Jakarta, 24 February 2026 — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the ASEAN Centre for Active Ageing and Innovation (ACAI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance a shared regional vision for active and inclusive ageing. The collaboration strengthens efforts to support ASEAN Member States in anticipating demographic change and building systems that enable older persons to live healthy, productive and dignified lives.
As demographic change accelerates across Asia and the Pacific, governments are navigating profound shifts in labour markets, health systems, social protection frameworks and patterns of care. Ensuring that longer lives are accompanied by health, dignity and opportunity is becoming a defining policy priority for the region.
This partnership brings together ACAI’s role as a regional platform promoting policies, research and innovation on ageing with UNFPA’s expertise in demographic analysis, population data, gender equality and rights-based approaches across the life course.
Under the MoU, UNFPA and ACAI will work together to strengthen data, policy dialogue and planning to help governments anticipate and respond to population ageing. The partnership will promote gender-responsive, rights-based and life-course approaches to healthy ageing, supporting inclusive health and care systems that enable older persons, especially women, to live with dignity and security.
This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to support governments in building inclusive systems that respond to demographic realities and uphold the rights and choices of people at every age."
“Population ageing is one of the defining megatrends of our time,” said Dr. Aleksandar (Sasha) Bodiroza, Regional Director a.i. of UNFPA Asia and the Pacific. “As ASEAN countries navigate this demographic shift, it is essential that we work together to ensure that longer lives are accompanied by health, dignity and security. UNFPA stands ready as a committed and trusted partner to ASEAN in advancing evidence-based population ageing policies and programmes. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to support governments in building inclusive systems that respond to demographic realities and uphold the rights and choices of people at every age.”
This partnership is about translating commitment into concrete action that reaches communities and transforms lives," said Dr. Somsak Akksilp, Executive Director of ACAI. "Together with UNFPA, we will focus on evidence-based policymaking, regional dialogue on the care economy and the silver economy, and capacity building to strengthen, health & well-being, economic and financial resilience for older adults across ASEAN. As we adopt ASEAN Culture: We dare to dream. We care to share. Today, we take another step toward turning that dream into reality.”
Active ageing is central to inclusive, people-centred societies, and the UNFPA–ACAI collaboration reflects a shared commitment to turn demographic change into an opportunity for sustainable development at every age.
For interviews or more information:
Katie Elles (Bangkok): elles@unfpa.org, +66 80 043 0525
About UNFPA: www.unfpa.org
About UNFPA’s work in Asia and the Pacific: asiapacific.unfpa.org
