New York City Highlighted as Global Model for Age Friendly Cities at United Nations

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Feb 06, 2013, 11:55 ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the challenges of rapidly aging populations facing New York and cities around the world, AARP and the UN are convening international, national and local leaders for a two-day forum to discuss best practices and find policy solutions. New York City, which is at the forefront of meeting the needs of an older population and is looked to as a model by cities both in the U.S. and internationally, will be highlighted at the forum and will be represented by the City's Commissioner on Aging, Lilliam Barrios-Paoli. Also speaking at the conference are Rob Romasco, President of AARP and Xiao Caiwei, Vice President of the China National Committee on Ageing.

Currently, New York is home to over 1 million residents age 60 and over. In 20 years, that number is expected to increase by nearly 50 percent, the fastest increase in history. New York has begun to meet the challenge of serving the needs of a quickly aging population and was the first of seven other cities in the U.S. to be named an Age-Friendly City by AARP and the World Health Organization (WHO). AARP launched the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities in affiliation with the WHO to educate, encourage, promote, and recognize improvements that make cities, towns, and counties more age-friendly for their residents.

What:	2013 AARP-UN Briefing Series on Global Aging
	An International High Level Forum for Best Practices and Policy Solutions

When:	February 7-8
	12:45 – 3:00 pm

Who:	Featured Speakers and Panelists Include:

	Debra Whitman, Executive Vice President, AARP
	Jane Barratt, Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing
	Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Commissioner Department for the Aging, New York City
	Xiao Caiwei, Vice President, China National Committee on Ageing
	Rosemary Lane, Senior Social Affairs Officer, Focal Point on Ageing, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
	Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
	Rob Romasco, President, AARP
	Richard Blewitt, CEO, HelpAge International
	Dr. Asghar Zaidi, Professor in International Social Policy, Centre for Research on Ageing/ESRC Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton

Where:	UN Delegates Dining Room, Enter at Visitors Entrance on 46^th St. and First Ave.