UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing: encouraging signs but lack of tangible progress
The 11th session of the United Nations’ Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) ended last 1 April with mixed feelings. Despite some positive developments, the event did not meet the expectations of ageing advocates worldwide. The UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) is the annual highlight for the global movement that is advocating for […]
Human rights are for all ages – Time of the EU to lead the rallying for a UN Convention
UN_Convention_PNG_Banner_Twitter.png While the protection of human rights is at the core of the European Union’s values and treaties, our rights tend to be challenged as we get older, showing a clear discrepancy between EU’s ideals and practice. This discrepancy has been violently exposed during the pandemic, as older people’s rights to equal treatment, dignity, care, […]
EU Green Paper on Ageing: a key opportunity to make concrete steps towards a more inclusive future for all ages
Living longer is one of the greatest achievements of the past decades. Yet, the new longevity and the generational mix of our European societies require a better coordination of policies on ageing and the mainstreaming of ageing issues across policy making from the local to the European level. The Green Paper on Ageing, recently published […]
2021 promises hope for a successful recovery
While the COVID pandemic closed the year 2020 full of uncertainties, revealing the magnitude of the socio-economic challenges ahead, the year 2021 has begun, bringing with it some hopes for renewal in many respects. 2020 heavy legacy One of the lessons that most of us will take away from this pandemic is the importance of […]
Our second AGE Barometer looks at social inclusion, health, long-term care and autonomy in later life
Discrimination, exclusion, loneliness, digital divide, elder abuse or neglect… the pandemic has shed light on issues which were already at stake for older people before the spread of the virus. This has been confirmed by the findings of our second AGE Barometer assessing the situation of older people across 9 EU countries. The recent months […]
Growing old in a digital world
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels The COVID-19 outbreak has given a sudden boost to the digitalisation of our daily lives. The measures to constrain the spread of the virus have indeed intensified the use of digital technologies in all areas: work, care, banking and shopping, social interaction, teaching and learning, etc. If recent months […]
COVID-19: Did it change the way we address age and ageing?
UNIDOP UNECE event – UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré On 1st October, we celebrated this year the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Older People (IDOP) in the unprecedented and challenging context created by COVID-19. If one thing has changed for the best, it is undoubtedly the number of new supporters joining the debate. While revealing […]
Back to business as unusual: With COVID-19, the Green Paper on Ageing must consider ageism & human rights
Photo by Abi Howard on Unsplash We are starting into the second half of an exceptional year in all regards. COVID-19 has not faded away over summer and the risks and uncertainties about the virus itself, infection rates, eventual new episodes of confinement and the social and economic toll are still very much present. The […]
First EU Report on Demographic Change prompts reflection on Europe’s ageing population
Changing realities of demography in Europe The increase in life expectancy, lower of birth rates, smaller households and growing urbanisation are reshaping the demographic structures across EU countries and the share of the European population worldwide. As EU figures demonstrate, people aged 65 years or older should account for 30.3% of the EU population by […]
From discrimination to abuse in older age: the insidious process brought to light by COVID-19
As widespread reports and figures have demonstrated since the beginning of the outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected the older population across Europe and the world. This increased vulnerability to the virus is mainly due to a higher prevalence of risks factors, such as underlying comorbidities, which may lead to more serious health conditions […]
All around the EU citizens of all ages join forces to tackle the dramatic consequences of COVID-19 on our lives while the EU and the UN step up their support
Every crisis triggers large scale mobilization As soon as it became clear that the COVID19 was an unprecedented health threat for humankind around the globe, citizens of all ages started spontaneously to join forces to thank healthcare staff at the front line for their priceless dedication, and support those particularly challenged by the lock-down and […]
COVID-19: with great challenge must come great solidarity
COVID-19 is a serious global challenge, which requires strong action, at EU and national levels, to protect the whole population and leave no one behind. While EU leaders examine how to join forces to best respond to the outbreak, public authorities are taking a great variety of measures to contain the virus and maintain their […]
Older women have built Generation Equality – and claim equality across generations!
photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash Under the motto ‘I am Generation Equality’, this years’ International Women’s Day marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration on Women’s Rights and Platform of Action. Despite being a core principle of the European Union, equality between men and women is not yet a reality […]
We are not all ‘old’ at the same age: life expectancy is a policy matter
The ATHLOS team Do people in the healthiest countries live the longest? And do people living the longest enjoy healthy older years? The reply to both questions is “no” and the phenomenon is known as the “health longevity paradox”: countries with the highest life expectancy have relatively low health scores, with a low healthy life […]
AGE vow for 2020: strengthening a world where human rights underpin social, economic & environmental developments
2019 was a decisive year for the future of Europe with the European Parliament elections and the nomination of a new Commission, to mention just two major EU institutional developments. We have just entered 2020, a new year and a new decade which look equally exciting and challenging for all generations. What are 2020 key […]
Looking at the von der Leyen Commission from an older people’s perspective
von der Leyen Commission 2019-2024 On 27 November 2019 the European Parliament finally approved the new European Commission with 461 votes in favour, 157 against and 89 abstentions. The day after the European Council officially appointed von der Leyen’s team for 5 years. Many articles have been published on the nomination of Ursula von der […]
Balancing social, environmental and economic concerns: EU Finnish Presidency proposes a new approach for the upcoming decade
photo by Martti Kainulainen, STT-Lehtikuva, EU Finnish Presidency conference The current social, economic and environmental challenges require Europe to reinforce its founding values and put the social and green dimensions at the core of the European social model. A key achievement of the Finnish EU Presidency, which started in July and will end in December […]
I’m ageing, just like you: How to ensure equality at all ages?
Being treated equally is fundamental for everyone to feel worthy and contribute to society. Even though we are all ageing, we are not all receiving the same protection of our rights. This October, our #AgeingEqual campaign called for change. For the 1st October, International Day of Older Persons, the United Nations picked the theme of […]
