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Non-governmental Organizations
The UN Charter, Article 71, says that
the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) “may
make suitable arrangements for consultation with non-governmental
organizations which are concerned with matters within its competence.”
NGOs often act as independent experts to the UN or its Member States. As such, they have brought many important topics of discussion,
including the need for a disability rights convention, to the attention of
the UN system. While there are over 2,600 NGOs in consultative status
with ECOSOC, only a handful work specifically on aging.
Putting the non-binding Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing into practice
largely depends on NGO’s efforts. Often, these organizations form the
backbone of regional implementation efforts through their local programs,
research and offers to share their expertise with government ministries.
Yet, little information can be found on the NGO’s “bottom-up” work.
This section attempts to document NGO input into MIPAA implementation and
follow-up at the UN headquarters in New York and around the world.
Documents |
International Day of Older Persons | Links
Documents
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2004 | 2003
2008
NGO MIPAA Progress Reports 2002 – 2008
Tell your story to the world on our widely-read website! NGOs are a crucial
part of the United Nations’ bottom-up strategy to implement the Madrid
International Plan of Action on Ageing. On the occasion of the 5 year review
of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, Global Action on Aging
(GAA) invites you to share your organization’s activities that have helped
implement the Madrid Plan in your home country. Please fill out the
questionnaire as soon as possible and return to globalageing@yahoo.com.
Let others know throughout the world what you are doing to make life better
for older people. The questionnaire is available in Microsoft Word format in
English, Spanish,
and Russian.
Iran: The Ladies Charitable Society
(LCS) (February 2008)
According to the Ladies Charitable Society, the situation for older people in Iran is improving. More than 3,000 LCS volunteers support the elderly in facilities where they have access to care, leisure, education and religious activities. In 1999, LCS organized the “First International Ageing Conference of Iran,” successfully putting aging on the agenda of the Iranian government. As a result, the Parliament formed an Ageing Committee and the Iranian School of Medical Science opened a Department of Geriatrics.
Slovenia: Federation of Pensioners’ Association of Slovenia (February 2008)
Older people in Slovenia live in vulnerable circumstances. Some 12% exist below the poverty line and nearly 60% of people in their 80’s have health problems. Moreover, some laws discriminate against older workers, such as the Act of Social Welfare that forbids retired experts to lead projects for the elderly. The Federation of Pensioners’ Association of Slovenia—with 360,000 members in 502 local associations—are pressing the government to put MIPAA into action.
Uganda: Voices of Older Persons in Uganda (February 2008)
The Non Profit Organization, Uganda Reach the Aged Organization, explains in this report the situation of older persons in Uganda. Some laws discriminate against older persons who cannot, for example, access a bank loan. Thanks to MIPAA, older people have been included in anti-poverty programs. Moreover, the government has promised that over the next five year it will give priority to health care and social pension policies.
Vietnam: Age Demand Action (February 2008)
In Vietnam, more than 30% of old people live below the poverty line, and more than 65% have no access to pension or health care coverage. However, the government has taken initiatives to help older persons, such as the financial and administrative support of 10,000 older persons’ clubs. Other measures are planned. During the Age Demands Action Campaign, Help Age International and its partners opened a website focused on old persons’ issues and established working groups.
Bangladesh: NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2008. Completed Questionnaire by the Institute of Hazrat Mohammed (February 2008)
The Institute of Hazrat Mohammed in Bangladesh is a non-profit organization that helps older people to find a place in society. Older persons are hired to serve on the staff. Elders can read materials for free and share their opinions with other seniors in a place allocated for them in the institute. The Bangladesh government has been attentive to the needs of seniors by providing a new and efficient pension scheme especially meaningful to people living in rural areas.
Ukraine: NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2008. Completed Questionnaire by the Ukrainian Charity (February 2008)
The Ukrainian Charity, “Turbota pro Litnih v Ukraini,” (Age Concern Ukraine) advocates for old people’s rights throughout Ukraine. The charity wants to make seniors aware of their human rights. There are nine information centers and six information points in sixteen Ukrainian cities where volunteer advisors and advocates can help older people to protect their rights. They also edit a magazine that focuses on aging issues. Moreover, they train groups of volunteers to provide support to lonely people and gather information to inform top officers of the Social Protection Branch about the issues older people are facing.
Brazil: NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2008. Completed Questionnaire by the Intercultural Adults Association (February 2008)
The non-profit organization Intercultural Adults Association fights to give elderly people access to leisure. Pedro Paulo Marques Cajaty, president, believes that leisure is not a cure but “slows the effects of the diseases.” Moreover, the NGO encourages wider knowledge and research about the natural remedies and medicines of the Amazon Forest.
Nepal: NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2008. Completed Questionnaire by Nepan (February 2008)
Nepan, one of the biggest Nepalese non profit organizations related to aging, has taken advocacy steps, both before and after the adoption of the Madrid International Plan on Action on Ageing in 2002. They translated the MIPAA into the Nepalese language as well as organized workshops and lobbied throughout Nepal to educate older people. Currently, they also lead a micro credit project and do research on social pensions. According to the organization, the environment for older persons in Nepal is changing positively and the government is moving forward to embrace MIPAA.
Russia: NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2008. Completed Questionnaire by
Dobroedelo, the Resource Center of Gerontological NGOs (January 2008)
The Social Gerontologists of Russia have organized a Foundation that carries out helpful work publicizing the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and advocating with elected officials for a national plan on aging, to create a national committee on aging and to re-institute a Department of Elder Affairs in the Health Ministry. Thus far, neither the executive nor the legislative branch has accepted or instituted these recommendations, to the continued detriment of older persons.
Poland: NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2008. Completed Questionnaire by Foundation for
Womens' Issues "I am Women" (January 2008)
The Polish-based Foundation for Womens’ Issues works on seniors’ concerns in a larger coalition of non-political NGOs in 9 cities. Since the adoption of the Madrid Plan, the Foundation surveyed attitudes of age discrimination and media treatment of older persons. Its programming focuses on women’s needs and resources, inter-generational cooperation and equality in society. At every opportunity, the MIPAA goals are discussed. The Polish government did not contact or invite the organization to contribute to a “bottom up” evaluation of MIPAA.
US: NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2008. Completed Questionnaire by the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (January 2008)
The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues looks at aging, among many other topics, in both a regularly published journal and a newsletter. Members who are attracted to aging focus on health of elders as their primary interest. Thanks to consultative status with the United Nations, the organization’s members have taken leadership in the NGO Committees on Aging based in Geneva and New York. No government where the Society is active requested its help in a “bottom up” evaluation of MIPAA.
2007
Argentina: NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2007. Completed Questionnaire by the Eckman Foundation (August 2007)
The Eckman Foundation based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has worked on numerous projects in cooperation with the government and other non-governmental organizations and gerontology associations. Projects included seminars on improving health care services for older persons, the human rights of older persons and a campaign on empowering the elderly. The Argentinean government along with the foundation and other organizations are preparing a progress report for the upcoming 5-year review of the Madrid Plan.
Uganda:
NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2007. Completed Questionnaire by Reach the
Aged (August 2007)
The Uganda Reach the Aged Association works and advocates for improved
quality of life and preservation of the dignity of older persons in Uganda,
working with various stakeholders to support older persons and national age
care organizations. Reach the Aged supports MIPAA implementation in several
ways. Specifically, the organization assisted in drafting a national policy
on older persons and successfully works on mainstreaming aging into national
health policies, such as in the National HIV/AIDS Five Year Strategic Plan,
as well as poverty-related policies.
Ukraine: NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002-2007. Completed Questionnaire by “Turbota pro Litnih v
Ukraini” (August 2007)
(PDF Format, 2 p) (also available in
Russian, PDF Format, 2 p)
The Ukrainian charity “Turbota pro Litnih v Ukraini” (Age Concern Ukraine) was the principal organization translating the Madrid Plan and the Political Declaration into Ukrainian. The organization circulates copies free of charge and keeps seniors up to date with current issues with its publication “Life Time.” The organization further aims at involving older persons in decision making processes and has representation in local governments.
Please also have a look at the
pictures provided
by the NGO “Turbota pro Litnih v Ukraini”. India:
NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002–2007. Completed Questionnaire by
Anugraha
(PDF format, 8 p)
Anugraha, a national level NGO in India, is one of the organizations
helping to advance the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA)
in that country. Anugraha’s stated mission is to “empower the destitute
and neglected persons,” focusing on helping the disadvantaged rural and
urban communities in six states of India. See the report to learn how
Anugraha helps promote implementation of the Madrid Plan, the
organization’s achievements and interaction with the government, as well
as other organizations working in the field of aging.
Lebanon:
NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002–2007. Completed Questionnaire by Dar
Al-Ajaza Al-Islamia Hospital (DAIH)
(PDF format, 4 p)
Following a Global Action on Aging call for NGOs around the world to
evaluate the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on
Ageing (MIPAA) in their respective countries, Dar Al-Ajaza Al-Islamia
Hospital (DAIH) of Lebanon responded to the GAA survey, emphasizing the
predicament of older persons in politically unstable and insecure societies.
