Children, youth and ageing persons

Transcription

1 Children, youth and ageing persons 691 Chapter XIV Children, youth and ageing persons During 1991, the number of signatories to the Declaration and Plan of Action of the 1990 World Summit for Children rose to 135, and there were 107 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United Nations Children s Fund and the World Health Organization announced that their goal of 80 per cent coverage of universal child immunization against measles, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria, tuberculosis and poliomyelitis had been achieved. In May, the Economic and Social Council considered the issue of women and children under apartheid (see PART TWO, Chapter I). In December, the United Nations Principles for Older Persons were adopted by the General Assembly (resolution 46/91). Children UN Children s Fund In 1991,(l) the United Nations Children s Fund ( UNICEF) cooperated in programmes in 127 countries (44 in Africa, 35 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 34 in Asia and 14 in the Middle East and North Africa). Programme expenditures totalled $591 million. Of that amount, $202 million (34 per cent) was spent on child health, including the expanded programme on immunization and oral rehydration therapy; $111 million (19 per cent) on emergency operations; $87 million (15 per cent) on planning advocacy and programme support; $73 million (12 per cent) on water supply and sanitation; $48 million, (8 per cent) on education; $39 million (7 per cent) on community development and organization and programmes for women and children in especially difficult circumstances; and $31 million (5 per cent) on nutrition and household food security. The UNICEF Executive Board held its regular session in New York from 22 April to 3 May 1991.(2) It also met on 5 June(3) to elect officers for the period from 1 August 1991 to 31 July By decision 1991/299 of 26 July, the Economic and Social Council took note of the Board s report on its regular session. Programme policy The UNICEF Executive Board reviewed the Fund s performance in 1990 and set out directions for its programme, adopting a number of decisions on policy, cooperation and cross-sectoral issues. It requested the Executive Director to identify, analyse and share information and lessons learned from initiatives that were most effective in reaching the poorest children and their families.(4) It requested that the Fund s country representatives contribute significantly to the achievement of a consensus on policies for revitalizing each country s national and local health-care systems.(5) It reaffirmed the Fund s commitment to Africa as the region of highest priority.(6) The Board also called on(7) the UNICEF secretariat to discharge its responsibilities under the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child,(8) in cooperation with the United Nations Centre for Human Rights, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and concerned governmental and non-governmental bodies. It further called for accelerated programme implementation and emergency response in Middle East and North African countries and Djibouti where child survival, protection and education programmes had been undermined by the conflict in the Persian Gulf.(9) Follow-up to 1990 World Summit for Children At its 1991 regular session, the Executive Board reviewed UNICEF follow-up to the 1990 World Summit for Children and response to the Summit s World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and Plan of Action.(l0) The Board urged(11) the Executive Director to ensure that UNICEF provided support to developing countries for the achievement of the objectives of the Declaration and Plan of Action. UNICEF worked throughout 1991 for early ratification of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. By the end of the year, 107 countries had become States parties to the Convention, while another 35 had become signatories, indicating their intention to ratify. Maurice Pate Memorial Award The Maurice Pate Memorial Award, established in 1966(12) to commemorate the first UNICEF Executive Director, was presented in 1991(13) to the

2 692 Economic and social questions Child-to-Child Trust of the United Kingdom. The Executive Board noted the success of the innovative approach of the Trust in channelling the power of children to carry primary health-care messages to younger children, their peers, families and communities. In other action,(14) the Board amended the procedure related to the objectives, recipients, nominations and selection for the Award. UNICEF programmes by region Africa During 1991, total programme expenditures for Africa amounted to $210 million, representing 36 per cent of total UNICEF programme expenditure. Annual growth rates of gross national product per capita remained negative for most countries in the region. In spite of debt reduction and rescheduling, debt servicing continued to impose a heavy burden. In that adverse economic climate, social service infrastructures deteriorated. Conflicts continued to plague the region: civil war disrupted services, destroyed infrastructure and killed and dislocated millions of persons. Nevertheless, under the Plan of Action of the World Summit for Children, most countries in the region set up mechanisms to elaborate national programmes of action. UNICEF and the African Development Bank agreed on operational modalities of cooperation, particularly a cost-sharing arrangement for joint project identification and assessment. In the area of primary health care (PHC), the Bamako Initiative(15) (see below) began to be applied in some countries of the region. Universal child immunization (UCI) was still several years away in the war-affected countries, but it was achieved in others. Health programmes paid greater attention to the region s major diseasesdiarrhoeal illnesses, acute respiratory infections (ARIS) and malaria. The control of diarrhoeal illnesses, which had been limited to the distribution of oral rehydration salts, was expanded to a more holistic approach, focusing on case management, breast-feeding and water supply and sanitation. The spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) threatened the gains made in mortality reduction, and new impetus was given to fighting the disease; in several countries, UNICEF supported the production of information materials and communication activities. Emergency conditions persisted in many countries of the region. A new emergency programme for the Horn of Africa was established, which coordinated inter-agency programmes responding to emergencies. UNICEF played a key role in the United Nations post-war