On May 29, 2024, the Lecture Meeting (Training Session) on "Age-Friendly City and Silver Economic Development" of the International Institute on Ageing United Nations-Malta (INIA) was held in Qihe, Shandong. Ms. Rosette Farrugia-Bonello, Deputy Director of INIA, Mr. Christian Vella, Senior Research Officer of INIA, and Mr. Li Xiang, President of SUC Institute & Director of the China Satellite Centre of INIA, attended the meeting and made thematic presentations on the UN active ageing policy and country projects, healthy & positive ageing city and age-friendly community construction, diagnosis and care mechanisms for disabled groups, healthy & positive ageing policies and industrial development in various countries, etc. respectively.
At the meeting, INIA specifically released and provided a detailed interpretation of the "Evaluation Criteria on World Healthy & Positive Ageing City" and the pilot project. This was the first time that INIA released the Criteria in China since its global release in April 2024.
Lecture Meeting (Training Session) on Age-Friendly City and Silver Economic Development & Release Conference on Evaluation Criteria on World Healthy & Positive Ageing City
The Evaluation Criteria on World Healthy & Positive Ageing City is the world's first international standard in the field of building healthy & positive ageing city. It was developed by INIA in collaboration with relevant international organizations and experts for more than a year and released globally in April 2024; the "World Healthy & Positive Ageing City" pilot and certification project was launched simultaneously. The Criteria integrates relevant standards and indicators of INIA, WHO, UNEP, ISO, SDG, etc. and has included nine primary indicators and more than 60 specific evaluation indicators in two major aspects of physical environment accessibility and social environment inclusiveness, providing clear goals, key performance indicators and main implementation strategies for local authorities in various countries to build healthy and age-friendly cities.
After the meeting, INIA and the team visited various parts of China for research & field trip and discussion (1)
As the first Chinese city to pass the "World Age-Friendly City" certification in 2023, Qihe County was nominated by INIA as the venue for this training session and release & lecture event in March this year. In recent years, the county has vigorously developed the healthy & positive ageing industry, and has won honors such as "National Smart and Healthy Aged Care Demonstration City", "National Medical Care & Aged Care Integration Demonstration County", and "Provincial County Aged Care System Innovation Demonstration County", etc. forming a unique "Qihe Model" for the construction of an age-friendly and healthy & positive ageing city.
After the meeting, INIA and the team visited various parts of China for research & field trip and discussion (2)
At the invitation of multiple provincial and municipal governments and scientific research institutions in China, INIA and the team also visited relevant cultural tourism and healthy & positive ageing projects in Qihe Shandong, Kunming Yunnan, Kaihua Zhejiang and Beijing from May 28 to June 1, and had special discussions with relevant provincial, municipal, district and county governments on the "World Healthy & Positive Ageing City" pilot and Criteria, healthy & positive ageing industry development and international cooperation, etc. Amb. Sha Zukang, Former UN Under-Secretary-General, officials from relevant departments of the Yunnan Provincial Government and relevant cities met with INIA delegation, and spoke highly of the Evaluation Criteria on World Healthy & Positive Ageing City, the World Healthy & Positive Ageing City Pilot and the global training programme.
It is reported that since the "World Healthy & Positive Ageing City" pilot project started application in China at the end of April this year, nearly 20 cities from Henan, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hubei, Anhui, Shanxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Hebei, Shandong and other provinces have actively contacted the China Center for application. The pilot quota in China for this year is 3-5 cities, and the pilot application will end at the end of July. The global launch ceremony of the pilot as well as related forums and industry exchange & networking events are scheduled to be grandly held in early November during the 12th World Urban Forum.