PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 20 September 2012
UNECE Ministerial Conference, 19-20 September
Achieving a society for all ages: a shared responsibility…
Older citizens are ready to help!
“Over the last days, we have talked a lot about older people’s rights but AGE members feel that older people also have responsibilities and duties. They are ready to bring their fair contribution to the development of solutions that will ensure a better future for all generations”, started Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General of AGE Platform Europe at the UNECE Ministerial Conference ‘Ensuring a society for all ages: promoting quality of life and active ageing’ held in Vienna on 19-20 September.
European countries are going through a very severe economic, financial and social crisis. Combined with rapid demographic ageing, this creates the greatest challenge the EU has ever faced. Inequalities have increased dramatically in recent years and drastic cuts are being introduced in social services affecting older people. “Public authorities, civil society organisations and researchers must work hand in hand and cross-border to find ways of developing age-friendly environments that will support an optimal use of Europe’s human capital and limited resources. We feel collectively responsible to ensure a decent future for today’s and future generations and our members are committed to encourage senior citizens to invest their savings in initiatives that will create jobs for younger people, will help create a society for all ages and will benefit all generations”, added Mrs Parent.
In the framework of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP AHA), AGE is leading a coalition calling for a European Covenant on Demographic Change, similar to the existing Covenant on climate change, to support the scaling up of evidence based successful solutions that could help us achieve a society for all ages across the EU.
END