support and drought relief assistance programmes in Mozambique and provided essential relief materials in post-war Angola. Americas and the Caribbean In 1991, UNICEF programme expenditures totalled $61 million in the Americas and the Caribbean, representing 10 per cent of total programme expenditures. The economic crisis in the region forced several countries to adopt stabilization and adjustment schemes that had caused considerable hardship, especially among the most vulnerable groups. In spite of that, Governments created mechanisms to compensate for the costs of adjustment, and progress towards the survival, protection and development of children resulted. The Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratilied by 25 countries in the region. UNICEF, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization, prepared measures for the control of diarrhoeal diseases and cholera. Breast-feeding was promoted region-wide. Components of the UNICEF plan included the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, the UNICEF baby-friendly hospital initiative and the UNICEF/WHO 10 steps to successful breastfeeding. Progress was achieved, in Mexico, an agreement was reached with baby formula producers to stop free distribution of baby formula. In examining the problems of women, three areas were given special attention: violence against girls and women; women as heads of household; and teenage pregnancy. The network of women s offices throughout South and Central America was expanded with the addition of the Caribbean subregion. Studies on child prostitution were prepared in nine countries. Asia In 1991, UNICEF programme expenditure in Asia totalled $200 million, representing 34 per cent of total programme expenditure. The Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified by most of the countries in the region. UCI was achieved in many countries and the infrastructure for overall delivery of child survival and development services was improved. Other health initiatives were advocated, among them, safe motherhood, which included antenatal care, anaemia control during pregnancy, referral of high-risk cases and care at birth and baby-friendly hospital initiatives. AIDS continued to spread in many countries of East Asia, notably in Thailand. All countries in the region took steps to contain the pandemic, including extensive blood testing for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); education and communication campaigns directed towards high-risk groups; and the provision of counselling services.

3 Children, youth and ageing persons 693 Accelerated efforts were under way, particularly in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to provide universal access to safe water. Together with diarrhoeal diseases, ARIS accounted for about 50 per cent of deaths among children under five years of age in the East Asia and Pacific region. Countries across the region also worked to control protein deficiency malnutrition. Middle East and North Africa In 1991, UNICEF programme expenditure in the Middle East and North Africa totalled $90 million, or 15 per cent of total programme expenditure. Despite gains, the region included countries that continued to have high infant-mortality rates, and the gender gap between male and female literacy and female fertility rates remained the highest in the world. Momentum gained in the region for the control of ARIS. About one third of the countries had operational programmes and preparatory steps were being taken in the remaining countries. The prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders had been mapped geographically in several countries and programmes for the production of iodized salt began. In Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait, UNICEF supported psychosocial counselling activities for conflicttraumatized children. In post-civil war Lebanon, the UNICEF Education for Peace programme continued to expand dramatically, involving over the years 80,000 children in summer camps and other educational activities. The Fund initiated a programme of action to help children to cope effectively with psychological stress and to promote values of peace and conflict-resolution among children. During the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait, UNICEF collaborated with other agencies in emergency operations, within the overall coordinating framework of the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In all countries, UNICEF acted as the main agency for the provision of water supply and sanitation facilities in camps. UNICEF programmes by sector lmmunization In October 1991, UNICEF and WHO announced that the international community had fulfilled its commitment to immunize 80 per cent of the world s children against the six major child-killer diseases before their first birthday. Since that commitment was made in 1985,(16) coverage against tuberculosis rose to 90 per cent; against poliomyelitis to 83 per cent and against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus to 85 per cent. Protection against measles was about 80 per cent. During the year, UNICEF embarked on a programme to help countries become self-sufficient in vaccines. It also helped to organize the Children s Vaccination Initiative with the goal of developing new and improved vaccines. With support from WHO, UNDP, the World Bank and several national and international organizations, the Initiative aimed at the development of vaccines that would require one or two rather than multiple doses, be given earlier in life, and remain potent during transport and storage. The UNICEF Executive Board urged(17) UNICEF to focus its contribution within the Initiative on improving sustainability and accessibility of immunization programmes by increasing the national capacity of developing countries. The Board also approved for 1991 and 1992 $2 million from general resources and $10 million in supplementary funds to support activities of the Initiative. Breast-feeding, nutrition and growth monitoring During 1991, UNICEF promoted a combination of short- and long-term measures to reduce malnutrition among individual families, within communities and nationally. The four main elements of the strategy were: control of nutritional deficiencies; protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding; community participation and the empowerment of households to feed themselves; and the effective use of information to improve national nutrition policies and strategies. UNICEF and WHO launched the baby-friendly hospital initiative, which recognized the supportive role that maternity hospitals could play in the promotion and protection of