Suwon Pursuing Third Recertification as 'WHO Age-Friendly City'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Special Municipal Government is pursuing third recertification as a 'WHO Age-Friendly City'.

On the 5th, the city held a '2024 Age-Friendly City Development Detailed Implementation Plan Progress Report Meeting' in the conference room of City Hall, attended by First Vice Mayor Kim Hyun-soo, Director of Welfare and Women's Affairs Kim In-bae, and civil servants from relevant departments, and reported on the results of age-friendly city projects implemented in 2024.

The city, which received WHO (World Health Organization) Age-Friendly City accreditation as the third in the nation in June 2016, implemented an action plan for three years and received recertification in 2019 based on an evaluation of the implementation plan. This year, aiming for third recertification, it is implementing a detailed action plan for the 'Age-Friendly City 5-Year Mid-to-Long-Term Plan'.

'WHO Age-Friendly City' refers to a city where aging is not inconvenient, a city where everyone can live well regardless of age, and a city where people can actively participate in society so they can spend their elderly years in good health.

The city has set 'four major goals for creating an age-friendly city': △Creating a healthy and beneficial living environment △Creating a convenient and safe urban environment △Creating a participatory and respectful social environment △Creating a vibrant and stable economic environment, and has implemented 49 projects across eight sectors.

The eight sectors include △Healthy centenarian elderly △Diverse elderly years △City that considers those with mobility challenges △City where people want to settle △Urban environment safe for seniors △Respect and social participation △Communication and information sharing △Customized elderly employment, among others. Currently, 21 departments are implementing 49 projects.

A city official stated, "To create an age-friendly city, each department must share policies and actively cooperate," and added, "We will make efforts to become a happy city where not only the elderly but all citizens are respected without age discrimination."