The International Day of Older Persons was established on October 1 by the United Nations General Assembly on December 14, 1990. The theme for the 2022 International Day of Older Persons is Older People's Resilience in a Changing World.

“Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World” is the overarching topic for the United Nations International Day of Older Persons in 2022. The NGO Committees on Aging in New York, Geneva, and Vienna will each commemorate this theme in their own special and complementary ways. 

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The International Day of Older Persons was established by resolution 45/106 of the United Nations General Assembly on December 14, 1990. Initiatives like the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing, which was ratified by the UN General Assembly later that year and accepted by the World Assembly on Ageing in 1982, came before this.

By resolution 46/91, the General Assembly established the United Nations Principles for Older Persons in 1991. The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing was adopted in 2002 by the Second World Assembly on Ageing in order to address the opportunities and challenges presented by the population's ageing in the twenty-first century and to advance the creation of a society that is inclusive of people of all ages.

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In 2019, there were 703 million people over the age of 65 in the world. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (261 million) have the most elderly people living there, followed by Europe and North America (over 200 million).

The purpose of the holiday is to raise awareness of the value of senior persons in our society and to show our appreciation for their contributions. As the leaders of society, senior adults are burdened with a great deal of duty. They also transmit knowledge to the younger generation as well as the customs and culture of the society.

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Older adults, however, are also incredibly vulnerable, with many experiencing poverty, health challenges, or discrimination. They occasionally endure maltreatment as well, which is harmful to them.

Equality has always been a topic of question no matter which era you are talking about, and among everything many times we tend to forget to include those who have fought the fight before us. Happy International Day for Older Persons.