DAIH has been expanding since the year of its foundation, 1954, and now
accommodates 700 patients and provides free medical services to about 98% of
them. This report answers questions about specific accomplishments of this
NGO, its role in promoting the Madrid Plan and how the Government of Lebanon
contributes to the implementation of the Madrid Plan.
Belize:
NGO Report on MIPAA Progress 2002 – 2007 Completed Questionnaire by the
National Council of Ageing (NCA)
(PDF format, 4 p)
The National Council of Ageing (NCA) of Belize responded to a Global
Action on Aging and an NGO/NY Committee on Ageing survey on the occasion of
the 5 year review of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.
Since 2003, NCA has been working to implement the National Policy for Older
Persons promoting issues affecting older persons and encouraging the use of
the Madrid International Plan of Action to serve as the main reference for
age-related initiatives. Read the answers to questions about specific
accomplishments of this NGO, its role in promoting the Madrid Plan and how
the Government of Belize is using the Madrid Plan.
World:
NGO MIPAA Follow-up Reports 2002-2007 (May 2007)
NGOs play a big part
in the Madrid Plan’s “Bottom-up” implementation strategy. The
following NGO country reports from Bangladesh,
India,
Indonesia
along with regional reports from Latin America (click here for the
Spanish version and here for the English
version), East Africa, and Asia Pacific (report in French),
demonstrate how NGO activities and innovative projects have helped put MIPAA
into action.
Chile:
The Santiago Declaration on the "Way to Madrid” (April 19-20, 2007)
(Article in Spanish)
An international seminar, “The way to Madrid,” took place at the ECLAC, Chile, on April 19-20. Organizers wanted to review and evaluate the Madrid International Plan of Ageing
(MIPAA) five years after its creation. Latin American organizations attending the
seminar signed a declaration calling for the creation of an International Convention on the Human Rights of Older Persons. The Seminar showed that the concerns and issues affecting older persons don’t appear sufficiently on national agendas. It is necessary to implement and execute MIPAA to help old people who suffer from the denial of their human rights.
World: Governments Not Prepared for Ageing, Warns HelpAge International (April 12, 2007)
On the occasion of the 5 year anniversary of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, HelpAge International urges governments to “implement age friendly policies and practices.” While 159 UN Member States committed themselves to the recommendations contained in the Plan, research reveals that “older people are among the poorest and most vulnerable in many societies, because governments have not prepared for the world's rapidly ageing population.”
Asia Pacific: Expert Group Meeting on the Regional Preparations for the Global
Review of Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (March 27-29, 2007)
Five years after the Madrid Plan on Aging signed by 159 countries, HelpAge International conducted a review of implementation of the Plan focusing on two countries of Asia: Bangladesh and Vietnam. Two aspects of old age that are particularly relevant in Asia are: income security in old age and access to and quality of healthcare. The report also brings up a project with the government of Nepal to analyze the impact of an Old Age Allowance.
UN:
Building
the Movement for Action on MIPAA (February 12, 2007)
GAA's President Susanne Paul describes
why it is important to build a citizen movement for action on the Madrid
International Plan of Action on Ageing and how these efforts could bring us
closer to a UN Ageing Convention.
World: Major Developments and Trends in
the Empowerment of Older People – Creating an Enabling Environment for
Realizing Older People’s Rights (February 7-9, 2007)
In this paper for an AARP Briefing series, Bridget Sleap from HelpAge International describes ways to realize older person’s rights as well as assisting MIPAA implementation. Her proposals include policy recommendations, such as improved distribution of identification cards to older persons, as well as steps to address older person’s rights within existing UN human rights machinery.
World:
Major Developments and Trends in Creating Enabling Environments for Older
Persons (February 2007)
As population ageing moves ahead worldwide, more attention is given to
the importance of ensuring enabling environment for older persons, which is
the Priority Direction III of the Madrid Plan of Action on Aging. This paper
lays out major trends in various fields such as housing, caring, or elderly
abuse. 2006
UN:
Guidelines
for the Review and Appraisal for the MIPAA-Bottom-up Approach (December
2006)
The professional staff in the Ageing Programme of the UN Department on Economic and Social Affairs developed these guidelines for governments and focal points on aging in national ministries, to help them take a step-by-step approach to the bottom-up review of MIPAA. This participatory approach to implementation sees older persons and their organizations at the center of activity. NGOs and other stakeholders can also use the guide as a tool to involve older persons directly in the process.
