Dr. Norah Keating (PhD) recently participated in the UN Economic Commission for Europe conference on ageing.
July 14, 2022
Vanier Institute Board member Dr. Norah Keating (PhD) recently attended the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Ministerial Conference on Ageing 2022.
This event brought together government ministers, civil society organizations, and government representatives from across Europe as well as Canada and the United States. Its purpose was to assess progress over the 20 years since adoption of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and Its Regional Implementation Strategy (MIPAA/RIS).
The conference culminated in the release of the Rome 2022 Ministerial Declaration “A Sustainable World for All Ages: Joining Forces for Solidarity and Equal Opportunities Throughout Life,” in which governments pledged to promote active and healthy ageing throughout life, ensure access to long-term care and support for carers and families, and mainstream ageing to advance a society for all ages.
Dr. Keating moderated a panel discussion titled Promoting Active and Healthy Ageing Throughout Life, for which she provided opening remarks highlighting how family life courses can have a powerful impact on wellbeing in later life.
She referred to the Vanier Institute’s Family Diversities Framework as a way to understand which policy actions can reduce later life inequalities that can influence family wellbeing. Additional panels at the conference focused on ensuring access to long-term care and support for carers and families, and on raising awareness and promoting discussion on ageing.
“We all know that lives evolve over what we hope is a long sweep of life. We know too that the diversities we see among older persons arise from the accumulation of advantage and disadvantage across people’s lives. We must decide which of these inequalities is unfair and must be addressed urgently, and how we will do so.”
– Norah Keating, PhD
Watch the webstream of Promoting Active and Healthy Ageing Throughout Life
More documents, photos and videos from this event are available on the conference website.
Caption for photo at top of page (left to right): Nathalie Trudeau, Director, International Relations, Intergovernmental Affairs Directorate; Manon Therriault, Manager, Seniors Policy and Analysis Unit Seniors Policy, Partnerships and Engagement Division; Norah Keating, Vanier Institute Board member and Director, Global Social Issues on Ageing, International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics; Annette Gibbons, Associate Deputy Minister, Employment and Social Development Canada.
