Photos (C) Wikimedia Commons

Today, 19 June 2017, WHO’s Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC) welcomed Paris, France, as its 500^th member! Read more about Paris and their age-friendly initiatives here (French).

The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo and her deputy Dominique Versini – responsible for early childhood, the protection of children and the fight against exclusion and the elderly – formalised their commitment to become an age-friendly city during a presentation of the plan “2017-2021 Seniors in Paris”.

During the ceremony at the Hotel de Ville, Alana Officer, Senior Health Adviser, Department of Ageing and Life Course at WHO said, “We are delighted to welcome Paris to our network. Together, we can build age-inclusive communities by breaking down barriers to participation, fostering solidarity, and creating ideal places for people to grow older.”

WHO began building GNAFCC in 2010 to encourage the rethinking of environments so they welcome everyone – especially older people. By sharing good practices – such as improved mobility, access, targeted facilities and more – the network links and supports cities and communities interested in becoming increasingly age-friendly, inspiring innovation and change in anticipation of the increasing ageing population.

The network has grown rapidly to include 500 cities and communities in 37 countries covering over 155 million people. In 2016, the World Health Assembly and the G7 highlighted the importance of developing age-friendly communities – reflecting the growing momentum of the age-friendly movement worldwide.

Find out more about joining GNAFCC here.