TEHRAN – On December 14, 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (by resolution 45/106) designated October 1st the International Day of Older Persons.

This year’s theme is "Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations."

It is a call to draw attention to the unique needs of older people globally in terms of their rights and reporting violations, in addition to fostering solidarity through equity and reciprocity between the generations offers long-term solutions to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals' promise.

The event will put a spotlight on the specificity of older persons around the world, for the enjoyment of their rights and in addressing violations, and how the strengthening of solidarity through equity and reciprocity between generations offers sustainable solutions to deliver on the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The day aims to raise awareness of the challenges and issues faced by older persons worldwide and to mobilize the wider community to address difficulties faced by older people.

It also seeks to promote the importance of respecting and caring for older persons and to highlight their significant contribution to society.

Every year various programs are held in Iran under the title of National Elderly Week. The week of honoring senior citizens in Iran is named as follows:

September 30th, Popularization, and strengthening of NGOs active in the field of the elderly,

October 1st, social and economic support of senior citizens and honoring them,

October 2nd, Educating and empowering senior citizens

October 3rd, Policymaking, inter-sectoral cooperation in affairs related to senior citizens

October 4th, Media, raising awareness, social demanding, cultural promotion, discourse making

October 5th, Fair access to services

October 6th, Involvement of senior citizens in family and society issues

Supporting the elderly

The National Document for the Elderly came into force in the current [Iranian calendar] year, which started on March 21, Hesamoddin Allameh, head of the secretariat of the National Council of the Elderly, has announced.

The Document thoroughly focuses on various aspects of the elderly’s lives by meeting six prime objectives of income and livelihood, health, training, and employment, building an empowering environment, promoting the cultural level of society in the field of aging, and developing the infrastructure required for aging, he explained.

A total of 100 billion rials (nearly $200,000) has been proposed to implement the document, he stated.

The 2011 census observed a significant demographic change in the elderly population of Iran (the percentage of the elderly population increased from 7.27 to 8.20 percent from 2006 to 2011, and to 8.65 percent in 2016). The aging population is predicted to rise to 10.5 percent in 2025 and to 21.7 percent in 2050.

Objectives of UNIDOP 2023

To increase global knowledge and awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and generate commitments among all stakeholders to strengthen the protection of the human rights of current and future generations of older persons around the world,

To share and learn from intergenerational models for the protection of human rights around the world,

To call on Governments and UN entities to review their current practices with a view to better integrate a life course approach to human rights in their work, and to ensure the active and meaningful participation of all stakeholders, including civil society, national human rights institutions, and older persons themselves, in the work on strengthening solidarity among generations and intergenerational partnerships.

IDOP history

In 1991, the General Assembly (by resolution 46/91) adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons.

In 2002, the Second World Assembly on Ageing adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, to respond to the opportunities and challenges of population aging in the 21st century and to promote the development of a society for all ages.

The number of older people (defined as those aged 65 years or older) tripled from around 260 million in 1980 to 761 million in 2021. Between 2021 and 2050, the global share of the older population is projected to increase from less than 10% to around 17%.

Rapid growth in the number of people reaching older ages underscores the significance of promoting health, and preventing, and treating illnesses throughout the entire course of life.

In societies with aging populations, it becomes imperative to adjust to the increasing number of elderly individuals who possess a diverse range of functional capacities.

The capability to carry out essential functions and partake in everyday activities is influenced not solely by an individual's inherent capacity but also by the social and physical environments in which they reside.

Supportive environments play a pivotal role in assisting older individuals to maintain their activity levels and independence as they progress in age.