On this day, 26 years ago, on October 22, 1999 (September 14, 1999, the National Working Committee on Aging was established. On October 22, 1999, with the approval of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, the National Working Committee on Aging was established, and its first plenary meeting was held in Beijing. Li Lanqing, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Director of the National Work Committee on Aging, pointed out in a speech at the meeting that the Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the work on aging and decided to establish the National Work Committee on Aging. This is a major measure to strengthen the work on aging and will play an important role in promoting the development of my country's aging cause. The 21st century is approaching, and our country has entered an aging society. We must use a strong sense of historical responsibility and urgency, strengthen our confidence, forge ahead, unite and cooperate, work in a down-to-earth manner, and strive to create a new situation in the development of aging work and the cause of aging, and contribute to our country's economy and social development. Make new contributions. The National Working Committee on Aging is the deliberative and coordinating body under the jurisdiction of the State Council. Its main responsibilities are: to study and formulate development strategies and major policies for the elderly, coordinate and promote relevant departments to implement development plans for the elderly, and ensure the protection of the rights and interests of the elderly; Coordinate and promote relevant departments to strengthen macro guidance and comprehensive management of aging work, and promote various activities that are conducive to the physical and mental health of the elderly; Guide, supervise and inspect the elderly work of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government; organize and coordinate major domestic activities of the United Nations and other international organizations related to elderly affairs. Its office is located in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and its daily work is undertaken by China Association for Aging. Li Lanqing emphasized at the meeting that we must attach great importance to and fully understand the importance of doing a good job in aging work. Our country is a country with a large elderly population in the world and one of the countries with the fastest growing elderly population. As of October 1 this year, my country's elderly population over the age of 60 has reached 126 million, accounting for 10% of the total population. This shows that my country has entered an aging society early. Moreover, the number of elderly people in my country is still increasing at a rate of 3% every year, which is rare in the history of world population development. The issue of aging is a major issue with an overall and strategic nature. It involves all aspects such as society, politics, economy, culture, etc. How it is solved is crucial to the stability and development of the country. Li Lanqing said that the elderly are the creators of social wealth. They have made positive contributions to the establishment, construction and development of New China. The achievements of our material civilization and spiritual civilization today contain their wisdom and labor, and condense their hard work. Respecting the elderly, caring for their lives, helping them solve difficulties in life, and allowing the elderly to share the fruits of social development are manifestations of the superiority of the socialist system; It is a social custom to form a social custom of respecting, supporting and helping the elderly in the whole society. At the same time, it is a society that allows the elderly to understand current affairs and politics, understand modern scientific knowledge, enjoy their old age in a rich, healthy and civilized lifestyle, and influence, edify and educate the next generation. One of the important tasks of building socialist spiritual civilization. Li Lanqing pointed out that the elderly are a large and special social group, and they have more free time, which determines that they need both material care and spiritual care. Our society is in a period of transformation, and various social trends of thought are inevitably reflected in the elderly group. Our serious political struggle against "Falun Gong" fully illustrates this problem. Among the elderly, we should also advocate learning, politics, and integrity. We should advocate living and learning, constantly improve ideological and political awareness, maintain a good mental state, and move forward with the times. Li Lanqing emphasized that we must do a good job in aging work from the following aspects: First, strengthen leadership over aging work and incorporate the cause of aging into economic and social development plans. In accordance with General Secretary Jiang Zemin's requirements of "strengthening work on aging and developing undertakings for aging", we must conscientiously attach importance to and effectively do a good job in work on aging. Party committees and governments at all levels must raise awareness, unify thinking, clarify responsibilities, and put aging work on their agenda. It is necessary to incorporate the cause of the elderly into the national economic and social development plan, gradually increase investment in the cause of the elderly, formulate corresponding support policies, and encourage, guide and support social forces to establish various welfare undertakings for the elderly. All member units of the National Working Committee on Aging must proactively carry out work in accordance with their respective