breast-feeding. Twelve countries received intensive support during the year to ensure that by early 1992 major facilities would become baby-friendly. The challenge of monitoring breast-feeding goals was overcome in 1991 through the development of indicators for household and health care facilities, and 12 countries banned free or low-cost distribution of infant formula. A policy-makers meeting on breast-feeding in the 1990s had been held by WHO and UNICEF in August 1990 at Florence, Italy, which adopted the Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breast-feeding. At its 1991 session, the UNICEF Executive Board welcomed(18) the Declaration and recommended that it be the basis for UNICEF policy and action in support of infant and young child feeding. The Board requested that the Executive Director propose to the UNICEF/WHO Joint Committee on Health Policy that a study be undertaken to examine national and multinational corporations marketing practices for infant food and assess their impact on the well-being of mothers and children. UNICEF support for growth monitoring and promotion was evaluated in nine countries. The

4 694 Economic and social questions evaluation showed that the amount of time and effort required to put good growth-monitoring operations into practice had been underestimated. Consequently, many activities termed growth monitoring had focused solely on weighing babies and too much. emphasis had been given to the technical aspect of growth monitoring and not enough to the analysis of the causes of growth faltering and the promotion of appropriate actions. Based on the findings of the evaluations, a new strategy was to be developed in The Bamako Initiative The UNICEF Executive Board considered a report on implementation of the Bamako Initiative.(15) Since its launching in 1987(19) as a new form of community funding and management for the supply and delivery of essential drugs, the Initiative had emerged as a strategy for reviving, strengthening and extending basic health care services. The report discussed the contribution made by the Initiative to the provision of a health-care system in sub-saharan Africa, as well as in other regions of the world. By the end of 1991, 33 countries, including 6 outside sub- Saharan Africa, had begun to address the principles of the Initiative as a way to revitalize and expand health-care systems, promote decentralization of decision-making and involve communities in the management of basic health services. Some 2,000 health-care facilities serving about 20 million persons had begun restructuring their approaches in keeping with the Initiative. In January 1991,(20) the UNICEF/WHO Joint Committee on Health Policy recommended that the two organizations monitor the implementation of the Initiative s guiding principles and establish methods of production for primary health drugs. The UNICEF Executive Board endorsed(21) the recommendation of the Joint Committee. It urged UNICEF to ensure that the Initiative remained an important element in the implementation of primary health-care programmes in Africa, and it urged the international community to increase contributions in order to ensure better the effectiveness of implementation. Education The vision of Education for All, as articulated by the World Conference on Education for All, held at Jomtien, Thailand, in March 1990,(22 ) provided the framework for UNICEF education activities in During the year, UNICEF took several steps to respond effectively to the challenges of the Conference. An action plan to promote the goals of Education for All was developed to target children prior to school enrolment and during the primary school-years, and to target adults with respect to essential knowledge for living. Policy studies, analytical tools and training packages on basic education were prepared to help develop UNICEF strategies on basic education and to build institutional capacity. Six regional meetings and one headquarters seminar were held for more than 250 country representatives and senior staff; three regional training workshops on basic education were held for UNICEF programme officers. Support from the Global Basic Education Reserve Fund was approved for activities in 14 countries towards achieving Education for All goals. Water supply and sanitation During 1991, UNICEF cooperated in water supply and sanitation projects in 95 countries, with expenditures amounting to $83 million. Though the Fund s contribution was less that 1 per cent of global sector throughput in developing countries, it contributed to more than 15 per cent of annual global water-supply coverage. That achievement was attained through advocacy of the use of low-cost technologies, leading to significant government and community contributions. An example was the case of India, where 46 per cent of the rural population had access to safe drinking-water in 1985 and 96 per cent had such access by Women in development The objective of formulating national and sector-al policies for the advancement of women had yet to be achieved in many developing countries. U NICEF promoted such policies through advocacy, policy-oriented research and technical cooperation. In many countries, the low status of women was one of the major obstacles to their advancement, although significant changes had taken place in many countries in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia as a result of education, more favourable laws and demands for women s rights. New opportunities appeared to be opening for women to increase their participation and decision-making in the democratization process under way in many countries- UNICEF used advocacy as well as information gained from its substantive national situation analyses to support women in that process. Current efforts in UNICEF increasingly included men in gender-training programmes for key national officials and project managers as well as for UNICEF staff. In addition, UNICEF advocacy and social mobilization activities reached many religious and community leaders, parliamentarians and high political officials in all regions. Many countries stressed the need to intensify the mobilization of and involvement of women, par-

