Is successful ageing possible?

Ana Aslan, a famous Romanian gerontologist (1897-1988) once said: "To grow old in a beautiful and dignified way is at the same time a science and an art."

Finally, in the opinion of French writer Andre Maurois (1885-1967), "The art of growing old is the art of being regarded by the oncoming generations as a support and not as a stumbling-block."

All these relevant quotations from the past deserve to be interpreted today in the light of the most recent international documents and statements on ageing. In this respect, mention should be made of the written statement submitted by the International Federation of Associations of the Elderly, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, at the 54th session of the UN Commission for Social Development. This document says inter alia: "Older persons must be able to secure and take on their share of responsibility for contributing to a properly run society, advancing the well-being of a country's inhabitants of all generations, and increasing its wealth. It is therefore necessary to promote active aging, facilitate benevolent activity, remove barriers associated with age, combat discriminatory practices against the elderly (ageism), guarantee a decent income, safeguard resources saved for retirement, and ensure a full range of retirement options."

It can be concluded that giving tangibility to legitimate demands and expectations like those reproduced above may, indeed, contribute to successful ageing for 12.3 per cent of the current 7.5 billion world's population. Therefore, 2016, as the first year covered by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, can be considered as a promising and testing turning point in the calendar of global efforts for the implementation of this Agenda. Successful materialization of the goals proclaimed in this programmatic document is an important precondition for reaching genuine progress in making successful ageing a persuasive reality. Otherwise, this humanistic objective will remain just a noble aspiration.