Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2015 , Vol 18 , Issue 3
FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF
Yesim GOKCE KUTSAL

Introduction

The AGE Secretariat prepared a declaration with input from the Executive Committee, Council, AGE members and experts and they encouraged our society to circulate it at national level.

The declaration consists of a main corpus presenting three key demands and outlining AGE concerns about the current political and socio-economic context. It also recalls AGE's common vision of a society based on solidarity among generations and a number of responsibilities and duties older people hold themselves.

The summary of this declaration is below.

Toward a better recognition of and respect for older people's rights in the EU

Members of AGE Platform Europe met at the 2015 General Assembly to call on European Institutions, EU Member States, local and regional authorities to mobilise their respective capacities in order to promote and secure the rights of all older women and men residing on their territory. AGE recommendations for policy alternatives speak out against the practices that facilitate rights violations against older people and call for rights-based reforms at local, national and EU levels.

While recognising the importance of the cooperation with EU and national policy makers so far, AGE members urge them to support further open and transparent mechanisms for the engagement of civil society in policy making, in order to address the complex realities faced by older people at grass roots level, and to:

I. Apply the existing legal framework and monitor its impact on the rights of older people;

II. Strengthen the legal framework to better protect the rights of older people and eliminate age discrimination; and

III. Acknowledge older people's rights and ensure they underpin the silver economy to guarantee that its innovation potential is used to meet the specific needs of Europe's ageing populations.

Prof. Yesim GOKCE KUTSAL
Editor in Chief

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