5 Children, youth and ageing persons 695 ticularly in women s and children s health and education, family planning and safe motherhood. Urban basic services The environment in which child survival and development programmes struggled to take hold was frequently seen at its bleakest in urban slums and shanty towns where urban services were overstretched or non-existent. During 1991, UNICEF advocated and implemented two parallel approaches, which undertook to ensure that sectoral programmes included a focus on urban situations and needs and to expand urban basic services (UBS) in selected centres. In conjunction with the mayors of major cities around the world, UNICEF began an initiative entitled mayors as defenders of children. The initiative set the stage for municipal planning and programming for meeting the goals of the 1990 World Summit for Children. Initially, it would be carried out in a few selected cities and be followed by others around the globe. It would focus on harnessing the commitment of mayors and municipalities towards attaining their cities priority goals within the framework of national programmes of action. It was aimed especially at children of the urban poor through support to low-cost, community-managed, sustainable and replicable actions that would be based on the continuing experience of UBS programmes. Children in especially difficult circumstances During 1991, there was an increasing, worldwide awareness of child abuse, neglect and exploitation. The Convention on the Rights of the Child had raised awareness of and concern for the urgent need for services for children in especially difficult circumstances. More UNICEF country offices in Africa and Asia began to undertake situation analyses, and several developed new projects and programmes that received supplementary funding. A regional programme was initiated in the Middle East and North Africa that emphasized education for peace and the psychosocial rehabilitation of children affected by armed conflict. The International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO), in collaboration with UNICEF, also began to expand their work in the area. New training materials and resource books were produced for children affected by armed conflict and a new publication series of case-studies and methods for programmes for children in especially difficult circumstances was launched. Most countries, however, still had limited information about the size and nature of the problems of child abuse, neglect and exploitation. Armed conflicts continued to kill, wound and disable children, both physically and mentally, especially in Africa. Street children were being murdered in some Latin American countries, while the exploitation of children in prostitution seemed to be increasing in South Asia. Even more horrifying was the phenomenon of selling children and the high incident of HIV infection among sexually exploited children. UNICEF finances UNICEF income in 1991 totalled $807 million, $14 million less than in Income by source of income included: $506 million for general resources, $165 million for supplementary funds, and $136 million for emergency supplementary funds. Governments, intergovernmental organizations and the United Nations provided 73 per cent of the total income, the balance being nongovernmental. Expenditures in 1991 totalled $755 million, $6 million more than in The sum of $591 million was for total programme expenditure, $161 million for total administrative expenditures, and $3 milllion for write-offs and other charges. Budget appropriations At its 1991 session, the UNICEF Executive Board approved (23) a total of $580 million for general resources funding and a total of $795 million of supplementary resources funding for programme cooperation. For each region, the respective amounts were: Asia, $259,140,000 and $427,092,000; Africa, $144,113,000 and $196,460,000; the Middle East and North Africa, $47,050,000 and $69,745,000; the Americas and the Caribbean, $23,108,000 and $48,700,000; and interregional programmes, $106,555,000 and $52,750,000. In a decision on global and interregional programmes and other special-purpose funds, (24) the Board requested the Executive Director to consider reducing the number of separate funds through merger or consolidation of those with similar objectives and characteristics. The Board approved (25) the medium-term plan (26) as a framework of projections for , including the preparation of up to $500 million in programme expenditures from general resources to be submitted to the Board in The Board noted (27) the financial reports for 1989 and 1990 and related reports of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ). Also noted (28) was the financial report for the 1990 World Summit and Summit-related mobilization activities. In other action, (29) the Board approved the revised budget estimates for the biennium and budget estimates for Estimates of budget expenditure for were also approved. (30) In response to the number and

6 696 Economic and social questions severity of emergencies, the Board decided (31) that the level of the Emergency Reserve Fund should be increased to $7 million. Organizational questions The UNICEF Executive Board considered a review of UNICEF headquarters office requirements, (32) but deferred a decision on the matter to its next session. (33) It requested (34) the Executive Director, in consultation with ACABQ, to analyse the structure and format of budget documents, and it decided (35) to consider in 1992 the need for a review of the administrative structure at UNICEF headquarters. Greeting Card Operation During the 1990/91 season, the general public world-wide contributed $76.6 million to UNICEF general resources through the Greeting Card Operation (GCO). This was $15 million higher than the previous year. Sales volume totalled 154 million cards. The Executive Board approved (36) the budgeted expenditures and noted the budgeted income for the fiscal year 1 May 1991 to 30 April 1992 for GCO. It also noted(37) the GCO financial report and accounts for the 1989 season and the provisional report of the 1990 season. Inter-agency cooperation The UNICEF/WHO Joint Committee on Health Policy held its twenty-eighth session at Geneva from 28 to 30 January (20) It reviewed WHO health policies and UNICEF resolutions, common goals for the health of women and children, healthy lifestyles for youth, AIDS, and the management of the peripheral health system based on primary health care. The Executive Board amended (38) the criteria governing the election of UNICEF representatives on the two joint committees (the other being the UNESCO/UNICEF Joint Committee on Education). REFERENCES (1) E/ICEF/1992/2 (Part II). (2) E/1991/33. (3) E/ICEF/1991/16. (4) E/1991/33 (dec. 1991/6). (5) Ibid. (dec. 1991/11). (6) Ibid. (dec. 1991/13). (7) Ibid. (dec. 1991/9). (8) GA res. 44/25, annex, 20 NOV (9) E/1991/33 (dec. 1991/14). (10) A/45/625. (11) E/1991/33 (dec. 1991/10). (12)YUN 1966, p (13)E/1991/33 (dec. 1991/l). (14)Ibid. (dec. 1991/2). (15)E/ICEF/1991/L.6. (16)YUN 1985, p 963. (17)E/1991/33 (dec. 1991/16). (18)Ibid. (dec. 1991/22). (19)YUN 1987, p (20)E/ICEF/1991/L.15. (21)E/1991/33 (dec ). (22)E/ICEF/1990/L.14. (23)E/1991/33 (dec. 1991/12). (24)Ibid. (dec. 1991/17). (25)Ibid. (dec. 1991/24). (26)E/ICEF/1991/3. (27)E/1991/33 (dec. 1991/25). (28)Ibid. (dec ). (29)Ibid. (dec. 1991/28). (30)Ibid. (dec ). (31)Ibid. (dec. 1991/19). (32)E/ICEF/1991/AB/L.9. (33)E/1991/33 (dec. 1991/27). (34)Ibid. (dec. 1991/30). (35)Ibid. (dec. 1991/31) (36)Ibid. (dec. 1991/35). (37)Ibid. (dec. 1991/36). (38)E/1991/33 (dec. 1991/3). Youth In August 1991, the Secretary-General submitted a report on policies and programmes involving youth. (1) In pursuance of a 1990 resolution of the General Assembly, (2) he had requested Member States, United Nations specialized agencies and bodies, and intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations ( NGOs) to submit proposals for a draft world youth programme of action. As at 15 June 1991, 12 Member States, 11 nongovernmental youth organizations and 16 specialized agencies and bodies of the United Nations system had replied. Their views were expressed at the eighth meeting of the Informal Inter-agency Working Group at the Technical Level on Youth (Vienna, 30 and 31 May) and the Youth Forum of the United Nations system (Vienna, May). The Secretary-General concluded that many significant initiatives and activities had been undertaken in the context of the 1985 International Youth Year (3) and its follow-up. However, stronger efforts were required to achieve the objectives of the Year. There was a need to review the guidelines for further planning and suitable follow-up in the area of youth in the light of newly emerging youth issues and the changing international climate. The Secretary-General recommended that a conceptual framework for a world youth programme of action be elaborated by an international team of experts, that regional expert meetings develop regional programmes of action within that conceptual framework, and, on the basis of the international and regional inputs, Member States be invited to consider preparing national youth programmes of action. On 16 December, by decision 46/425, the General Assembly took note of the Secretary- General s report. Consideration by the Commission for Social Development. In February 1991, (4) the Commission for Social Development considered the problem of the integration of young people into society. It had before it a note by the Secretary- General (5) transmitting the report of the International Symposium on the Integration of Young People into Society (Toledo, Spain, June 1990). ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION On 30 May 1991, on the recommendation of its Second (Social) Committee, the Economic and Social Council adopted resolution 1991/11 without vote. Integration of young people into society: participation, development, peace The Economic and Social Council, Considering that the General Assembly, in its resolution 40/14 of 18 November 1985 entitled International Youth

7 Children, youth and ageing persons 697 Year: Participation, Development, Peace, requested the Commission for Social Development to examine, on a regular basis, specific youth issues, Considering also that the General Assembly, in its resolution 45/103 of 14 December 1990, requested the Secretary-General to prepare a draft world youth programme of action towards the year 2000 and beyond in accordance with proposals to be submitted by Member States, the United Nations and nongovernmental youth organizations and in consultation with the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and the relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, Considering further that the Council, in its resolution 1989/51 of 24 May 1989, requested the Commission for Social Development to prepare at its thirty-third session a draft programme of action to mark the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace, in 1995, and to identify future strategies in the field of youth, and, in that connection, recalling General Assembly resolution 44/59 of 8 December 1989, Considering that, in its resolution 45/103, the General Assembly decided to devote a plenary meeting at its fiftieth session, in 1995, to youth questions, Considering Nero that a draft programme of action to mark the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year and a draft world youth programme of action towards the year 2000 and beyond are subjects that require special attention, study and collaboration, Taking into account, to that end, the deliberations and suggestions of the International Symposium on the Integration of Young People into Society, held at Toledo, Spain, from 4 to 8 June 1990, and other relevant international meetings, 1. Decides that an open-ended ad hoc working group of the Commission for Social Development should be established at the thirty-third session of the Commission: (a) To review and appraise progress achieved and obstacles identified in implementing the objectives of the International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace; (b) To prepare a draft calendar of activities to mark the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year; (c) To prepare a draft world youth programme of action towards the year 2000 and beyond, taking into account regional youth programmes of action; 2. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-third session, for discussion by the open-ended ad hod working group, the draft calendar of activities and the draft world youth programme of action referred to in subparagraphs 1 (b) and (c) above. Economic and Social Council resolution 1991/11 30 May 1991 Meeting 12 Adopted without vote Approved by Second Committee (E/1991/85) without vote, 16 May (meeting 6); draft by Commission for Social Development (E/1991/26); agenda item 7. REFERENCES (1) A/46/360. (2)GA res. 45/103, 14 Dec (3)YUN 1985, p (4)E/1991/26. (5)E/CN.5/1991/4 & Corr.1. Ageing persons International cooperation on ageing In accordance with a 1990 resolution of the General Assembly, (1) the Secretary-General, in an August 1991 report, (2) outlined international cooperation on ageing for 1992 and beyond. The report concluded that there had been a remarkable increase in the international community s response to the ageing of populations. In the period from 1950 to 2025, the world s elderly population (persons aged 60 years and over) would have increased from 200 million to 1.2 billion, or from 8 to 14 per cent of the total global population. The developed countries were adjusting policies and programmes especially for the very old, while the developing countries were gradually introducing ageing programmes. A broad framework for national and international action on ageing had been established when the