Abstract This article discusses the contribution of research evidence to shifting the focus of international policy planning on ageing from predominantly humanitarian aspects to predominantly developmental aspects. Opposing views on the implications of population change for societal development are delineated. Particular attention is paid to efforts aimed at linking research and policy processes in the area of population ageing. The role of international cooperation in developing/strengthening national capacity for evidence informed policy on ageing is reviewed.
This article reviews the organisation and delivery of social services for older persons in the Russian Federation – the major post-communist transitional economy. At the outset, we outline the basic demographic and epidemiological characteristics of population ageing in Russia; we focus on those characteristics that determine or influence the formation of needs for social services for older persons. The main content of the article is devoted to the evolution of policy in the field of social services for older citizens of Russia. The article concludes with a brief outline of future perspectives in addressing the social care needs in the country.
Alexandre Sidorenko – Senior Advisor, European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Vienna, Austria. Email: sidorenko.alexandre@gmail.com
Asghar Zaidi – Professor in International Social Policy, University of Southampton, UK. Email: Asghar.Zaidi@soton.ac.uk
The central goal of this article is to review progress made in implementing the international policy frameworks on ageing, focusing on the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing (VIPAA) and in more detail on the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA). The article offers a critical examination of the current approaches to monitoring and assessing the implementation process, outlining promising avenues for the future. In this way, the limitations of the current procedures for following the policy priorities of the MIPAA can be highlighted. What is found is that progress in many countries is hampered by inherent subjectivity in assessing and reporting advancement, lack of continuity and consistency, and difficulties in comparing the national level progress with international development in the same areas. The current year, 2017 / 2018, is momentous as we reach the end of the third five-year implementation cycle of the MIPAA. Introspection now should not merely focus on assessing the progress made but also on how the implementation of the MIPAA could be strengthened. In the same spirit, the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development Goals presents new opportunities; especially its pledges 'Leave no one behind' and 'Reach the furthest behind first', which imply that the older population can serve as agents of development. In moving forward, an essential requirement will have to be the establishment of an internationally acceptable set of indicators, which can be employed for assessing national progress in addressing the challenges and opportunities of ageing and monitoring the international efforts to implement international policy frameworks like the MIPAA. Along the lines of the dashboard of indicators used in the Active Ageing Index 'AAI', there should be a MIPAA monitoring toolkit with different layers of indicators, which are aligned with the three priority directions of the MIPAA.
