28 May 1987

17th plenary meeting

Implementation of the International Plan of Action on Aging

The Economic and Social Council,

Noting with appreciation the results of the World Assembly on Aging, held at Vienna from 26 July to 6 August 1982, including the International Plan of Action on Aging, endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 37/51 of 3 December 1982,

Acknowledging the need to implement recommendation 57 of the Plan of Action, which calls for practical training centres to train personnel in the field of aging, especially personnel from developing countries,

Endorsing the recommendations contained in the Report of the Interregional Seminar to Promote the Implementation of the International Plan of Action on Aging, Kiev, 9-20 September 1985, and recalling General Assembly resolution 41/96 of 4 December 1986, in which the need for training centres was again confirmed,

Taking note of the report of the Expert Group Meeting on the Feasibility of Establishing an Institute on Aging, held in Malta from 15 to 19 December 1986,

Taking note with appreciation of the work of the Aging Unit of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, in spite of a shortage of resources to perform its duties in implementing the Plan of Action,

Recalling the recommendations of the Group of High-level Intergovernmental Experts to Review the Efficiency of the Administrative and Financial Functioning of the United Nations, approved by the General Assembly in its resolution 41/213 of 19 December 1986,

Noting that the institute on aging, as proposed by the Expert Group Meeting, would be financed solely by voluntary contributions and by the Government of Malta,

1. Confirms the need to implement recommendation 57 of the International Plan of Action on Aging;

2. Thanks the Government of Malta for its continuing efforts in the field of aging;

3. Recommends to the Secretary-General the conclusions contained in the report of the Expert Group Meeting on the Feasibility of Establishing an Institute on Aging, on the understanding that the proposed institute in Malta would essentially be a training institute to fulfil the training needs of developing countries in implementing the Plan of Action and that the proposed institute would not preclude the establishment of other institutes or training centres related to the United Nations and voluntarily financed in other countries or regions of the world;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to consider additional ways of solving the great need for world-wide training of staff in the gerontological area and of using the existing structures within and outside the United Nations system to better help fulfil this task, and to report thereon to the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-first session;

5. Urges the entities involved to avoid any duplication of work in the areas of research, data collection and information within the United Nations system;

6. Requests the Commission for Social Development to consider the question of aging, including the experience of the proposed institute, at its thirty-first session.