My Account
The theme of International Day of Older Persons on October 1 this year will be Stepping into the Future: Tapping the talents, contributions and participation of older persons in society.
This year’s day will be about enabling and expanding the contributions of older people in their families and communities. It will focus on the pathways that support full and effective participation in old age, in accordance with an older person’s basic rights, needs and preferences.
The theme underscores the link between tapping the talents and contributions of older persons and achieving the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. Between 2015 and 2030, the number of older persons worldwide is set to increase by 56 per cent – from 901 million to more than 1.4 billion. By 2030, the number of people aged 60 and over will exceed that of young people aged 15 to 24.
The 2017 theme will explore effective means of promoting and strengthening the participation of older persons in various aspects of social, cultural, economic, and civic and political life.
It will support the message that no-one will be left behind, and that it is starkly evident that the need to tap into the often overlooked and under-appreciated contributions of older people is not only essential to their well-being, but also imperative for sustainable development processes.
