Political Declaration and Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing of the Second World Assembly on Ageing

Article 1
We, the representatives of Governments meeting at the Second World
Assembly on Ageing in Madrid, have decided to adopt an International Plan of
Action on Ageing, 2002 to respond to the opportunities and challenges of population
ageing in the twenty-first century and to promote the development of a society for
all ages. In the context of the Plan of Action, we are committed to actions at all
levels, including national and international levels, on three priority directions: older
persons and development; advancing health and well-being into old age; and
ensuring enabling and supportive environments.

Article 2
We celebrate rising life expectancy in many regions of the world as one of
humanity’s major achievements. We recognize that the world is experiencing an
unprecedented demographic transformation and that by 2050 the number of persons
aged 60 years and over will increase from 600 million to almost 2 billion and that
the proportion of persons aged 60 years and over is expected to double from 10 to
21 per cent. The increase will be greatest and most rapid in developing countries
where the older population is expected to quadruple during the next 50 years. This
demographic transformation challenges all our societies to promote increased
opportunities, in particular opportunities for older persons to realize their potential
to participate fully in all aspects of life.