UNESCAP highlights urgency of pension solution for Asia’s elderly poor

An elderly woman in Inle lake, Shan state, Myanmar, at work, weaving some traditional clothes (photo by Han Htay Aung)

A regional seminar held at UNESCAP from 29 to 31 January drew urgent attention to the plight of Asia-Pacific’s elderly poor, urging Governments to come up with basic pension plans.
“Growing old without a pension is like walking on a tight rope without a safety net. If you fall, there’s no one to catch you”, UNESCAP Executive Secretary Kim Hak-Su said.
The seminar, which brought together participants from 13 countries and focused on “Ensuring Social Protection/Social Pensions in Old Age in the Context of Rapid Ageing in Asia” highlighted the positive impact of non-contributory social pensions in the reduction of poverty as well as in social and economic development.

In a statement issued at the closure of the seminar, the participants underscored that the existence of several schemes for delivering social pensions and other forms of social protection in Asia was a “demonstration of the intent and commitment of Governments to ensure income security for all Asians in old age”.
“Recent economic studies, as well as experiences of several countries, demonstrate that social pensions are an affordable and cost-effective way of delivering social protection to older people”, the statement reads.
The participants called on Governments, United Nations bodies, the international donor community and civil society to “continue their commitment and strengthen their support to the analysis, research, debate and implementation of social pension programmes in the region”.

The event was co-organized by UNESCAP and HelpAge International, with the support of Japan Foundation and ILO. Participants included experts on social protection and social pensions issues and representatives of Governments and civil society organizations from over 10 countries in the region.
During 2000-2050, Asia’s population of older persons is expected to grow nearly fourfold, reaching 1.2 billion in 2050 and comprising more than 22 per cent of the total population. This rapid increase in the elderly population means that national poverty reduction targets in the developing Asian countries and the international targets spelt out in the Millennium Development Goals will be unattainable unless old-age poverty is effectively addressed.