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Reduced Inequalities
The Challenging Roles of Informal Carers
Sep 2019
Working Paper
There are different approaches to responding to the growing long-term care needs of ageing populations across the UNECE region. Societies rely to a varying extent on the unpaid labour of informal carers who cover an estimated 70 tp 95 percent of all care needs. While informal unpaid care saves public spending on formal care services the reliance on informal care has many hidden costs. It not adequately supported in their role informal carers can face negative impacts on their health and well-being and be forced to reduce or quit employment - putting themselves at risk of poverty and social exclusion. The challenges associated with informal care not only affect carers themselves but society at large: intensive informal caregiving can result in higher demand and costs for health care as a consequence of its negative impact on the physical and mental health of carers reduced labour market participation and consequently higher risks of poverty and social exclusion.
Economic Well-being at Older Ages
Jan 2023
Working Paper
Worldwide populations are ageing rapidly due to gains in life expectancy and declines in fertility. The trend towards a growing number and share of older persons is projected to continue in the foreseeable future. As the number of older persons grows their socioeconomic and demographic characteristics will evolve as well with implications for economies societies and public budgets. While long-term trends are hard to predict assessing the characteristics of current and future cohorts of older persons provides important insights into the future of our ageing world. On the one hand future cohorts of older persons are likely to be healthier and more educated—and therefore more productive—than those of today despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Continuing scientific and technological innovations including medical and pharmaceutical advances will allow many to enjoy healthier and longer lives. On the other hand the information presented in this brief indicates that successive cohorts of youth and adults are increasingly insecure in the labour market and more and more unequal in both developed and developing countries with available data. Without swift and bold policy action to counter this trend future cohorts of older persons may be more unequal than those of today.
Data for Now: Leveraging Innovative Sources, Technologies and Methods for Better, More Timely and Disaggregated Data for Sustainable Development
May 2022
Working Paper
Seven years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development many countries still rely on out-of-date and incomplete data to inform its implementation. Millions of people globally are not covered by existing data sources and are therefore excluded from decision-making and policies. Moreover the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the critical importance of having reliable timely and disaggregated data to save lives and livelihoods and exposed the limitations of traditional sources and methods used to produce them. In this context there is an increased sense of the urgency to use innovative approaches to better meet the data needs to accelerate action towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build agile and resilient data and statistical systems. Heeding this call the Data For Now initiative is supporting countries in developing their capacity to leverage innovative sources technologies and methods to deliver better more timely and disaggregated data for sustainable development.
Global Impact of the War in Ukraine: Billions of People Face the Greatest Cost-of-living Crisis in a Generation
Jun 2022
Working Paper
A war is always a human tragedy and the war in Ukraine is no exception. The ripple effects of the conflict are extending human suffering far beyond its borders. The war in all its dimensions has exacerbated a global cost-of-living crisis unseen in at least a generation compromising lives livelihoods and our aspirations for a better world by 2030. The largest cost-of-living crisis of the twenty-first century has come when people and countries have a limited capacity to cope. The war in Ukraine has trapped the people of the world between a rock and a hard place. The rock is the severe price shocks in food energy and fertilizer markets due to the war given the centrality of both the Russian Federation and Ukraine in these markets. The hard place is the extremely fragile context in which this crisis arrived; a world facing the cascading crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. A shock of this magnitude would have been a significant challenge no matter the timing; now it is of historic century-defining proportions.
Innovative Social Services and Supportive Measures for Independent Living in Advanced Age
Nov 2018
Working Paper
The rapid increase in the oldest-old population aged 80 and over brings with it critical challenges for individuals families communities and policymakers. Finding innovative and sustainable solutions to help individuals of advanced old age to continue living at home independently is critical in the context of both demographic change and budgetary constraints. Reaching advanced old age takes a different form for different individuals as their intrinsic capacity interacts with their living environment to affect their functional ability. Supporting such diversity in the experience of advanced old age requires smart integrated and customized innovations and result in resource efficiencies for the system of service provision.
Towards Community Long-term Care
Jul 2010
Working Paper
The population of countries in the UNECE region is ageing which is leading to the increase in the number of the oldest old — a group with a higher probability of becoming in need of long-term care. At the same time the number of those making up the working age population who will be able to provide care will decrease. UNECE member States have committed themselves to coping with this growing demand in care services while securing quality and choice for patients and their families. Financial sustainability of long-term care systems and a qualified work force are key elements in securing a high quality of long-term care and protecting human dignity in an ageing society.
