A/RES/73/143
Follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing
Noting also that, between 2017 and 2030, the number of persons aged 6 0 years
or over is projected to grow by 46 per cent, from 962 million to 1.4 billion, globally
outnumbering youth, as well as children under the age of 10, 5 and that this increase
will be the greatest and the most rapid in the developing world, and recognizing that
greater attention needs to be paid to the specific challenges affecting older persons,
including in the field of human rights,
Recalling World Health Assembly resolutions on ageing, specifically resolution
58.16 of 25 May 2005 on strengthening active and healthy ageing, 6 which stressed
the important role of public health policies and programmes in enabling the rapidly
growing number of older persons to remain in good healt h and maintain their many
vital contributions to the well-being of their families, communities and societies,
resolution 65.3 of 25 May 2012 on strengthening non-communicable disease policies
to promote active ageing, 7 which recognized that population ageing is among the
major factors contributing to the rising incidence and prevalence of
non-communicable diseases and noted the importance of lifelong health -promotion
and disease-prevention activities, and resolution 69.3 of 29 May 2016, entitled
“Global strategy and action plan on ageing and health 2016–2020: towards a world in
which everyone can live a long and healthy life”, 8
Acknowledging that many developing countries and countries with economies
in transition are confronting a double burden of fightin g emerging and re-emerging
communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, in parallel with
the increasing threat of non-communicable diseases, and expressing concern about
the impact on older persons,
Concerned that many health systems are not sufficiently prepared to respond to
the needs of the rapidly ageing population, including the need for preventive, curative,
palliative and specialized care,
Deeply concerned that the situation of older persons in many parts of the world
has been negatively affected by the world financial and economic crisis, and noting
with concern the high incidence of poverty among them, particularly older single
women,
Recognizing the essential contribution that older persons can continue to make
to the functioning of societies and towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development, and recognizing also the importance of the full and
effective enjoyment of their human rights,
Concerned about the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that may
create additional vulnerabilities for older persons and affect their enjoyment of human
rights and fundamental freedoms, and noting that older women often face multiple
forms of discrimination resulting from gender inequality,
Recognizing that the prevalence of disability increases with age and that many
older persons live with a disability,
Recognizing also that the social exclusion of older persons is a complex process
involving the lack or denial of resources, rights, goods and services as people age,
and the inability of older persons to participate in societal relationships and activities,
available to the majority of people across the varied and multiple domains of society,
and that it affects both the quality of life of older persons and the equity and cohesion
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5
6
7
8
2/9
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, World
Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.
See World Health Organization, document WHA58/2005/REC/1.
See World Health Organization, document WHA65/2012/REC/1.
See World Health Organization, document WHA69/2016/REC/1.
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