First lady Cecilia Morel, who is visiting Osaka in Japan with her husband, President Sebastián Piñera, in the context of the G20 summit, attended the signing ceremony for a cooperation agreement between Chile and Japan on the issue of aging.
The agreement was signed by Chile’s Ambassador to Japan, Julio Fior, and the Director General of the Latin American and Caribbean Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr Takahiro Nakamae. It will allow the two countries to jointly address the challenge of aging populations by sharing best practices in this area.
"Japan has the world's oldest population and has introduced world-class public policies for its senior citizens. That is why this agreement will allow us to draw on Japan’s experience to improve the programs we are implementing in our country as part of the “Adulto Mejor” (better adult) plan," said First Lady Cecilia Morel.
Within the framework of this agreement, specific measures have already been adopted, including technical visits by Chilean teams to Japan, courses and training events, as well as access to information on aging-related programs developed by Japan.
Japan has the world's oldest population and sets the benchmark in terms of policies and programs targeting this sector of the population. This agreement therefore represents an unprecedented alliance for Chile, as it will formalize a relationship regarding this issue that has been growing between the two countries since early 2018.
This will allow Chile to acquire first-hand knowledge about the actions, best practices and programs developed by Japan in this area, as well as all related successes and mistakes.
Notable among its initiatives are Japan’s work in the development of various plans and programs to support the care and attention offered to senior citizens with dementia. The country has also implemented the use of technologies and robotics to improve the quality of life of this segment of the population. These give Chile a point of reference it can draw on to make progress in the areas of age and aging, implementing strategies that have proved to be successful.
The Director of the National Service for Older People (Servicio Nacional del Adulto Mayor, Senama), Octavio Vergara, stressed the importance of the agreement and underscored that "following examples such as those of Japan is very beneficial for our country, because they have developed working practices over many years and as a result, its citizens and the whole culture is committed to the elderly. That is what we wish for Chile through this unprecedented agreement; a society that values the experience that this segment of the population has acquired and that integrates them and allows them greater opportunities for participation."
The President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, was also present at the signing ceremony.
Cecilia Morel has had an active parallel agenda during the tour of Israel, Palestine and Japan. Within the framework of her work with senior citizens that she leads in our country, as head of the “Adulto Mejor” (better adult) plan, the First Lady visited a leading center for innovation and research on aging in Bersheeba, as well as a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities in Palestine, among other activities.