World Assembly on Ageing in 1982 adopted the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing. (3) However, the implementation rate of the Plan had been poor, which had prompted the General Assembly to adopt the action programme on ageing in (l) The action programme had two themes: development of a practical strategy to improve implementation of the Plan in the decade 1992 to 2001 and a promotional campaign to mark in 1992 the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Vienna Plan. Consultations on developing a practical strategy for the decade pointed in several possible directions, including global targets, which would support the implementation of the Vienna Plan. The United Nations Trust Fund for Ageing had since its inception in 1983 disbursed over $1 million in seed-money grants to 42 projects. (2) Contributions to the Fund had been levelling off and were inadequate to fulfil the Fund s mandate to assist developing countries to respond to the ageing of their populations. During 1991, the Fund supported nine projects, of which four were in Africa, one in Latin America and the Caribbean and four at the interregional or global level. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION On 30 May 1991, on the recommendation of its Second Committee, the Economic and Social Council adopted resolution 1991/10 without vote. Implementation of the International Plan of Action on Ageing and related activities The Economic and Social Council Recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution: [for text, see General Assembly resolution 46/91 below.)

8 698 Economic and social questions Economic and Social Council resolution 1991/10 30 May 1991 Meeting 12 Adopted without vote Approved by Second Committee (E/1991/85) without vote, 16 May (meeting 6); draft by Commission for Social Development (E/1991/26); agenda item 7. GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION On 16 December, on the recommendation of the Third (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) Committee, the General Assembly adopted resolution 46/91 without vote. Implementation of the International Plan of Action on Ageing and related activities The General Assembly, Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1989/50 of 24 May 1989, in which the Council endorsed a draft programme of United Nations activities relating to the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the International Plan of Action on Ageing, in 1992, Pursuant to its resolution 45/106 of 14 December 1990, in which it endorsed the action programme on ageing for 1992 and beyond as outlined in the report of the Secretary-General on the question of ageing, a invited Member States, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to consider innovative and effective ways of cooperating on the selection of targets in the field of ageing during 1991 and 1992, and urged Member States, the organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned to participate in the action programme on ageing for 1992 and beyond, especially in selecting targets in the field of ageing, in organizing community-wide activities and in launching an information and fund-raising campaign to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the International Plan of Action on Ageing at the local, national, regional and global levels, Recalling that in resolution 45/106 it endorsed also the convening of an ad hoc working group of the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-second session to monitor the activities for the tenth anniversary, especially the launching of a global information campaign, and the selection of targets that might form the basis of the third review and appraisal of the International Plan of Action on Ageing to be made by the Commission at its thirty-third session, in 1993, and recommended that the Commission should give consideration to the desirability of convening, subject to the availability of funds, regional and sectoral meetings on the selection of targets in the field of ageing during 1991 and 1992 and global consultations in 1993 and 1997, Recalling also that in resolution 45/106, it recognized the complexity and rapidity of the ageing of the world s population and the need to have a common basis and frame of reference for the protection and promotion of the rights of the elderly, including the contribution that the elderly can and should make to society, Aware of the plight of the elderly in developing countries, particularly-the least developed among them, as well as those in difficult circumstances. such as refugees, migrant workers and victims of conflict, Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1751(LIV) of 16 May 1973 on the aged and social security. 1. Recommends that the United Nations define, on the basis of the recommendations of a small expert group meeting to be held in 1992 within existing resources, targets on ageing to provide a pragmatic focus for the broad and ideal goals of the International Plan of Action on Ageing, and issue them as Targets on ageing: programme recommendations at the national level for the year 2001 ; 2. Urges Member States to identify their specific national targets on ageing for the year 2001, on the basis of the proposed targets on ageing; 3. Invites the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat to develop, in consultation with United Nations organizations and bodies and international non-governmental organizations, a set of suggested global targets designed to support implementation of the national targets on ageing; 4. Decides to devote four plenary meetings, that is, two working days, at its forty-seventh session to an international conference on ageing to consolidate a set of targets on ageing for the year 2001 and to celebrate on an appropriate global scale the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the International Plan of Action on Ageing; 5. Urges the United Nations to give special attention to implementing the action programme on ageing for 1992 and beyond; 6. Calls upon the Secretary-General to give all possible support, in the form of both regular and extrabudgetary resources, to the Ageing Unit of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs. to enable it to fulfil its mandate as lead agency for the action programme on ageing; 7. Requests the Secretary-General to designate the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna as coordinator for the preparations for the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the International Plan of Action on Ageing and for the implementation of the action programme on ageing for 1992 and beyond; 8. Invites the Secretary-General to explore the