Europe: The Special Role
of NGOs in the MIPAA/RIS Follow-up (November 13-15, 2006)
In this presentation to the meeting of national focal points on aging in the
UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region, Dirk Jarré, Vice Chairman
of the Task Force, “Monitoring the Regional Integration Strategy (RIS),”
emphasizes the important role that non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
play in the Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging (MIPAA) follow-up.
He urges UNECE Member States to facilitate NGO participation at the 2007
UNECE Conference on Ageing in León, Spain. In addition, he calls on
“appropriate material and technical support” for NGOs to organize
themselves to “produce consolidated positions reflecting the issues of
common concern for the whole sector - and not just individual stances of
different organizations.” Jarré put forward the notion of an “NGO Focal
Point” who will serve as a “collector and transmitter of information and
contributions” for two NGO events he proposes take place prior to the León
Conference.
Philippines: The Evolving Role of NGOs in Meeting the
Challenges of Ageing: A Philippine Perspective (June 26-29, 2006)
This presentation to the 2006 Shanghai International Symposium on Caring for the Elderly outlines the important role of NGOs in helping implement MIPAA on the local, regional and national level. In the Philippines, non-governmental organizations are actively involved in the “Philippine Plan of Action for Senior Citizens, 2005-2010,” designed to support international and regional mandates on ageing such as MIPAA and the Macao Plan. Throughout the country, NGOs are working through village associations, regional interagency committees and Offices of Senior Citizens Affairs that are headed by a senior citizen. NGOS are advocating for a Commission for Senior Citizens and legislation that favors adoption of social pensions.
United
Nations: Global
Action on Aging's Two Day Roundtable on Older Persons in the 2004 Tsunami
(February 13-14, 2006)
As part of the Commission's follow up
on the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA), Global Action
on Aging along with partners HelpAge International and the Friedrich Ebert
Foundation, and the support of Department for Economic and Social Affairs
organized a two day roundtable on " Older Persons in the 2004
Tsunami." In Section 8,
the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing specifically addresses
protecting older persons in emergency situations. The Roundtable concluded
with a set of recommendations to strengthen MIPPA on the protection of older
persons in emergency situations.
Africa:
Understanding
and Responding to Ageing, Health, Poverty and Social Change in Sub-Saharan: A Strategic Framework and Plan for Research (2006)
According to the Madrid Plan Action on Ageing and the WHO framework,
crucial research is needed toward developing a broad research agenda on
ageing for the Africa region. In sub-Saharan Africa, older people’s lives are characterized by growing inadequacies in
customary family support systems, vulnerabilities to poverty and exclusion
from health services. Yet, due
to the AIDS epidemic, older persons have taken on the role of carers to
diseased and orphaned children and grandchildren. This report presents a strategic framework for producing high-quality
policy and scientifically relevant research.
2005
United
Nations: Mainstreaming
Older Persons' Issues: How Can NGOs Help? (February 14, 2005)
For this side event at the 43rd session of the Commission
for Social Development, Global Action on Aging asked speakers to point out "open doors" in the ECOSOC functional commissions where NGO's could bring the concerns and resources of older persons.
The speaker's presentations provide NGOs with successful models and ideas
for awareness raising of older persons' concerns in communities and the UN
system- a crucial part of the Madrid International Plan of Action on
Aging.
2004 Asia
Pacific: HAI Asia/ Pacific Regional Conference (November 2004)
Sixty-four participants from 43 organizations representing 18 Asian-Pacific regions attended this HelpAge International Regional Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. The conference served as a “key tool in facilitating communication; sharing information, resources and best practices; and for networking and developing trust among affiliates and organizations working for the rights of older people in the region.” HelpAge organized the conference into several sessions, one of which focused entirely on monitoring the Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging and the Shanghai Implementation Strategy.
2003
Latin
America:
Bogotá
Declaration (October 2003)
Representatives of older person’s organizations from nine Latin American and Caribbean countries came together during the Second Latin American and Caribbean Meeting of Older People’s Leaders and
Organizations, to proclaim the Bogotá Declaration. The Declaration lays out a regional plan of action for older persons’ organizations to implement and monitor the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.
Links
Listing
of National European NGOs Working on MIPAA Implementation
This link to the “Monitoring RIS” website provides contact
information to European networks or organizations operating on a national
level. Listing
of Regional European NGOs Working on MIPAA Implementation
This link to the “Monitoring RIS” website provides contact
information to European networks or organizations operating on a regional
level.
Listing of
International NGOs Working on MIPAA Implementation
This link to the “Monitoring RIS” website provides contact
information to networks or organizations operating on a global level. Listing
of National, Regional and International NGOs Working on MIPAA Implementation
in the Asia Pacific Region
This link to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
provides contact information to NGOs operating throughout the Asia Pacific
region.
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