Archives

MADRID, Friday (Reuters)

They are one of the world's fastest-growing minorities, often poor and facing discrimination or abuse, but on Friday 160 nations will sign up to help them: the old.

The United Nations action plan to cope with the "greying" of the world is due to be adopted at the World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid.

It may not bring instant relief of their problems, but is a sign that at least they have been acknowledged, said Nitin Desai, the U.N. official in charge.

"There has been a strong focus on human rights and the issue of elder abuse," he told Reuters. "Before we hardly talked about it."

By mid-century there should be more than three million centenarians, one in five people will be over 65 -- and many of them will have to keep on working for economies to survive.

Desai said Friday's plan aimed to fight the impoverishment and abuse of old people and paid special attention to the health needs of the growing number of over 85s - "the oldest old".

"If Paul McCartney had written his famous song 'When I'm 64' today then it would probably be 'When I'm 84'," said Desai, U.N. Under Secretary General at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The world's older population has boomed since the last international ageing conference 20 years ago in Vienna.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager