Growing Ageing Population - 60+ Years

60+years


NEWSFLASH!! 


UPCOMING INTERGOVERNMENTAL MEETINGS AT THE UNITED NATIONS:  (You can watch UN meetings on UNWEBTV -  https://webtv.un.org/en)

NGO COA members with ECOSOC consultative status are urged to attend/participate in the following United Nations intergovernmental bodies taking place in 2025.  Those NGOs are entitled to submit written statements and make oral statements.  Please access websites for information on civil society participation, including in information on deadlines and registration requirements, written and oral statements. Participation will provide opportunities to raise issues concerning older persons., 

1. COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, 10-14 February 2025, New York

https://social.desa.un.org/csocd/63rd-session

The priority theme is:  Strengthening solidarity, social inclusion and social cohesion to accelerate the delivery of the commitments of the Copenhagen on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Specific attention should be paid to discussions on:

  • Preparations for the World Summit for Social Development to be held 4-6 November 2025 in Qatar.
  • Modalities for the fifth review and appraisal of the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002 (https://undocs.org/E/CN.5/2025/5)

Registration for NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC, who wish to express interest in delivery an oral statement during the general discussion at CSOCD, is now open.  The deadline is 31 January 2025.

The list of side events is also available on the website.

The NGO Committee for Social Development organizes each year during the Commission for Social Development a CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM (https://ngosocdev.org/the-civil-society-forum/).  The Civil Society Declaration will be presented to the Commission for Social Development.

2. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, 58th session (24 February – 4 April 2025)

Following General Assembly resolution 78/324 (https://undocs.org/A/RES/78/324) it is expected that the Human Rights Council will be considering the recommendations of the 14th session of the Open-ended Working Group and its decision 14/1 (https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2024/2).  The General Assembly had:

 (a) Decided that the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing has completed its work, in view of its adoption of decision 14/1;

 (b) Urged relevant United Nations bodies (of which the Human Rights Council is one) to further consider decision 14/1;

 (c) Requested the President of the General Assembly to hold a high level meeting at its 79th session to exchange views and share experiences on the recommendations of decision 14/1 and to define next steps on the challenges and opportunities regarding the rights and well-being of older persons.

Decision 14/1 includes recommendations for a number of options to address possible gaps in the protection of the human rights of older persons, including the option of “an international legally binding instrument to promote, protect and ensure the recognition and the realization, on an equal basis, of all human rights of older persons” (see para. 25 (a) of Decision 14/1).

The Global Alliance for the Rights of Older Persons (https://rightsofolderpeople.org/), in collaboration with the NGO Committee on Ageing in Geneva, will be organizing advocacy efforts and participation in meetings of the Human Rights Council.

3. COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN 10-21 March 2025, New York https://www.unwomen.org/en/how-we-work/commission-on-the-status-of-women/csw69-2025

The main focus of the 69th session is on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly.  The review will include an assessment of current challenges that affect the implementation of the Platform for Action and the achievement of gender a equality and the empowerment of women and its contribution towards the full realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Information on participation of NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status is also on the website.

Information on civil society participation in “parallel events”, managed by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, is available on its website:  https://ngocsw.org/ngocswforum/ (ECOSOC Status not required). 

The NGO Committee on Ageing-NY is organizing a virtual parallel event on 12 March 2025 – WATCH THIS SPACE AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

4. Commission on Population and Development – 7-11 April 2025, New York. The theme this year is “Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages:  https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/events/EGM-CPD58

5. Statistical Commission -  4-7 March 2025, New York (https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/statcom/documents/56)

6. Second World Summit on Social Development, 4-6 November 2025, to be held in Qatar (https://social.desa.un.org/second-world-summit-for-social-development)  

The expected outcome of the Summit will be a Political Declaration which should have a social development approach and give momentum towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Belgium and Morocco have been appointed as Co-Facilitators of the intergovernmental preparatory process leading up to the Summit.  Member States have been requested to send inputs for the Food for Thought paper before 7 February 2025.  The Food for Thought Paper will be distributed before 21 February 2025 and an informal consultation on the paper will be convened in early March.  The Zero Draft of the political declaration will be presented before the end of March for informal consultations during April, with the intention to finalize the negotiations in early July.

