Ageing must not mean fewer rights, fewer opportunities, or a less active life. Improving the position of older persons entails creating conditions for their full participation in the community, as well as strengthening ties between generations, said Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijević, at the opening of the conference “My Future – Whose Concern Is It? An Inclusive Society for All (Part III),” held on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, on 1 October at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.
“Data from the Commissioner’s practice show that age has continuously been among the five most frequently cited grounds of discrimination. That is why we must fight against the prejudice that older people are merely those who need support. They are also workers, entrepreneurs, consumers, mentors, creators, and active members of the community. In the previous period, the Commissioner has implemented numerous activities aimed at improving the position of older persons, and one of the most recent is cooperation on establishing Centres for Intergenerational Solidarity in Pirot, Svilajnac, and Trstenik. Such spaces demonstrate that by creating opportunities for people to meet, socialise, and take part in joint activities, we can build communities in which age is not a boundary, but an opportunity for connection and the exchange of experiences. It is particularly important that older persons be recognised as active participants in community life, and not merely as recipients of support,” Antonijević said.
Matilde Mordt, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Serbia, also spoke during the introductory part of the conference, emphasising the importance of longer life expectancy and the need for additional years of life to be healthy, secure, and filled with participation in the community. “Longer life expectancy represents one of the greatest achievements of our time. The question that now arises is how to make those additional years healthier, safer, and more strongly connected with life in the community. Through its active and healthy ageing policies, Serbia has established clear guidelines, while at the global level work is simultaneously under way to strengthen the rights of older persons. The United Nations supports Serbia through the collection of evidence that serves as a basis for developing policies and local initiatives aimed at supporting older persons. In this process, we listen to older persons themselves and work together with them.”
“Demographic changes are not an obstacle, but an opportunity to make societies stronger. To build demographic resilience, we must fully utilise the potential of every resident of a country, including older persons, whom we should regard as a valuable resource of knowledge, life experience, and creative strength. This requires systemic support and the adaptation of social, economic, and other policies. New programmes, such as the promotion of digital literacy, can improve access to services for older persons, while the ‘silver economy’ can open numerous new opportunities for older persons and society as a whole. When we invest in healthy and active ageing, we invest in the stability and progress of the entire community,” emphasised Borka Jeremić, Head of the United Nations Population Fund Office in Serbia.
Ambassador of the Republic of Austria, Enno Drofenik, stated that experience from Austria shows that policy towards older persons does not begin only when they require care, but with the creation of conditions for their independence and active role in society. “Although they operate in different circumstances, Serbia and Austria face similar demographic challenges, which is why the exchange of practical experiences is of invaluable importance. The fact that this conference is being held for the third consecutive year confirms that our cooperation is developing into lasting continuity among institutions dealing with ageing, demography, and social protection,” Drofenik said.
During the conference, the key results of activities carried out to date aimed at improving the position, well-being, and protection of older persons were presented, and further improvements to policies and practices in the field of ageing were also discussed. The conference was jointly organised by the Office of the Attaché for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Austria in the Republic of Serbia, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Serbia, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, and the Red Cross of Serbia.
