The paradigm of demographic changes that we are experiencing represents one of the most important social transformations in the international community. Obviously, each nation has its own peculiarities, but the lack of births and greater longevity have an effect on everyone.

According to the United Nations, the world’s population will increase by 2 billion people in 2050, which means that in 27 years we will go from 7.7 billion to 9.7 billion, reaching 11 billion at the end of the century, when the population will begin to decline due to greater lack of births.

People over 65 years of age are today the fastest growing group of the population. For the first time in history, in 2018 there were more older adults than children under 5 years of age, and by 2050 there will be more of them than adolescents and young people between the ages of 15 and 24. Today, more elderly than children are born.

The population pyramid is inverted. The world will face the challenge of employing, supporting and caring for an ever-increasing elderly population.

The demographic transition will have consequences and opportunities in all sectors, both nationally and internationally. We are talking about realities that will require knowledge, analysis and will require pragmatic and enlightened leadership because of their implications in national and international life.

World societies are shrinking because the birth rate is lower. This is due to a large number of factors, including the increasing leadership role of women at all levels, their higher education, penetration into the labor market, cultural changes and traditions that entail new ways of life. , growing urbanization and the demands of everyday life imposed by prevailing lifestyles.

For many analysts, including Avivah Cox, women find themselves in an increasingly complex dilemma and “vote with their womb”, they do not want more children that bind them to the limiting conditions of their own fulfillment. Therefore, it is necessary to reform societies so that they find a point of balance that allows them to perpetuate themselves.

In the current circumstances, it is necessary to bring to the national debate all kinds of initiatives to deal with this reality. We need specific national agreements, focused on the state and not on secular interests. Pushing the problem forward will only make it worse until it becomes a crisis situation and causes conflicts between brothers.

We must not forget that laws and social attitudes must also change towards the elderly. They will continue to be an important core of national and global society, transcending artificially imposed age limits.

It is urgent that the international community approaches this issue decisively and with political will, therefore the United Nations International Convention protecting their rights is necessary. (OR)