Global Impact of War in Ukraine: Energy Crisis
Aug 2022
Working Paper
Since the issuance of the second brief by the Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) on 8 June 2022 the impacts of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis have been felt more deeply and widely across the world. Disruptions to the global energy market are putting Governments worldwide under enormous pressure. Rising energy prices are accelerating the cost-of-living crisis and sustaining the vicious cycle of constrained household budgets; increasing food and energy poverty; and increasing social unrest. In this context safeguarding countries’ commitments to the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will require significant efforts from all involved stakeholders. Policies that address the short-term emergency while ensuring countries’ climate-related and other sustainable development commitments must be pursued. Such policies are available to both developed and developing countries although the mix varies depending on geography income level and commodity status.
Dignity and Non-discrimination for Persons With Dementia
Aug 2015
Working Paper
Dementia is becoming increasingly prevalent across the UNECE region. The disease entails a progressive loss of cognitive capacity and eventual disability which can result in deterioration of quality of life. Dementia has high social and financial costs affecting people with dementia and their caregivers. People living with dementia are often discriminated against: their dignity is challenged today by many factors including the retrenchment of welfare resources and the changing structure of families. The issue of dignity and non-discrimination of people with dementia has often been overlooked however due to their limited representation in public debates and the stronger focus of research and policy on issues such as welfare sustainability and the well-being of caregivers.
Active Ageing
Jun 2012
Working Paper
The way how persons age is determined by a variety of factors: biological pre-conditions social circumstances attitudes towards ageing and life-style. The manner how an individual person ages may contribute to how long a person will live and how fit a person might be in the late period of life. Current policies on ageing may perceive 'old age' as a status rather than the result of a process. Some ageing policies may be aimed at providing services within this status rather than at empowering older persons to live independently. Here a change of paradigm is needed. In order to gain the ability to remain active the individual needs to invest in this process throughout the life course. Appropriate societal structures incentives and awareness-raising would enable persons to live an active life-style as long as possible. Current societal and legal infrastructures may not fully provide those opportunities for active ageing.
Old-age Poverty Has a Woman’s Face
Nov 2022
Working Paper
This year marks the 20-year milestone of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing a landmark agreement in which Governments committed to “building a society for all ages”. The Madrid Plan of Action contains a broad range of objectives including that of reducing poverty among older persons. Poverty is a particular risk for older persons. Most people work less or stop working altogether at some point in old age either for health reasons family responsibilities because they must or want to retire at the statutory retirement age or because discrimination undermines their employment opportunities. While many older persons remain productive many of their contributions to their countries’ economies to their communities and to their families are not formally recognized or paid. Their economic well-being depends on the availability of public income support affordable health care family support and savings to a greater extent than that of the working-age population. Because of the disadvantages they experience throughout their lives older women may suffer from higher levels of poverty than old men.
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Apr 2010
Working Paper
While people are living longer it is important to improve the quality of every stage of life. Therefore UNECE member States have committed to implement health policies ensuring that increased longevity is accompanied by the highest attainable standard of health1. In the coming years and decades the number of elderly people in the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will rise sharply challenging societies’ ability to care for those in need.
Cooperation on Ageing Policies in the UNECE Region
Nov 2011
Working Paper
Although ageing policies are often dealt with in the context of the national public policy agenda there is also a need for regional sub-regional and international cooperation on this topic as many issues do not end at national borders. Regional cooperation may be helpful as states of the same region often share similar cultural economic or political contexts.
Cryptoassets and So-called “Stablecoins”: Where Do We Go From Here?
Jun 2022
Working Paper
The market capitalization of cryptoassets and so-called “stablecoins” has fallen by over 50% since November 2021 with the drop over twice as sharp as that in the S&P 500. While they have been touted for their potential to increase the efficiency of financial transactions and to support financial inclusion their high volatility and largely unregulated and quasianonymous nature has raised concerns over investor protection and financial integrity and increasingly also financial stability and international spillovers. Some of these risks have materialized during the May 2022 market rout lending new urgency to calls for enhanced regulation and supervision. Policy solutions include bringing cash- and asset-backed stablecoins under the regulatory umbrella reviewing and updating regulations to safeguard financial stability and integrity and harness technology strengthening cooperation across sectors and jurisdictions and addressing underlying domestic macroeconomic and structural challenges.
Integration and Participation of Older Persons in Society
Nov 2009
Working Paper
Realizing a society for all ages is the declared goal of Governments in member States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. To this end achieving the integration and participation of older persons in society are important elements. This policy brief outlines the main strategies that may be considered to increase participation of older persons in political and economic life and to improve their access to transport appropriate housing and cultural activities. It highlights the importance of balanced intergenerational relationships based on mutual respect. Efforts may be made to reduce ageism and to destigmatize old age. The potential of volunteering may also be used – both in support of older generations and by the older generations themselves.
