Towards a society for all ages: Building solidarity and equity between generations

The five regional commissions of the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of Chile organized, during the Future Summit Days of Action In New York, the side event entitled: “Towards a society for all ages: building solidarity and equity between generations” was held. On the occasion, the regional commissions launched their joint policy brief on “Intergenerational relations, creating a world for all ages so that no one is left behind”, which offers recommendations on the social and economic challenges and opportunities that demographic changes present for moving towards multigenerational societies in the different regions.

The Permanent Representative of Chile, Ambassador Paula Narváezwho hosted the event, stressed in her opening remarks that “intergenerational solidarity is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic necessity. As our populations become more diverse in terms of age, we must strengthen mechanisms that ensure equal opportunities and protection for people of all ages. This means creating multigenerational workforces, promoting decent work for all, and combating age discrimination in all its forms. It also means ensuring that those not yet born have a voice in the decisions we make today, through institutional mechanisms that hold us accountable to future generations.” She concluded by stating that “as we move forward, it is essential to focus on the concrete implementation of these ideas. Our goal must be to generate policy recommendations, voluntary commitments, and partnerships that directly contribute to the outcomes of the Future Summit.”

He Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachsin his capacity as Coordinator of the United Nations Regional Commissions, stressed in his intervention that the event was an opportunity for commitment and mobilization around building greater intergenerational solidarity between regions, contributing to the implementation of the Pact for the Future, particularly in the pillars on Youth and Future Generations and the Declaration on Future Generations. This event also contributes to the preparatory process for the Second World Summit for Social Development and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. “To realize a society for all ages, States must address the various inequalities that accumulate throughout the life cycle and design and implement strategies that foster intergenerational solidarity,” he added.

The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Armida Salsiah Alisjahbanapresented the main findings of the Joint Report, which includes the latest evidence on demographic trends and intergenerational relations, labour markets, social protection, care, living arrangements and digitalisation in the different regions, as well as recommendations for building societies for all ages. She stressed that “building a society for all ages is about creating a world where everyone, regardless of age, can contribute to and benefit from development. Achieving this requires a commitment to inclusive development policies that support people of all ages, and strong solidarity and collaboration across regions, sectors and generations.”

In the interactive segment moderated by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Tatiana Molceanthe need to improve knowledge on intergenerational relations and foster intergenerational solidarity in the context of increasing longevity and population ageing was highlighted, an area in which UNECE actively promotes regional cooperation, policy dialogue and the exchange of experiences among Member States through the UNECE Standing Working Group on Ageing.

“One of the key tasks is to respond to the changing needs and roles of individuals in families, communities and societies throughout the life cycle through inter- and intra-generational solidarity and to harness the potential of increased longevity. In order to define effective policy responses to current demographic trends, it is necessary to recognise older people as active participants in sustainable development and as contributors to shaping our future, alongside younger generations,” he stressed.

In his speech, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Claver Gatete, He highlighted Africa’s unique demographic trends, noting that by 2050, one in three young people globally will be African. He underlined the urgent need to invest in education and job creation to harness this potential, while addressing rapid urbanisation, which will see more than 60% of the African population living in cities by 2050. Gatete emphasised the impact of climate change, which costs Africa up to 5% of GDP annually, and called for reform of outdated global financial systems and high borrowing costs. Empowering young people and fostering intergenerational solidarity, he concluded, is essential to ensuring justice and sustainable growth for future generations.

The Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Rola Dashtifocused on the transformation seen in labour markets. “We need a skills revolution; we need to anticipate the skills required for the next decade. That is why governments must collaborate with the private sector to create agile training programmes that not only respond to, but proactively align with future needs,” he stressed. Addressing social protection, Dashti noted that many social protection systems and safety nets are outdated and do not cover non-traditional forms of employment. “This is where we need a new social contract, with universal benefits adaptable to diverse career paths and sectors,” he added, stressing that “any policy we make today must pass the test of intergenerational equity.”

The panel also featured prominent representatives, including Jeffrey Lizardo, Vice Minister of Economy, Planning and Development of the Dominican Republic; Jean Todt, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Road Safety; Rosario Díaz Garavito, Founder of the Millennials Movement; and Dr. Robin Fenley, Vice President of the NGO Committee on Aging.

In his speech, Vice Minister Jeffrey Lizardo shared the challenges presented by demographic changes, but also the opportunities. He also highlighted the investments made by the Government of the Dominican Republic in social policies that cover different groups of the population, from early childhood to adulthood, including areas such as care, education, health insurance and social protection. “It is essential to emphasize the alignment of short- and medium-term plans with long-term objectives, such as the National Development Strategy 2030 and the recently launched RD 2036 Plan. Achieving this will require strengthening commitments, encouraging active participation and establishing partnerships between governments, the private sector, academia, communities, civil society and international cooperation to jointly promote this vision of the future in a context of great uncertainty,” he concluded.

Special Envoy Jean Todt highlighted that every year, the staggering number of road traffic-related deaths claim the lives of 1.19 million people, leaving countless others with serious injuries. Road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death for children and young people aged 5 to 29, and mentioned the UN’s global campaign #MakeASafetyStatementwhich was recently launched to address this silent pandemic.

Rosario Díaz Garavito provided the voice of youth by highlighting the importance of investing in this population group and seeing them as partners in building a society for all ages. She thanked the regional commissions, in particular ECLAC, for providing them with a space to organize the Regional Youth Forum within the framework of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development. Dr. Robin Fenley congratulated the regional commissions for the joint policy report and mentioned the importance of follow-up processes to implement their recommendations.

With a particular focus on intergenerational equity, the side event also focused on voluntary commitments, concrete actions and partnerships needed to deliver the Pact for the Future.