Social policy research on ageing needed from the perspective of intergovernmental organisations

Reviewing the engagement of IGOs in the field of ageing, this chapter argues that they have been expected to play an active role in ageing-related research, and have responded to these expectations as funders, users, producers, and coordinators of data collection and research. Social policy areas where further research on ageing is needed from an IGO perspective include: the differences in ageing and the status of older persons in different social, economic, and demographic contexts; policies to enhance the enjoyment of human rights and combat multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination; the effects of shifting age structures, increasing generational length and other aspects of demographic change on intergenerational relations; intergenerational fairness and how it is affected by institutionalised welfare arrangements; the differential impact of climate change and natural disasters on different age cohorts; and the role older persons can play in fostering community and other mechanisms to strengthen resilience.