The Committee on Ageing at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, (NGOCOA-NY) is affiliated with the Conference of Non-governmental Organizations (CoNGO - https://ngocongo.org/) and works to raise world awareness of the opportunities and challenges of ageing issues around the world. See brochure: https://www.ngocoa-ny.org/participate/ngocoa-ny-brochure.html.
The Committee’s members represent NGOs accredited by the United Nations, namely those that have consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (https://ecosoc.un.org/en) as well as those affiliated with the Department of Global Communications (https://www.un.org/en/department-global-communications/outreach)
Committee membership is also open to organizations and individuals who wish to further the global dialogue and effect change so that all people everywhere, regardless of age, are not left behind.
The work of the Committee is guided by its Executive Committee which meets on a monthly basis. Executive Committee representatives, who are elected, are encouraged to voice concerns and share expertise on ageing issues that relate to the UN agenda through attendance at and participation in deliberations of intergovernmental bodies.
Committee members meet regularly from September through June to hear presentations on critical priorities and emerging issues under discussion at the United Nations and elsewhere, in order to be familiarized with the topics that have an impact on older persons. Committee members with accreditation to the United Nations are then better equipped to make oral and written statements on specific issues of concern to them, such as:
- the 5-year review and appraisal of the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) at the Commission on Social Development, a functional commission (https://social.desa.un.org/csocd) of the Economic and Social Council.
- the work of the Programme on Ageing Section within the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (https://social.desa.un.org/issues/ageing)
- the work of various entities of the United Nations system, including:
- Population Division (https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/) and related Commission on Population and Development (https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/CPD)
- Statistics Division (https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/) and related Statistical Commission (https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/statcom/)
- High Level Political Forum (on implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals) – (https://sdgs.un.org/). The Committee on Ageing is a member of the Stakeholder Group on Ageing which participates in the processes related to implementation of the SDGs – (https://www.stakeholdergrouponageing.org/)
- Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (https://www.ohchr.org/en/topic/older-persons) and related Human Rights Council (https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/hrc/home)
- UN Women (https://www.unwomen.org/en) and related Commission on the Status of Women (https://www.unwomen.org/en/how-we-work/commission-on-the-status-of-women)
- World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageing#tab=tab_1)
The Committee also organizes side events during meetings of intergovernmental bodies and special events, most notably the annual celebration of the United Nations International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP) held in early October, to which the public is also invited.
The Committee networks with Permanent Missions to the United Nations, other non-governmental committees at United Nations Headquarters and with other civil society organizations in New York and elsewhere. It collaborates with the NGO Committees on Ageing in Geneva and Vienna and has a close relationship with the UN Programme on Ageing Section, headquartered in New York.
The Committee is also an ex officio member on the Steering Group of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP): https://rightsofolderpeople.org/