text: comprehensive overview of policy alternatlves, the volume alms at promoting the procesa of policy forftulation and evaluaeion among national policy rrEkers, as recommended in the Internatlonal Plan of Action on Aging. It is envisaged that Chis volume vriII be updated periodically using the above-mentioned standardized research melhodology. 21. Other instrunents utilized at the gl.obal level to promote information exchange include a quarterly Bulletin on Aqing, shose increased coverage and circulationreflects Ehe gror{ting volume of United l€tions inform^ation exchange activlties in the area of aging. In addition, an annual Aging Periodical bas been launched by the United Nations to provide scholarly information to pollcy makers, planners, human service practitioners and researchers. 22- At the regional level, though diaadvantaged by scarce resources, atl, United Nations regional commissions have assessed the potential economic and social impacts of trends cowards the aging of their populations. This is evident both intheir research priorities and in their technical support to nations of theirregion. Given the wide variatlon in the current and projecCed degree of the aglngof population in the rrorldrs major regions, the support of regional bodies is ofcrucial importance in helping nations respond to the policy implications of agingtrends in their particular dermgraphic and developmental contexts. 23. Documentation and anatysis of aging trends has become a research priority the region of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) where the age structureinofA/40 /714 Engl i sh Page 7 the population is currently older than in any other region of the world. The advanced level of the aging of the regionrs populati.on has already had narked socio-econonic inpaces, reflected, inter alia, in increasing economic dependencyrates among the el.derly, and rapidly growing government expenditures for health andsocial security programmes. In thls conEext, research undertaken by ECE has
analysis: The text appears to focus on the demographic changes and their implications on policy-making, particularly in the context of aging populations. It discusses the importance of information exchange, research, and analysis in understanding the economic and social impacts of aging trends. The text also highlights the role of regional bodies, such as the United Nations regional commissions, in providing support to nations in responding to these trends. Given the emphasis on demographic changes and their implications on policy-making, I hypothesize that the text is more likely to fall under the categories related to social and economic development.