UN General Assembly
2002

a Plan of Action for implementation by the international community. In small countries like the Commonwealth of Dominica, this implementation must, of necessity, include the recognition of older persons as the pillars of our societies — people who make a significant contribution to our economic development. My Government has developed a national policy on ageing which seeks to ensure that older persons are provided with protective care and given an opportunity to continue to participate in the development of our nation. A few weeks ago, we were privileged to host the tenth annual regional meeting of HelpAge International — a happy coincidence, given that among our population of 75,000, we have 22 centenarians. I want to make specific mention of the world's oldest living person — a Dominican woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Israel, affectionately known as Ma Pampo — who is allegedly 127. Civil society organizations like HelpAge must be recognized for their vigorous attempts to deal with issues affecting older persons. As a family of nations, we established set goals, strategies and actions in