The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, made the following statement:
"This year, the theme of the International Day for Older Persons is digital equity for all ages, focusing on the need to offer everyone full access to the digital world and advancements in technology. The goal of the United Nations is to achieve sustainable development by 2030, trying to bridge the digital divide that persists, to this day, between different countries.
Investing in the opportunities offered by new technologies means promoting full inclusion of citizens of all ages in the country's relational and cultural life. Being excluded from the digital dimension can be a factor of social exclusion for an elderly person.
It is not easy to define the elderly today because age is a dynamic and constantly evolving concept. Considering a person "elderly" cannot be an excuse to leave a part of the population behind with regard to changes and evolutions that can transform our lives.
In this period of pandemic, we have fully grasped the importance of using tools, including telematic tools, which allow access to essential operations such as, for example, booking a vaccine or which simply help us not to be alone and to share moments of daily life with our loved ones.
Therefore, a synergy must be created between a country's roots and its growth, because only through adequately ensuring everyone's inclusion, regardless of age, can we measure the maturity of a society".