3rd World Congress of Age Friendly Cities and Communities

Ort: Donostia / San Sebastián, Spain |

Major global events play a pivotal role in assessing progress and shaping the future of the age friendly movement. These gatherings provide essential platforms for stock taking, knowledge exchange, and strategic alignment.

The first two global congresses on age friendly cities and communities, held in Dublin, Ireland (2011) and Quebec City, Canada (2013), were foundational in building momentum for the global age friendly movement. They brought cities and communities together to exchange knowledge, align on shared priorities, and formally commit to action through initiatives such as the Dublin Declaration. These early conferences also enabled WHO to collect insights from early adopters, refine its age friendly cities and communities  (AFCC) framework, and expand the Global Network. They helped establish a tone of solidarity, innovation, and collaborative ambition that continues to define the movement.

The third Global Congress in San Sebastian, Spain (2026) will offer a timely and important opportunity to reflect on progress since the Global Network’s creation and during the first half of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030). It will focus on our changing world, identify emerging opportunities including intergenerational connectedness, digital inclusion, caring and resilience in communities in the face of climate changes, conflict and pandemics as well as identify other gaps.

Its setting will reinforce the importance of the Spanish-speaking community and engagement in the age friendly agenda, already one of the most spoken languages in the Global Network.

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