19th November 2018
The Eleventh Meeting of the Economic Commission for Europe, Working Group on Aging, took place in Geneva in November 2018. The focus was on the work programme for the fourth cycle of the Regional Implementation Strategy for the Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging (MIPAA) 2018 to 2022.
Margaret Gillis, President of IC Canada and Gertrud Daye, Board Member of the Vienna NGO Committee on Aging and ILC GA Representative, attended the meeting.
The meeting began with a series of reports of activities during the last year, including:
The Report of the Bureau of the Working Group on Aging; outcomes of consultations on transformation of the Working Group on Aging;
New and ongoing international initiatives in the area of aging including a follow up on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Country experiences: aligning policy and strategies with the Lisbon Ministerial Declaration, and;
The Working Group on Aging Work programme for the forth cycle of the MIPAA for the Region.
Margaret and Gertrude participated in two breakout sessions, one focussed on informal carers in preparation for Policy Brief 22 and one on sharing experiences on mainstreaming aging in order to develop guidelines.
The Working Group agreed to develop and publish guidelines for mainstreaming aging as part of its work program for 2019 to 2022. Margaret and Gertrud will participate in the working group.
The meeting also resulted in agreement on the main elements of the work program for 2018 to 2022. The twelfth meeting of the WGA will take place on November 18 -19 2019 in Geneva.
Margaret Gillis
President
ILC Canada
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At the January meeting of the ILC Global Alliance, Co-Presidents Julie Byles and Margaret Gillis reflected on the achievements of the Global Alliance during their tenure as presidents from 2021-2025, before handing over the torch to two newly elected Co-Presidents.
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Prof. Dr. Tineke Abma on the value of elderly participation
Older adult participation provides unique insights, strengthens democratic processes, and enhances ownership of initiatives. Practical approaches like the FIRST model support meaningful engagement in policy, care, and research.
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Inclusive ageing: Tackling loneliness among older migrants through participation and co-creation
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18 December 2025
