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October was a month of meaningful dialogue and collective action on healthy ageing and longevity. From the World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings (WBG-IMF Annual Meetings) in Bangkok to discussions in Geneva on the rights of older persons, IFA has continued to bring ageing into global conversations on economic resilience, human rights and sustainable development.
We also marked World Cities Day by bringing together leaders to explore how cities and communities can better prepare for longer lives, while advancing practical tools to strengthen advocacy for adult immunisation.
As we look ahead, the momentum continues. Our Global Café series heads to Oceania in November, and we are pleased to announce Adelaide, Australia, as the host of the 18th IFA Global Conference on Ageing in October 2027.
We look forward to continuing these conversations and turning shared priorities into collective action.
| | Turning Longer Lives into Collective Strength: Adelaide 2027 | | |
The International Federation on Ageing (IFA) is pleased to announce its partnership with Ageing Australia to host the 18th IFA Global Conference on Ageing in Adelaide, Australia, from 5–7 October 2027.
Under the theme “Longevity-Ready Societies: Turning Longer Lives into Collective Strength,” the conference will bring together international leaders, experts and stakeholders alongside the Ageing Australia National Conference, creating a platform for global dialogue, knowledge exchange and collective action.
Australia provides an important setting for these discussions. The Australian Government’s commitment to aged care reform, together with Ageing Australia’s leadership in strengthening care and services for older people, offers valuable insights for countries navigating demographic change.
The conference programme will explore five interconnected themes:
- Rights and Equity
- Longevity-Ready Health and Care Systems
- Age-Friendly and Climate-Resilient Communities
- Longevity Economies and the Future of Work
- Digital Transformation and Generational Technologies
Through these discussions, IFA and Ageing Australia aim to strengthen international collaboration, foster strategic partnerships and advance practical solutions that support healthier, more inclusive and longevity-ready societies.
We look forward to welcoming the global ageing community to Adelaide in 2027 as we work together to turn longer lives into collective strength.
Stay tuned for further updates on the conference programme, speakers and registration details.
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IFA Engages in WBG-IMF Annual Meetings on Population Ageing and Economic Resilience | | | | |
The International Federation on Ageing (IFA) was in Bangkok, Thailand, for the 2026 World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings (WBG-IMF Annual Meetings) , with Secretary General Gregor Sneddon and Caitlin Wald, Specialist, Member Engagement and Network Impact, engaging with partners across health, social protection, finance, care and development on the implications of longer lives for economies and societies.
With population ageing increasingly featuring on the international economic agenda, discussions convened by the World Bank
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Group and Japan’s Ministry of Finance explored how countries can translate demographic evidence into economic policy, institutional reform and long-term investment.
A key message was the need to move beyond viewing population ageing as a single-sector issue. Investment in healthy ageing and prevention, sustainable long-term care, later-life employment and social protection can help countries prepare for demographic change while supporting economic growth and social wellbeing. As World Bank Vice President for People, Mamta Murthi, described it, population ageing is “perhaps the most consequential but underestimated development challenge of our era.”
IFA also welcomed the opportunity to support and engage with initiatives led by its members, including the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC UK) and AARP. ILC UK's work on a "Longevity Dividend Modelling Framework" is particularly relevant to advancing this agenda, seeking to quantify the economic and fiscal returns of policies that support healthier, more productive lives. Similarly, AARP’s high-level roundtable, Global Aging as a Development Imperative, held alongside the WBG-IMF Annual Meetings, sought to advance recognition of population ageing as a global development opportunity, bringing together leaders across sectors to share perspectives and explore opportunities for collaboration in supporting ageing populations worldwide.
These engagements reinforced the importance of building demographic resilience: ensuring that policies, institutions and investment decisions are responsive to longer lives, while creating opportunities for younger generations and supporting wellbeing, security and dignity in later life.
Population ageing is predictable. The challenge – and opportunity – is to ensure that our systems, economies and investments are ready.
| | IFA Joins Member States and Civil Society in Geneva to Advance the Drafting of the Convention on the Human Rights of Older Persons | | | | |
IFA has been actively engaged in Geneva as the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) continues its discussions towards a legally binding United Nations Convention on the rights of older persons.
