Social Protection and Ageing
We are delighted to announce that Isabel Ortiz has agreed to join the SPA advisory board. Isabel is Senior Interregional Adviser at the United Nations’ Department of Social and Economic Affairs (DESA). She has over 15 years experience working in 30 countries, and was a founding member of the Poverty Reduction Unit at the Asian Development Bank, where she also directed ADB’s Social Protection and Labour Strategy. Her areas of specialization include specifically national development strategies, pro-poor policies/budgets and social assessments across sectors and financing for development.
One of the SPA research teams, the Tsinghua University Gerontology Center is carrying out a research project on ‘‘Social Support for the Aged in Rural China – The Role of Local Communities’ The project is seeking to understand the role of local community, culture and tradition in existing institutional arrangements for elderly care in rural China and identify more effective and affordable mechanisms for meeting their needs. The background of the project and their preliminary observations based on their field experiences in the villages are presented here.Moneer Alam, a Professor at the Insitute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, is Member, International Union for Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) and a member of its Scientific Panel on Ageing in Developing Countries, 2004-06 as well as a Member of the State Council for Senior Citizens, Government of Delhi. He has worked on demographic ageing and consequences, particularly in relation to health policy, and health financing; long-term care issues; and altruism in inter-generational relationship. His working paper entitled ‘Ageing, Socio-economic Disparities and Health Outcomes: Some Evidence from Rural India’ concludes that sustained corrective measures directed at improving the rural economy through appropriate investment efforts as well as the creation of elderly care infrastructure are required to correct the current inefficient or misdirected state provided health care infrastructure.
Social cash transfers for Asia - Ensuring social protection/social pensions in old age in the context of rapid ageing: Intergovernmental regional seminar report United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok, Thailand, 29-30 January 2007
The report summarises the main issues debated in a seminar organized by HelpAge International, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and International Labour Organization, supported by the Japan Foundation and Department for International Development (UK).
Two key questions debated at this seminar focused on issues of morality and economics respectively. The first was whether it is right to provide universal non-contributory pensions to older people, rather than contributory pensions in the informal sector or subsidized insurance schemes? The second was whether it was a moral choice, and ensuring security in old age within the realm of fair societies is based on the moral imperative of reciprocity between generations. The Asia regional seminar brought together representatives of 13 Asian countries, including senior government officials and other stakeholders in the social protection realm to discuss the merits of expanding social protection to older people in the context of rapid ageing in Asia.
ELDIS resources on Ageing including a report on 'Social Protection and Ageing in Malawi'
China National Working Commission on Ageing (CNWCA):
Established in October 1999 as an advisory and coordinating organization of the State Council, the Commission is mandated to supervise the work on nationwide. The CNWCA has 26 members including various departments and Committees of the CPC, Ministries, trade unions, and the China National Committee on Ageing.
Its main responsibilities include:
| 1. | Research on and formulation of the development strategies and major policies on ageing; coordinating and facilitating the relevant departments to implement the development plans on ageing; |
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| 2. | Coordinating and facilitating relevant departments to protect the rights and interests of the elderly; | |
| 3. | Coordinating and facilitating relevant departments to strengthen macro-level guidance and comprehensive management of the work on ageing; promoting various kinds of activities for the physical and psychological wellbeing of the elderly; |
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| 4. | Guiding monitoring and supervising the work on ageing of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities; |
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| 5. | Organizing and coordinating important activities on ageing in China initiated and sponsored by U.N. and the other international organizations. |
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The commission also provides links to provincial websites on ageing; policies and regulations, news, international exchange/ interaction, etc.
Helpage International’s Social Protection pages provide a number of resources on ageing and pensions in Asia. |
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Asian Pension systems at risk, says OECD: By Chris Giles in London
Financial Times, January 7 2009 17:34: It will soon be too late to save Asian state pension systems from running short of cash, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned in a report on Wednesday.
New policy initiatives have been launched in China in Social Protection for the Rural Aged, and the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Security has announced the aim of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee to establish a universal social security system by 2020, leaving only 12 years for the Chinese to establish a relatively mature rural social security system for the aged.
Call for applications
The Tomorrow People Organization is organizing their Third Annual Poverty and Social Protection Conference in Bangkok on 11-13 March 2009. The conference will focus on issues of poverty and its eradication, social inequality, race relations and policy management and mismanagement with an international perspective.
http://www.tomorrowpeople.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=74 for details, or
http://www.tomorrowpeople.org/index.php?option=com_performs&formid=4&Itemid=150 for applying online.
Contact:
www.tomorrowpeople.org
contact@tomorrowpeople.org
Tel. +381 11 3629 446 Fax. +381 11 3629 447
http://www.aarpinternational.org Reinventing Retirement Asia: Employment and Active Engagement Beyond 50
http://www.globalaging.org Global Action on Aging (GAA), based in New York at the United Nations, reports on older people's needs and potential within the global economy. It is an advocacy group by, with and for older persons worldwide.
http://www.un.org/ageing The UN Program on Ageing is part of the United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development (UNDSPD), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).It is the focal point within the United Nations system on matters related to ageing.
http://www.who.int/topics/ageing/en World Health Organization’s website about active ageing, i.e., to maximize the health and functional capacity of older people as well as their social participation and security.
http://www.laoling.com/Index.html Website about social support for the aged information in China
http://www.chinagsc.org.cn/gsc Website of the Geriatric Society of China
http://www.capsc.com.cn Website of China Ageing Development Foundation, which aims the construction of a harmonious society by advocacy and popularization of traditional Chinese filial piety virtue.
We welcome your contributions
The SPA Network aims to keep people informed of required and requested information and to facilitate collaboration on social protection. To do this, the network needs you! If you would like to share your experiences, express your views or share information or publicise an event or publication please contact info@socialprotectionasia.org
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please reply to this mail with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line and we will take your name off our mailing list.
| The SPA programme is managed by the Institute for Human Development (www.ihdindia.org), New Delhi, India and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) (www.ids.ac.uk/go/centreforsocialprotection) at the University of Sussex, UK. | ||||
| Programme Director: | Sarah Cook, IDS |
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| Co-Directors: | Alakh Sharma, IHD Naila Kabeer, IDS |
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| Programme Manager: | Upendranadh, IHD |
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| Programme Administrator: | Marion Clarke, IDS |
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| Network Management: | Upendranadh, IHD and Mark Davies, IDS |
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| Communication Management: | Shashikala Menon, IHD |
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| Email: info@socialprotectionasia.org | Website: www.socialprotectionasia.org www.ids.ac.uk/go/spasiaph2 |
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The SPA Programme is funded by The Ford Foundation www.fordfound.org and
the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) www.idrc.ca