Press Center: News Releases
AARP Convenes International Leaders in Tokyo to Explore Retirement and Aging Issues
New Survey Shows Asian Leaders Feel Ill Prepared to Deal with Challenges of an Aging Population / News Release
March 14, 2007
U.S.-based AARP, the world’s largest membership organization for people 50+, will bring together an international group of leaders and decision-makers from government, academia, non-governmental organizations, and business to explore how Asian societies are dealing with the critical issues of retirement, aging populations, and the quality of life for retirees and older workers. An AARP survey of opinion leaders in Asia and Oceania, which will be released at the conference, reveals that most believe their countries are ill prepared to deal with the challenges of an aging population.
The conference, Reinventing Retirement Asia: Enhancing The Opportunities of Aging, will be co-hosted by AARP, Nikkei, and the Japan NGO Council on Aging (JANCA) and will take place March 15-16 at the United Nations House in Tokyo. It will be attended by senior-level representatives from China, India, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, the United States and other countries.
“In Asia, the 50+ population will be the dominant group in many countries within the next decade,” said AARP CEO Bill Novelli. “Governments, NGOs and the private sector must work together to address the challenges and opportunities presented by aging populations across the globe in order to benefit society as a whole. AARP is honored to have forged relationships with organizations like JANCA and others in Asia to improve the lives of all our citizens.”
“Japan will experience major social change with the imminent mass retirement of the “Boomer Generation,” said Shigeyoshi Yoshida, Executive Director at JANCA. “We believe that AARP's Tokyo conference presents a unique opportunity for us to discuss how various issues must be tackled—not only at the national level, but also at the regional and international level.”
Novelli and members of AARP’s board and policy leadership will be joined by prominent experts including Tsutomu Hotta, Co-Chairman of JANCA, Park Jyu-Hoon, Chairperson of the Presidential Commission on Aging in Korea, Subbulakshmi Jagdishan, Minister of State for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in India, and Yan Qingchun, Vice President of the China National Committee on Aging. Nikkei’s Executive Vice President Junichi Arai will also join the opening session.
The conference is the third in a series of international symposia held by AARP’s Global Aging Program convened to devise strategies for meeting the needs of people 50+. Participants will explore topics such as “Tapping the Vast Human Capital of Older Workers,” “Family Ties: Changing Role of the Family Structure for Older People,” “Integrating Retirees into Community Involvement,” and more.
Through the Global Aging Program, AARP aims to help people live longer, healthier, more financially secure and productive lives by identifying the best ideas and practices on key policy issues. The Global Aging Program convenes international opinion leaders to share their expertise and develop research on health and long-term care, livable communities, older workers and retirement income.
“The AARP Global Aging Program’s goal is to foster global collaboration. It serve as a catalyst for governments and decision-makers in all sectors to come together, address, and favorably shape the social and economic implications of aging worldwide,” said Line Vreven, Director of International Affairs for AARP. “We look forward to a thought-provoking and productive conference in Tokyo.”
For more information about AARP’s Reinventing Retirement Asia conference, please visit http://www.aarp.org/reinventing.
About AARPAARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP produces AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, its monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, its bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, its quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and the website, www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.