Advancing Intergenerational Solidarity
Aug 2010
Working Paper
Demographic transition in Europe has led to changing household structure with a potential impact on the dynamic between generations. As a consequence of living longer and later childbearing most adults in Europe belong to a family network of three generations with which they share several decades together in a complex web of ties. The solidarity among generations is a key feature of the economic financial and social systems in Europe. However the rapidly changing demographic context particularly in combination with the demands of the recent economic crisis could create tensions among generations and represent a challenge to the existing solidarity and cooperation among people of different age groups.
Why Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration Matters for Sustainable Development
Jan 2023
Working Paper
International migration is an integral part of the development process in countries of origin transit and destination. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes several targets related directly to international migration or migrants. The most explicit among them is target 10.7 which calls on countries to facilitate orderly safe regular and responsible migration and mobility of people including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies. Other migration-related targets in the 2030 Agenda include strengthening and retaining the health workforce in developing countries (target 3.c) providing scholarships for study abroad (target 4.b) respecting the labour rights of migrant workers (target 8.8) reducing the costs of transferring remittances (target 10.c) ending human trafficking (targets 5.2 8.7 and 16.2) establishing legal identity including through birth registration (target 16.9) and disaggregating data by various characteristics including migratory status (target 17.18). In addition international migration can facilitate the achievement of other Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda including those related to eradicating poverty facilitating access to health care education and decent work and promoting economic growth and gender equality.
Migration and Older Age
Jul 2016
Working Paper
The UNECE region is experiencing a steady increase in the number and diversity of retired labour migrants and migrant eldercare workers. The international mobility of older persons is also on the rise. Yet the participation of migrants in the host communities and their access to welfare remains a challenging issue. Compared to native-born peers older migrants are often more vulnerable to poor socio-economic and health status social isolation and exclusion. Lower income poorer working and housing conditions including their concentration in low-income neighbourhoods are among the factors affecting the life trajectories of many migrants. Migrant elder carers – independent of their age – often work informally without proper employment contracts and with limited access to health and social protection. There is however heterogeneity and variation in older migrants’ vulnerabilities and needs across and within ethnic groups with consequent important welfare implications which call for targeted policy responses at local national and international levels. A sound evidence base for such policy responses is lacking as older migrants are often overlooked in research mainly due to a lack of data.
Beneficial Ownership Information
Jan 2023
Working Paper
Domestic public finance is essential to financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) providing public goods and services increasing equity and helping manage macroeconomic stability. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda places domestic resource mobilization at the core of the actions that countries need to take to deliver sustainable development. Countries have been working to increase revenues so that they can invest in the SDGs but tax avoidance tax evasion and corruption are undermining countries’ efforts. Illicit financial flow (IFF) is the term that covers these activities (see Figure 1) that cross borders and reduce the availability of resources for financing sustainable development including recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Agenda Member States committed to eliminate IFFs. Since 2015 they have taken many actions to boost transparency and combat IFFs but there is more work to be done. Eliminating IFFs will require further actions across the sphere of national and global governance as well as international cooperation. Transparency about the actors in economic and financial matters is an essential component in the ability of country authorities to enforce the law reduce corruption and ensure taxpayers pay all taxes that are due. Increasing the accuracy and transparency of beneficial ownership information is an important component of solutions for reducing tax avoidance and evasion and combatting corruption and money-laundering.
Migration Trends and Families
May 2022
Working Paper
In preparation for the thirtieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family 2024 UNDESA supports research and awareness-raising activities on the impact of current megatrends including technological demographic urbanization migration and climate change trends on families. In 2022 migration (along with urbanization) and its impact on families is the topic under consideration. As migration-related issues are visible throughout the 2030 Agenda and elsewhere at the United Nations forum focusing on migrants and their families through effective policies grows in importance and deserves more attention.
Ensuring SDG Progress Amid Recurrent Crises
Jul 2022
Working Paper
SDG progress has been set back and the outlook faces uncertainty given the cumulative and amplified impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic the war in Ukraine and climate change. This brief examines the channels through which these three shocks are impacting the SDGs and their implications for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through recurrent crises. COVID-19 is estimated to have caused nearly 15 million deaths globally and brought the economy and people’s lives to a standstill for long periods in many parts of the world. The pandemic and the containment measures to control it significantly slowed economic growth increased unemployment raised poverty and hunger widened inequality and caused additional adverse impacts on women and children in many countries around the world. With uneven access to vaccines and treatments and the continuing emergence of new variants the pandemic continues to exert a malign influence on sustainable development.
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