute of Labour of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus).

In total, about 70 specialists from the system of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Economy, and from research institutions attended the workshop.