feasibility of appointing an interregional adviser on ageing to assist developing countries in expanding their ability to respond effectively to the ageing of their populations; 9. Invites the United Nations to examine the feasibility of launching a service composed of experts who are elderly, modelled on the United Nations Volunteers: 10. Urges the United Nations Postal Administration, as called upon in General Assembly resolution 44/67 of 8 December 1989, to issue a stamp to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the International Plan of Action on Ageing; 11. Also urges the United Nations Postal Administration to consider, on an exceptional basis, issuing a medal on ageing bearing the emblem of the World Assembly on Ageing to mark activities planned for the decade ; 12. Decides to launch a global information campaign on the action programme on ageing for 1992 and beyond, and welcomes the cooperation of the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat and the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs and other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and nongovernmental organizations in this endeavour; 13. Recommends that the United Nations provide further advisory services to countries in the process of development, change and transition, at their request, to ensure that the issue of ageing remains an important part of their social development programmes; a A/45/420.

9 Children, youth and ageing persons Adopts the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, based on the International Plan of Action on Ageing, annexed to the present resolution. ANNEX United Nations Principles for Older Persons To add life to the years that have been added to life The General Assembly, Appreciating the contribution that older persons make to their societies, Recognizing that, in the Charter of the United Nations, the peoples of the United Nations declare, inter alia, their determination to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, Noting the elaboration of those rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other declarations to ensure the application of universal standards to particular groups, In pursuance of the International Plan of Action on Ageing, adopted by the World Assembly on Ageing and endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 37/51 of 3 December 1982, Appreciating the tremendous diversity in the situation of older persons, not only between countries but within countries and between individuals, which requires a variety of policy responses, Aware that in all countries, individuals are reaching an advanced age in greater numbers and in better health than ever before, Aware of the scientific research disproving many stereotypes about inevitable and irreversible declines with age, Convinced that in a world characterized by an increasing number and proportion of older persons, opportunities must be provided for willing and capable older persons to participate in and contribute to the ongoing activities of society, Mindful that the strains on family life in both developed and developing countries require support for those providing care to frail older persons, Bearing in mind the standards already set by the International Plan of Action on Ageing and the conventions, recommendations and resolutions of the International Labour Organisation, the World Health Organization and other United Nations entities, Encourages Governments to incorporate the following principles into their national programmes whenever possible: Independence 1. Older persons should have access to adequate food, water, shelter, clothing and health care through the provision of income, family and community support and self-help. 2. Older persons should have the opportunity to work or to have access to other income-generating opportunities. 3. Older persons should be able to participate in determining when and at what pace withdrawal from the labour force takes place. 4. Older persons should have access to appropriate educational and training programmes. 5. Older persons should be able to live in environments that are safe and adaptable to personal preferences and changing capacities. 6. Older persons should be able to reside at home for as long as possible. Participation 7. Older persons should remain integrated in society, participate actively in the formulation and implementation of policies that directly affect their wellbeing and share their knowledge and skills with younger generations. 8. Older persons should be able to seek and develop opportunities for service to the community and to serve as volunteers in positions appropriate to their interests and capabilities. 9. Older persons should be able to form movements or associations of older persons. Care 10. Older persons should benefit from family and community care and protection in accordance with each society s system of cultural values. 11. Older persons should have access to health care to help them to maintain or regain the optimum level of physical, mental and emotional well-being and to prevent or delay the onset of illness. 12. Older persons should have access to social and legal services to enhance their autonomy, protection and care. 13. Older persons should be able to utilize appropriate levels of institutional care providing protection, rehabilitation and social and mental stimulation in a humane and secure environment. 14. Older persons should be able to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms when residing in any shelter, care or treatment facility, including full respect for their dignity, beliefs, needs and privacy and for the right to make decisions about their care and the quality of their lives. Self-fulfilment 15. Older persons should be able to pursue opportunities for the full development of their potential. 16. Older persons should have access to the educational, cultural, spiritual and recreational resources of society. Dignity 17. Older persons should be able to live in dignity and security and be free of exploitation and physical or mental abuse. 18. Older persons should be treated fairly regardless of age, gender, racial or ethnic background, disability or other status, and be valued independently of their economic contribution. General Assembly resolution 46/91 16 December 1991 Meeting 74 Adopted without vote Approved by Third Committee (A/46/704) without vote, 8 November (meeting 35): draft recommended by ESC resolution 1991/10 (A/C.3/46/L.5); agenda item 94 (a). Meeting numbers. GA 46th session: 3rd Committee 20-26, 30, 35; plenary 74. Also on 16 December and on the recommendation of the Third Committee, the Assembly adopted resolution 46/94 without vote.

