Development cooperation facing the challenge of global aging: a critical analysis

Abstract

World populations are changing rapidly in terms of their composition by age groups. Increased well-being has been instrumental in extending people's lives, giving rise to longer-living societies. Nevertheless, ageism persists in all areas in society; older people suffer discrimination in contexts of crisis according to their probability of survival, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. How does international development cooperation face this new demographic reality, which is a growing concern in countries already receiving aid? Throughout this paper, we attempt to answer this question, and others, to ensure that international development cooperation is effective in building an inclusive society.