responsibilities. All provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government must straighten out and improve the working mechanism for aging as soon as possible in accordance with the spirit of the State Council's notice on the establishment of the National Working Committee on Aging and in light of local realities. Second, strengthen study and increase publicity on aging work. It is necessary to understand the causes and development process of population aging, and master theoretical knowledge in geriatric economics, demography, sociology, medicine, culture, sports, law and social protection. It is necessary to carry out traditional moral education on respecting, supporting and assisting the elderly throughout society. When conducting political and ideological education for young people, it must be included in the education plan so that the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation of respecting and supporting the elderly can be passed down from generation to generation. Propaganda departments at all levels should strengthen publicity on aging issues, widely publicize advanced examples of respecting, supporting and helping the elderly in society, condemn discrimination, abuse, and even harmful phenomena of harming the elderly, and further enhance the awareness of aging and elderly care in the whole society. Awareness of protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly in accordance with the law. This year is the International Year of Older Persons established by the United Nations. All localities and departments must follow the notice of the General Office of the State Council on launching activities for the International Year of Older Persons, do a good job in celebrating the International Year of Older Persons, and use this as an opportunity to comprehensively promote my country's aging work. Third, we must do a solid job in serving the elderly. All departments and units involved in the elderly must conscientiously provide various services that are related to the vital interests of the elderly. Party organizations at all levels must strengthen leadership over the work of veteran cadres, conscientiously strengthen the party's organizational and ideological construction, organize the organizational life and political study of the elderly, and do a good job in publicity, education and ideological and political work for the elderly. Labor security, civil affairs, finance and other departments at all levels must take measures to further improve and improve the social pension security system to ensure the timely and full payment of pensions for enterprise retirees and minimum living allowances for urban residents. It is necessary to vigorously develop welfare services for the elderly and build welfare facilities for the elderly so that the elderly can "have support for their old age." Culture, sports, radio and television departments and trade union organizations at all levels should further strengthen cultural and sports work for the elderly, open up more activity venues for the elderly, and carry out lively, diverse, healthy and beneficial cultural and sports activities and fitness activities for the elderly according to local conditions to enrich the elderly. Spiritual life. It is necessary to vigorously develop education for the elderly and mobilize social forces to establish various universities and schools for the elderly, so that the elderly can "have fun in their old age" and "learn in their old age." Health departments at all levels must vigorously carry out various forms of elderly health care services, improve the elderly medical care service network, and gradually establish medical care and rehabilitation institutions and community health service institutions focusing on the prevention, treatment, health care, and rehabilitation of geriatric diseases. Vigorously carry out services such as "family beds" and home care to provide convenient and timely medical and health care services for the elderly. Measures should be taken to ensure the medical benefits of retirees and the basic medical needs of retirees, so that the elderly can "have medical care in their old age." In addition, it is necessary to vigorously develop community elderly care services and accelerate the pace of construction of community elderly care service systems. In rural areas, it is necessary to further improve the function of family elderly care and expand the scope of services in rural nursing homes. Fourth, we must strengthen the legal system for aging work, conscientiously implement the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, and safeguard the rights and interests of the elderly in accordance with the law. Judicial departments and publicity departments at all levels must actively carry out legal education and legal popularization for the elderly. Continuously enhance the legal concept and legal awareness of the elderly, and continuously enhance people's legal concept of safeguarding the rights and interests of the elderly. At the same time, we must resolutely ban illegal activities such as harming the physical and mental health of the elderly, fraud and infringing on the rights and interests of the elderly in the name of fitness, and promoting superstitious heresies. Li Lanqing finally asked comrades and relevant departments engaged in aging work to further carry forward our party's fine tradition of seeking truth from facts and following the mass line, go deep into reality, do a good job in investigating and studying aging issues, actively explore the development path of aging undertakings with China characteristics, and strive to create a new situation in the development of aging work and aging undertakings.