Abstract:

The Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century is designed to support the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing 2002, adopted by the Second World Assembly on Ageing (8-12 April 2002, Madrid, Spain). The Research Agenda identifies priorities for policy-related research and data collection. Simultaneously, it encourages researchers to pursue studies in policy-related areas of ageing where the findings may have practical and realistic applications. The Research Agenda has been developed by the United Nations Programme on Ageing together with the International Association of Gerontology with the support of the Novartis Foundation for Gerontology and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany in a series of expert consultations, and subsequently endorsed by the Valencia Forum in April 2002. The Research Agenda is addressed to legislatures, governments, academia, as well as non-governmental organizations and aid agencies dealing with issues of population and individual ageing. It is based on recognition of the diversity in societies at different levels of demographic as well as social and economic development. The Research Agenda builds on an already substantial body of knowledge and expertise assembled in gerontology and related fields over many decades. However, that international body of knowledge may not be fully accessible or relevant in the social and economic circumstances of countries with substantially less resources for conducting research. In implementing the Research Agenda, there is a need to assess the ‘state of the art’ of existing knowledge, as it varies across countries and regions, and to identify priority gaps in information necessary for policy development. Thus, the Research Agenda identifies, in addition to key research priorities, the potential foci for implementation, support and funding of its major elements. The Research Agenda, therefore, represents a unique initiative in the area of ageing and development, intended to contribute to the elaboration and implementation of public policies on ageing and influence the direction and priorities for scientific gerontology in the decades to come.