Forum: General Assembly III

Question of: Developing measures to deal with the societal issues from population aging in developed
nations
Submitted by: Russia

Co-Submitter: UK

The General Assem

bly III,

Fully aware of the forecast made by the World Health Organisation of a rapid change in demographic due
to the fact that by 2050 the number of people over the age of 60 is expected to increase from 605 million to
2 billion,

Alarmed by the increasing need for long term care systems in response to the fact that by 2050 the number
of elderly people incapable of living independently is expected to have quadrupled,

Recalling all the previous resolutions 2211 (XXI) of 17 December 1966, and 3019 (XXVII) of 18
December 1972, which provide the foundations upon which the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
has been established and operates,

Realizing that ageing is increasingly becoming one of the most important social, economic and
demographic phenomena of our times,

Acknowledging the declining number of births in the developing world and understanding that the
percentage of people over the retirement age will increase from an average of 4% of the global population
being over the age of 65 in 1900’s, to 12% by the year 2000, with a calculated increase up to 40% in some
countries by the year 2050,

Emphasizing the increased effort and income required from the younger generation to sustain the elderly
upon reaching old age, and the increased importance of this matter globally and especially in MEDC’s,

Fully aware that this rise in ageing population threatens the sustainability of state pensions in the long run
and will cause financial problems and pressure on the economy since pensions cannot be decreased,

Deeply disturbed that the increase of the ageing population results in limitation of economic growth due to
workforce reduction, decrease in consumption and decline in economic vitality,

1.Urges the UN to raise retirement age so that a larger proportion of ageing people can add experience to
the workforce and decrease governments costs on paying pensions;

2. Invites employers to help in keeping elderly people active in cities by:

a) offering part-time job positions,

b) accepting the elderly as volunteers or apprentices,

c) creating an elderly work friendly environment through the application of methods of

ergonomics to accessible furnishings and surfaces and spaces that allow ease of movement,

d) helping out in schools and hospitals on a lower wage,

e) allowing the elderly to help in charities, i.e.: shops, orphanages etc;

3. Approves the provision of economic assistance to ageing nations to be used for:

a) Government programs that promote child bearing in all ageing nations, these programs
are to be approved and monitored by the UNFPA,

b) Government programs that assist elderly people, either by providing them with pensions
or by building and maintaining care homes;

4. Requests that training and education should be carried out by specialists to:

a) encourage elderly aged 55 onwards to learn new skills and technology without feeling
pressured by society, which will help them to:

i) gain satisfaction from working and feeling capable and worthy,

ii) gain independence from others,

b) make the elderly population believe that they are worthy and it is possible for them to
learn new skills and remain active, even at this age;

5. Suggests governments reduce the age of employment to fifteen years of age, taking into account the
following regulations:

a) parental consent being required,

b) students will be allowed to work part-time jobs only, with a maximum of 15 hours a week
during school terms and a maximum of 30 hours during holiday periods,

c)suggesting having a UN branch of child services to look over the children working and
create a monthly report;

6. Encourages governments to try and increase the percentage of young people in the society by:

a) subsidizing each birth with a certain sum of money according to the parents’ economic
status,

b) supporting research and development in the field of the infertility and in-vitro fertilisation
in the ageing nations, as part of a comprehensive effort to increase fertility levels;

7. Approves of creating another branch of the UN to be called “Helping In Employment” (H.I.E.) that will
mainly focus on finding jobs for as many of the unemployed as possible:

a) H.I.E. will work with other employment organisations that work with governments,

b) the aim of this is to employ as many people as possible, even the elderly population, to
increase the money flow in the economy, by making new jobs and creating new tax payers,

c) for all governments to advertise and promote not only this organisation, but every other
kind of employment organisation in the country;

8. Recommends the promotion and support of an annual conference which will deal with ageing
population aiming to bring together all international experts in the field, in order to exchange ideas on how
to find further solutions for the effects that ageing populations have on the demography of the affected
nations;

9. Stresses that the UN need to raise awareness advocacy and education on issues concerning ageing
population through:

a) seminars, media, lectures in schools and educational programs

b) conferences of country leaders to find solutions on dealing with the problem,

c) a concerted advocacy campaign to be designed after data has been collected and analyzed
to sensitize the public to concerns and conditions of the elderly population;

10. Expresses the sincere wish that implications of this resolution will alleviate the effects that ageing
populations have on the demography of the affected nations.