29 May 1985

23rd plenary meeting

First review and appraisal of the implementation of the International Plan of Action on Aging

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 37/51 of 3 December 1982, in which the Assembly endorsed the International Plan of Action on Aging adopted by the World Assembly on Aging, and requested the Economic and Social Council, through the Commission for Social Development, to review the implementation of the Plan of Action every four years, beginning in 1985,

Mindful of the International Plan of Action on Aging, in which, inter alia, it is pointed out that various problems of older people can find their real solution under conditions of peace,

Reaffirming General Assembly resolution 39/25 of 23 November 1984, in which the Assembly recognized the increasing awareness of issues related to aging in many countries and of the need to provide national authorities, at their request, with technical and financial assistance in their efforts to implement policies and programmes,

Noting with appreciation the efforts made by Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to implement the principles and recommendations contained in the International Plan of Action on Aging and described in the report of the Secretary-General on the first review and appraisal of the implementation of the Plan of Action,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 39/228 of 18 December 1984, in which the Assembly endorsed the report of the International Conference on Population, containing the recommendations for the further implementation of the World Population Plan of Action, in recommendation 58 of which Governments were urged to reaffirm their commitment to the implementation of the International Plan of Action on Aging,

Recalling also the reaffirmation in General Assembly resolution 39/228 of the need to pay attention to specific problems of population structures,

Reaffirming further General Assembly resolution 39/25, in which the Secretary-General was urged to include advisory services to developing countries that requested them in technical co-operation programmes,

Recalling further that the General Assembly, in resolution 37/51, requested the Secretary-General to continue to use the Trust Fund for Aging to meet the rapidly increasing needs of the aging in the developing countries, in particular in the least developed ones,

Convinced that the Trust Fund has a unique contribution to make and a catalytic role to play in the technical co-operation field to implement the goals and recommendations of the International Plan of Action on Aging and to promote innovative and experimental activities in the field of aging,

Stressing the need for close and continuous working relationships between the Trust Fund and those bodies, organs and organizations of the United Nations system concerned with the question of aging, and the need for the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat to continue its role as the focal point for promoting the implementation of the International Plan of Action on Aging,

Expressing its appreciation to those Governments and non-governmental organizations which, through their contributions, have upheld the vital role of the Trust Fund,

Noting with concern the disparity between the current resources of the Trust Fund and the large number of requests for assistance, and the fact that the Trust Fund has not been able to consider all the deserving requests for technical assistance received owing to the minimal contributions received during the last two years,

Noting with appreciation the continuing support of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities for population assistance in the field of aging,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the first review and appraisal of the implementation of the International Plan of Action on Aging;

2. Urges Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to continue to strengthen their efforts to implement the principles and objectives of the International Plan of Action on Aging;

3. Invites Governments to strengthen or establish mechanisms, when necessary, to facilitate the co-ordinated planning and implementation of activities in the field of aging and, where appropriate, to establish a focal point for aging within the national office responsible for population activities;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to ensure a well-co-ordinated system-wide response for the implementation of the Plan of Action at the national, regional and international levels;

5. Urges Governments and governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as the specialized agencies, to exchange information and experience concerning the adoption of measures to meet the needs of the elderly, including those who contributed to the victory which ended the Second World War;

6. Affirms the role of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat as a focal point for the exchange of such experience between the organizations of the United Nations system;

7. Reaffirms the importance of the provisions of the International Plan of Action on Aging regarding the necessity of halting the arms race and rechannelling the resources spent for military purposes to the needs of economic and social development, particularly for the improvement of the social status of the elderly;

8. Urges the Secretary-General to take the necessary steps to ensure that advisory and other services to developing countries that request them are provided to the extent feasible in technical co-operation programmes and/or through the resources of the Trust Fund for Aging;

9. Urges the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, as a leading organization in international population assistance, to sustain its financial support for technical co-operation activities in respect of aging, particularly in view of the importance given to that issue by the International Conference on Population in its recommendations for the further implementation of the World Population Plan of Action;

10. Requests the Secretary-General to take concrete measures on an urgent basis to promote the financial viability and effectiveness of the Trust Fund;

11. Urges Governments and non-governmental organizations to continue and, where possible, to increase their contributions to the Trust Fund, and calls upon Governments and non-governmental organizations that have not yet done so to consider contributing to the Trust Fund;

12. Requests the Secretary-General, in order to facilitate contributions by Governments, to include the Trust Fund, on an annual basis, among the programmes for which funds are pledged at the United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities;

13. Further requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its forty-first session on the implementation of the present resolution, in particular on the measures and steps he has taken to further develop the Trust Fund.