Message by the President of the Republic of Slovenia on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons

Thirty-three years ago, the United Nations Organisation declared 1 October the International Day of Older Persons. The number of older people in our society is growing relentlessly, bringing with it both the good and the bad of a long-lived society. Active ageing brings many benefits to society as a whole and to all generations. It is therefore extremely important that we encourage inter-generational tolerance, cooperation and respect, as all generations function and live together on the basis of solidarity and the principles of the welfare state.

I welcome the start of systemic regulation of long-term care, but we still have a lot of work to do to be able to provide long-term care services to all those who need them. This year’s theme of the United Nations International Day, “strengthening the protection of the human rights of current and future generations of older persons”, reminds us of our responsibility towards older citizens.

It is our duty to raise awareness of human rights and to actively participate in the prevention of human rights violations. The rise of ageism around the world calls for constant awareness-raising about the violations of the rights of older people, especially the phenomenon of violence both in various institutions and sadly also behind the walls of people’s homes.

As the President of our country, I am committed to ensuring a decent life for every citizen, which is why I advocate the inclusion of human rights and the prevention of all forms of violence in the curricula and education of people from kindergarten onwards. I also support volunteers and non-governmental organisations working to prevent violence against all generations, and I would like to see more cooperation between government sectors and organisations providing support to older people.