Policy, Research and Institutional Arrangements Relating to Older Persons

This report in progress has been compiled as part of a much larger process of assessing progress towards implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing that will culminate in the publication of The State of the World's Older Persons 2012. It is being released in advance to enable countries to use the information for Madrid+10 reporting purposes. The report provides an overview of existing policies, legislation, data, research and institutional arrangements to show progress since the Second World Assembly on Ageing in 2002. It provides information on the implementation of the provisions of the Madrid Plan in 133 countries and more detailed information for a sample of 32 case study countries.

The research, which was guided by the United Nations Population Fund and HelpAge International and made possible by the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, was undertaken by a global team of experts and consultants. Stakeholders are encouraged to come forward with additional information as it becomes available to make this a more comprehensive document.