ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the key issues and prospects in the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing which was adopted by the Second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid from the 8 to 12 of April 2002. The Madrid Plan put forward a bold agenda that focused on three priority areas: older persons and development; advancing health and well-being into old age; and ensuring the existence of enabling and supportive environments. With 239 recommendations related to 35 objectives covering 18 issues consolidated under the priority areas above, the Madrid Plan remains a crucial comprehensive framework for the development of policies and programmes concerning population ageing and older people. This chapter traces how the Madrid Plan was crucial for transforming ageing welfare from a stand-alone issue or even simply an afterthought in national policies to one that is mainstreamed in disparate strands of social and health care strategies and programmes.
