Vatican City: In the first official initiative of the Vatican under the leadership of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the Muslim Council of Elders, the Pontifical Academy for Life, and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) launched a document to support and protect older persons and uphold their dignity.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the initiative reflects a unified vision based on the need to strengthen joint efforts to support older persons, affirm their right to independence and full participation in society, and protect them from all forms of discrimination, abuse, exploitation, and neglect.
The document was signed by Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders; His Eminence Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life; and Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, President and CEO of AARP. It calls for mechanisms that enable older persons to make appropriate choices for themselves and their families and to access high-quality healthcare that focuses on their personal needs and respects their individual preferences.
Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam stated that the document aims to promote care and dignity for older persons, recognising them as the memory of human societies and guardians of identity and accumulated experience. He noted that passing on wisdom and experience across generations strengthens societies in times of crisis and lays the foundation for a balanced future. He emphasised that the Muslim Council of Elders, based in Abu Dhabi, will work to support and promote the values and principles set out in this important document.
The document, the first of its kind in the field of elder care, highlights the role families can play in supporting older persons. It affirms the shared moral and social responsibility of institutions, governments, and communities to promote long-term prosperity and well-being for all age groups. It calls on global leaders, international organisations, and civil society institutions to engage with and support national policymakers in adopting more effective policies and practices that better serve ageing communities and enhance the well-being of all, especially older persons.
The signatories agreed to work together to turn the values and principles outlined in the document into practical steps by supporting a world where older persons can live with dignity and purpose. They committed to intensifying efforts to promote scientific research, policy, and interventions that enable older persons to enjoy longer, healthier lives; combat all forms of age-based discrimination; support the adoption of binding international legislation to protect the rights and dignity of older persons; and work towards the creation of an international body or agency to advance the objectives of the document and help establish a global framework for a new era in which older persons everywhere can age with dignity in thriving communities.
The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders also took part in a global symposium at the Vatican on the relationship between memory and human dignity. The event, held from May 9-10, discussed the opportunities and challenges of global population ageing and was attended by international officials, global figures, and senior religious leaders from around the world.