The Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC) was established by the World Health Organization in 2010 to connect cities, communities and organizations worldwide with the common vision of making their communities great places to grow older in. Its 1300 members are from 51 countries.
“As a response to global population ageing and rapid urbanization, this Network focuses on action at the local level that fosters the full participation of older people in community life and promotes healthy and active ageing.”
VISION
The WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities was established in 2010 to connect cities, communities and organizations worldwide with the common vision of making their community a great place to grow old in. Membership to the Network is not an accreditation for age-friendliness. Rather, it reflects cities’ commitment to listen to the needs of their ageing population, assess and monitor their age-friendliness and work collaboratively with older people and across sectors to create age-friendly physical and social environments. Membership is also a commitment to share experience, achievements and lessons learnt with other cities and communities.
MISSION
The mission of the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities is to stimulate and enable cities and communities around the world to become increasingly age-friendly. The Network seeks to do this by:
● inspiring change by showing what can be done and how it can be done;
● connecting cities and communities worldwide to facilitate the exchange of information, knowledge and experience; and
● supporting cities and communities to find appropriate innovative and evidence-based solutions.
PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES
The Network works to:
• Inspire change by showing what can be done and how.
• Connect cities and communities worldwide to facilitatethe exchange of information, knowledge and experience.
• Support cities and communities to find appropriate innovative and evidence-based solutions.
KEY PROJECTS
The WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities develops a number of activities, including technical support, capacity building and institutional strengthening, regular gatherings and discussions on topics relevant to members, mentoring schemes, and many more.
To be up-to-date on the latest activities of the Network, please subscribe to the Age-friendly World Newsletter.
Also, to know more on what members and affiliates of the Network are doing to create an age-friendly world, please check the WHO Global Database of Age-friendly Practices.
We encourage every city or community working to become more age-friendly to join the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities. Extensive guidance and examples already exist and can be found at both the Network page as well as here.
We also encourage Members States and their sub-national (whenever relevant) to develop or strengthen their age-friendly networks and programs. Guidance and examples can be found here.