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PRIORITYMEASURE27
“Include older persons as a priority focus of public policy and as fundamental stakeholders in the formulation and implementation
of policies aiming to improve the quality of life of older persons.”
Comments
This measure is related to PM 21, which calls for ensuring “the inclusion and equitable participation of older persons in the design and
application of policies, plans andprogrammes that concern them.”
The United Nations Principles for Older Persons include participation, and declare that older persons should “participate actively in the
formulation and implementation of policies that directly affect their well-being and share their knowledge and skills with younger
generations” and that “they should be able to formmovements or associations of older persons.” (Resolution 46/91 of 16December 1991,
Implementationof the International Plan of Action onAgeingand related activities
).
TheMadrid International Plan of Action on Ageing sets forth, in its Priority Direction I: Older Persons and Development, the objective
(1) of recognizing the social, cultural, economic and political contribution of older persons, and includes recommendations such as to
(i) offer opportunities, programmes and support to encourage older persons to participate or continue to participate in cultural, economic,
political and social life and lifelong learning; (ii) provide information and access to facilitate the participation of older persons inmutual
self-help, intergenerational community groups and opportunities for realizing their full potential. Objective 2 relates to participation of
older persons in decision-making processes at all levels, and includes recommendations to (i) take into account the needs and concerns of
older persons in decision-making at all levels; (ii) encourage, when they do not already exist, the establishment of organizations of older
persons at all levels to, inter alia, represent older persons in decision-making; and (iii) take measures to enable the full and equal
participation of older persons, inparticular olderwomen, indecision-making at all levels.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in its General Recommendation No. 27, declares that “States
parties have an obligation to ensure that olderwomen have the opportunity to participate in public and political life and hold public office
at all levels and that older women have the necessary documentation to register to vote and run as candidates for election.”
(CEDAW/C/2010/47/GC.1), Committee on theElimination ofDiscrimination againstWomen, 2010).
