The number of people 60 years of age and older may nearly triple to 2 billion by 2050, accounting for nearly a quarter of the expected 9.2 billion global population, a UN report warned March 13. The 2006 revision of World Population Prospects by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division predicts the global population will swell by 2.5 billion from the current 6.7 billion during the next 43 years. “While the population at the global level is on track to surpass 9 billion by 2050 and hence continues to increase, that of the more developed regions is hardly changing and will age very markedly,” the report predicted. Most of the population growth and youth in the world is expected to come from poorer nations, the report said.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon plans to host a meeting Friday so the Iraqi government can brief UN member states on a five-year plan to ensure the government has funds to survive and enact key political and economic reforms. Friday’s meeting on the Iraq Compact will “provide the Iraqi government with an opportunity to inform potential donors on the progress made in the implementation of its commitments,” Ban said. In his quarterly report on Iraq circulated Monday, Ban expressed hope that the date and venue for the launch of the compact will be identified as soon as possible, noting that the documentation has been finalized.
