New York, 22/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - Hans Lundborg Head of the Swedish Delegation, spoke on Wednesday in New York during the works of the United Nations Commission for Social Development Agenda and, speaking both on behalf of the EU, the accession candidate countries and Norway, he raised the situation of certain specific social groups - the aged, families and the handicapped.
With regards to the growing percentage of older persons in the population, Mr Lundborg underlined the importance that the European Union gives to the effects of the International Year of Older Persons in 1999, initiative which, he said, notably opened a debate on the civil, political, social and cultural rights of this category of people and encouraged: - the development, for them, of "new forms of participation in social life"; - the solidarity and interaction between generation; - lifelong learning, including through the use of information technology.
As for the International Year of the Family whose tenth anniversary was celebrated in 2004, Mr Lundborg noted that it allowed for the raising of awareness with regards to the development of the family in society and, in particular, of constraints experienced by parents that want to reconcile work and family life.
Finally raising the situation of handicapped people, Mr Lundborg indicated that this is a priority for the EU, and that the Council Presidency is organising a meeting of experts next April in Sweden (the 25 and 26 April, in Linkoping: Ed.). Furthermore, he underlined the need to intensify the enforcement of UN standards in terms of opportunities for the handicapped, and noted that the European Union insists, in particular, over the importance of access, for this category of people, to health, social services and education - core components for access to employment and a to a sustainable livelihood.