An appeal "to the Governments, to the private sector, to civil society and people across the world, to focus their efforts on the building of a society for all ages", was made today by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, on the occasion of the World Day of the Elderly, which is going to be celebrated on October 1st on the subject: "Improving the quality of life of the elderly: promoting the UN global strategies”. This Day, writes Annan, "is a reminder to all communities to work towards policies and plans that will allow the elderly to live in an environment that will enhance their abilities, promote their independence and supply them with support and care, as appropriate to their age". This means "ensuring a house, transport, and other conditions that will allow them to remain independent for as long as they can and to ‘age on the place’ while staying active with their own communities. Equally important is to recognise and respect the dignity of elderly people, especially in their roles as volunteers and multigenerational assistance. This helps promote a more positive image of the elderly". According to the UN, there are 600 million people aged over 60 in the world today.