10 700 Economic and social questions Implementation of the International Plan of Action on Ageing: integration of the elderly in development The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 40/30 of 29 November 1985, in which it emphasized that the elderly must be considered an important and necessary element in the development process at all levels within a given society, Recalling also its resolution 45/106 of 14 December 1990, in which it endorsed the action programme on ageing for 1992 and beyond and urged wide participation in the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the International Plan of Action on Ageing, Recalling further Economic and Social Council resolution 1989/38 of 24 May 1989, in which the Council noted that women constituted a larger part of the older population and that in the years to come the number of elderly women would increase more rapidly in the developing countries than in the developed ones, Noting with satisfaction the observance of the first International Day for the Elderly on 1 October 1991, Noting with appreciation the convening of the Expert Group Meeting on Integration of Ageing and Elderly Women into Development at Vienna from 7 to 11 October 1991 by the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat in collaboration with the American Association of Retired Persons, Noting with concern that the contributions to the Trust Fund for Ageing have steadily declined since 1982 and that if this trend continues the implementation of the International Plan of Action on Ageing will be compromised, Mindful of the need for innovative and effective international cooperation in the field of ageing if countries are to achieve self-reliance in responding to the ageing of their populations, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on international cooperation on ageing for 1992 and beyond; 2. Recommends wide multisectoral cooperation in setting global targets on ageing to be reached by the year 2001 and invites wide participation in the proposed interregional symposium and other meetings on targetsetting; 3. Requests Member States to consider setting appropriate and, where feasible, quantifiable, national targets on ageing for the year 2001; 4. Requests all participants in target-setting to pay special attention to practical strategies, identifying in detail the key agencies and the necessary means for reaching the targets; 5. Urges Member States to participate, at the highest level, in the plenary meetings of the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session to be devoted, inter alia, to launching a set of global targets on ageing to be reached by the year 2001; 6. Calls upon Member States to participate in the inquiry for the third review and appraisal of the implementation of the International Plan of Action on Ageing, in the first half of 1992, and to take the occasion of the review to plan ahead, setting national targets on ageing for the year 2001; 7. Invites the Secretary-General to consider the feasibility of appointing eminent personalities as good will ambassadors for ageing during the decade ; 8. Invites Member States, the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat, the regional commissions and non-governmental organizations to disseminate widely the United Nations Principles for Older Persons at the local, national, regional and global levels, especially in the year 1992, the tenth anniversary of the World Assembly on Ageing; 9. Urges Member States and non-governmental organizations of the elderly to second experts and administrative personnel to the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat in to help in selected priority activities, including the third review and appraisal of the implementation of the International Plan of Action on Ageing; 10. Notes with appreciation the support given by the United Nations Population Fund to the applied research and training project entitled Developmental Implications of Demographic Change: Global Population Ageing being implemented by the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, and in view of the importance of the subject-matter, encourages the United Nations Population Fund to continue its support; 11. Invites the United Nations Population Fund to support a senior adviser on population ageing at the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs in view of the importance of the ageing in future population changes and the role of the Centre as focal point in the United Nations system for ageing; 12. Calls upon the United Nations Population Fund and all other bodies of the United Nations system involved in preparations for the International Conference on Population and Development, 1994, to utilize the results of the project mentioned in paragraph 10 above as a major input to the Conference; 13. Calls upon the specialized agencies and other relevant bodies of the United Nations system to give recognition to the contribution of the elderly to social and economic development in the context of major events and conferences of the 1990s, such as those dealing with the environment, human rights, the family, population and the advancement of women; 14. Notes with satisfaction the recent establishment, under the patronage of the United Nations, of the Banyan Fund Association: A World Fund for Ageing, whose main goal is to secure or broker funds for activities that would support implementation of the International Plan of Action by Ageing; 15. Also notes with satisfaction the leading role of the International Institute on Ageing in Malta in global training initiatives on ageing and its increasing involvement in other countries in the execution of projects funded by the United Nations Population Fund; 16. Urges the United Nations, Member States and non-governmental organizations to support the African Society of Gerontology in developing and implementing a regional programme of activities on ageing; 17. Encourages non-governmental organizations and the private sector to continue close collaboration with the United Nations system in the field of ageing; 18. Requests the Secretary-General. in celebrating the International Year of the Family in 1994, to draw attention to the contributions that the elderly make to the family; 19. Invites special observance of the International Day for the Elderly on 1 October 1992, to mark the tenth anniversary of the World Assembly on Ageing;