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A14 LOCAL
Friday 30 June 2017
Regional Conference on Ageing Opens with Call for Empowering and

Raising Visibility of Older Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean

-The intergovernmen- age. In addition, concerns
tal meeting will be held remain regarding limited
through Friday, June 30, in access to retirement or
Asunción, Paraguay. pension benefits and their
low amounts, which do not
ASUNCIÓN, PARAGUAY cover the most important
- Latin America and the necessities of older persons
Caribbean is moving at who, in many cases, con-
a steady clip toward be- tribute the main household
coming an ageing region, income.
which is why countries Among the most frequent
must foment public poli- problems affecting older
cies that empower and persons are the lack of
raise the visibility of older long-term care provisions
persons, promote their pro- for the elderly; the lack
tagonism and value them of awareness regarding
in their dignity and integ- their reality and their rights;
rity. So said the authorities health, social security, dis-
present at Tuesday’s inau- crimination and mistreat-
guration of the Fourth Inter- ment.
governmental Conference The report also addresses
on Ageing and the Rights emerging issues such as
of Older Persons in Latin access to credit, end-of-
America and the Carib- life palliative care and dig-
bean, which is being held Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Bárcena. nified death.
through Friday, June 30, in The document calls on
Asunción, Paraguay. planning for a decent cies and programs. hold steady in the medium countries to implement ex-
The gathering, organized ageing process. This inter- According to the docu- term: there are currently isting human rights instru-
by the Economic Commis- governmental conference ment, which will be the 122.7 older women for ev- ments to reverse negative
sion for Latin America and is taking place within the central focus of the de- ery 100 men. This is due to trends and strengthen in-
the Caribbean (ECLAC) framework of the third cy- bates taking place at the women’s longer life expec- stitutions so they can take
and the government of cle of the review and ap- conference, demographic tancy at more advanced on growing and diverse re-
Paraguay, was inaugu- praisal of the Madrid Inter- ageing in Latin America ages, but it is not synony- sponsibilities. In addition to
rated by the Paraguayan national Plan of Action on and the Caribbean will be mous with well-being and it this, it indicates that more
Minister of Public Health Ageing. Its chief aim is to much faster than what is hides significant inequalities spaces must be created to
and Social Welfare, An- assess the progress made being recorded in currently and disadvantages, such boost the participation of
tonio Barrios; the Deputy toward fulfilling the com- developed countries, and as the persistence of gen- older persons in the mat-
Executive Secretary of the mitments embraced by the region’s structural so- der income gaps during old ters affecting them.q
regional United Nations ECLAC’s member countries cioeconomic conditions to
body, Antonio Prado; and under the San José Charter confront this will be more
Paraguay’s Deputy Minis- on the Rights of Older Per- limited – not only due to
ter of Public Health, María sons in Latin America and fewer resources, but also
Teresa Barán. the Caribbean, adopted because of their unequal
During his speech, Minis- during the third Regional distribution.
ter Barrios emphasized the Intergovernmental Con- Projections show that all of
importance of respecting ference on Ageing, which the region’s countries will
the human rights of older was held in May 2012 in be ageing by 2060, and 27
persons and confirmed Costa Rica. of the 33 countries in Latin
the Paraguayan govern- The Conference will also al- America and the Carib-
ment’s commitment to low for identifying key ac- bean will have a higher
keep working to address tions for expanding the pro- proportion of older persons
the challenges that an in- tection of the rights of older than of children under 15
crease in the elderly popu- persons in the next five years of age.
lation will bring. years, including those that According to United Na-
ECLAC’s Deputy Execu- facilitate the implementa- tions estimates, there are
tive Secretary recalled tion of the Inter-American 76.3 million older persons in
that population ageing is Convention on Protecting Latin America and the Ca-
a global trend that is influ- the Human Rights of Older ribbean in 2017, represent-
encing the economy, de- Persons. At this gathering, ing 11.8% of the regional
velopment planning, so- ECLAC will present a posi- population. By 2030, this
cial policies, families, com- tion paper on Challenges population will rise to 121
munities, big cities and also to the Autonomy and Inter- million, thereby accounting
indigenous villages. From dependent Rights of Older for 17% of the region’s total
the point of view of its eco- Persons. population. Meanwhile,
nomic and social implica- This report presents a de- by 2060, older persons will
tions, it may be the most tailed, elaborate assess- make up 30% of the region-
important transformation ment of discrimination and al population, at around
of this era, he added. the implementation gaps 234 million.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minis- in terms of rights during old According to the report,
ter Barán called for work- age, which can and must female predominance
ing with older adults and be tackled with public poli- among older persons will