1 October was designated as the International Day of Older Persons by the UN General Assembly in 1990. Since then, the day is marked annually as a reminder of the increasing obligation of our societies not to neglect Older Persons in key societal processes. 

Under the motto of “Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World,” UNFPA held a roundtable in Pristina on the occasion of the international day. 

The roundtable gathered decision-makers, media, civil society and community activists to discuss practical measures for Kosovo to upgrade inclusion and delivery to older persons, especially older women. The UNFPA-produced report on Loneliness and Social Isolation of Older Persons in Kosovo was launched at the event and served as evidence and platform for the discussion of necessary upgrades. The key conclusion in the report is that this is an upcoming issue for Kosovo and that the institutions should design a specific strategy for this societal group as we march into a future of ever-increasing population percentage of older people. 

UNFPA will continue to work on the global SDG agenda as it pertains to older people and follow up on the roundtable and report conclusions with our partners in Kosovo.