Throughout the week, IFA’s delegation delivered statements and contributed to discussions alongside Member States and civil society partners, advocating for stronger international legal protections that uphold the rights, dignity, autonomy and equality of older persons.
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IFA’s engagement reflects its longstanding commitment to advancing the recognition and protection of older persons’ human rights, and to ensuring that the experiences and perspectives of older people inform the development of an international legal instrument.
A sincere thank you to IFA’s representatives to the UN, Alejandro Bonilla Garcia and Helen Meenan, IFA Board Member Sue Hendy, and engaged member Craig Gear, for their important contributions and continued commitment to this work.
This is an important opportunity to translate longstanding commitments into concrete legal protections and ensure that older persons enjoy their human rights on an equal basis with everyone else.
Follow the ongoing negotiations and explore the latest updates from the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP).
| | Reflecting on the 2026 International Day of Older Persons: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives | | | | |
IFA marked the 2026 International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) through a series of global and international engagements focused on the opportunities and challenges of population ageing.
Under the theme Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives, IFA brought together partners and stakeholders across Geneva, Vienna and New York to highlight the importance of coordinated, multisectoral action to ensure that health, care, social protection and policy systems evolve alongside longer lives.
| | Through global dialogue, international advocacy and engagement with partners, IDOP provided an important opportunity to reflect on progress, spotlight persistent gaps and consider the policy and systems changes needed to support healthy ageing, uphold the rights of older people and build societies that are ready for longevity. | | Cities Designed for Longer Lives: A Global Leadership Dialogue | | | | |
IFA celebrates World Cites Day by hosting Cities Designed for Longer Lives: A Global Leadership Dialogue on 29 October, bringing together leaders and experts from across ageing, urban development, sustainability and community resilience. The discussion explored opportunities to connect age-friendly, healthy, smart, resilient and sustainable city movements, identify shared priorities and advance collective action.
Panellists and participants explored key action areas, including the following:
- Connecting city movements and aligning initiatives around shared priorities and measurable outcomes.
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- Embedding longevity and healthy ageing into housing, transportation, infrastructure, climate resilience and community development.
- Ensuring the active participation of older persons in shaping their communities and the importance of creating opportunities to strengthen social connections.
- Moving beyond dialogue to action: exploring cross-network partnerships, shared evidence and opportunities to integrate approaches in cities where network initiatives are overlapping.
On World Cities Day (31 October), the IFA called for greater collaboration across urban development, health and sustainability to build healthier, more inclusive, resilient and longevity-ready communities. Healthy ageing begins in the communities where we live. As populations age, cities must move beyond adapting to demographic change and proactively create environments where people of all ages can thrive.
Want to learn more?
This event is part of IFA's Longevity-Ready Cities and Communities Accelerator, seeking to connect city-level movements, strengthen cross-sector collaboration and embed longevity into the policies, planning and investments that shape where people live.
Stay tuned to IFA's social media channels for additional event highlights and explore opportunities to get involved with the Accelerator program.
| | Turning Evidence into Action Strengthening the Voice of Civil Society | | | | |
The International Federation on Ageing, through its Vaccines4Life programme, is pleased to launch the Strengthening Advocacy for Adult Vaccination: Advocacy Toolkit and Guide, a new resource designed to support civil society and patient advocacy organizations in advancing equitable access to adult immunization across Canada.
What's inside the toolkit?
- Evidence-informed advocacy messages to support awareness and policy dialogue.
- Ready-to-adapt communication materials, including social media templates, newsletters, and partner outreach resources.
- Practical advocacy tools, including letters, public statements, and guidance for engaging decision-makers.
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Make it your own. Strengthen your advocacy. Support collective action.
With fully editable resources, organizations can tailor the toolkit to their priorities, communities, and local policy contexts. IFA looks forward to sharing this work at the Canadian Immunization Conference (CIC) in November.
| | IFA Global Café New Series | | |
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