Other useful websites: 

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STATUS of efforts for an international legal instrument (a “convention”) to protect the rights of older persons:


The General Assembly, in its resolution 78/324 adopted on 13 August 2024 (https://undocs.org/A/RES/78/324):

  1. Decided that the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing has completed its work, in view of its adoption of decision 14/1 (https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2024/2)
  2. Urged relevant United Nations bodies to further consider decision 14/1;
  3. Requested the President of the General Assembly to hold a high level meeting at its 79th session to exchange views and share experiences on the recommendations of decision 14/1 and to define next steps on the challenges and opportunities regarding the rights and well-being of older persons.

Decision 14/1 includes recommendations for a number of options to address possible gaps in the protection of the human rights of older persons, including the option of “an international legally binding instrument to promote, protect and ensure the recognition and the realization, on an equal basis, of all human rights of older persons” (see para. 25 (a) of Decision 14/1).


However, there is NO decision to start drafting a convention, BUT supporters of a convention will be advocating for the Human Rights Council in Geneva (one of the “relevant United Nations bodies”) to urgently consider the options listed in decision 14/1, particularly the option of an international legally binding instrument.


At the national level, advocates for a convention will continue to lobby their respective governments to convince the Human Rights Council of the need for a convention to protect the human rights of older persons around the world.  


NGO COA-NY will be following closely arrangements for the high level meeting to be convened during the 79th session of the General Assembly (which begins on 10 September 2024 and continues till September 2025).  Every effort will be made to ensure the participation of national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons. 

Useful websites:


WHY DO WE NEED A CONVENTION?   WATCH TWO VIDEOS from Amnesty International:

“The Forgotten Convention”


“Age Loud”


RECOMMENDED EVENTS

06-february-2025

DUE TO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S DECLARATION OF A NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING FOR FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, THE NGO COA/NY WILL RESCHEDULE THE JANUARY PROGRAM TO FEBRUARY 6, 2025. A REVISED FLYER WILL BE AVAILABLE AT A LATER DATE.

“The World Bank Pillars of Ageing Strategy”

Following the business portion of this meeting, Gustavo DeMarco, Lead Economist and Pension Global Lead for The World Bank will lead us in an informative and engaging discussion, guided in part by the publication Charting a Course Towards Universal Social Protection: Resilience, Equity, and Opportunity for All (The World Bank Group, 2022).

Mr. DeMarco’s work aims to strengthen social protections for older persons, especially for older women whose vital lifetime work in family or community settings has been met with nominal or low compensation. In this program, we will learn about promising strategies and approaches being explored by The World Bank and its global partners seeking to remediate challenges that can lead to an impoverished older age. This real-world example highlights efforts toward meeting Sustainable Development Goal #1: Poverty Eradication and Goal #5: Gender Equality.

Recent Publications of Interest to us

Ageing of the Oppressed - A Pandemic of Intersecting Injustice

Editor: Silvia Perel-Levin

Read More here…
Find purchase information here…

cover-ageing-of-the-oppressed

Ageing of the Oppressed: A Pandemic of Intersectional Injustice explores what it is like to grow older with accumulating and intersecting discrimination. It condemns ageism and other "isms." Despite its visibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, ageism is not a new phenomenon but one that has been ignored for too long by policymakers and the general population. The negative language used to describe population ageing adds fuel to the fire by filling people’s minds with ageist images that permeate all levels and sectors of society. We should all be recognized as full human rights holders, no matter our age, ability, disability, gender or sexual orientation, race, or socio-economic or any other status. This book combines theoretical models and academic essays by top experts with the real-life experience of older persons and activists. It is a must-read for advocates for human rights; policymakers; service providers; students of social and health sciences, the humanities, and law; and anybody willing to challenge assumptions and practices. The proposed UN Convention on the human rights of older persons will be a step forward to providing older persons with a remedy for daily and often life-long oppression.

Annual report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly - the topic for this year refers to intergenerational solidarity across public policy domains, highlighting opportunities and challenges for current and future generations of older persons (https://undocs.org/A/79/157)

Reports of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons on:

Report of the Open-ended working group on Ageing at its 14th session (https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2024/2)

Documents submitted to the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing at its 14th session, 20-22 and 24 May 2024 (https://social.un.org/ageing-working-group/fourteenthsession.shtml)

Report of the OHCHR – Summary of the multi-stakeholder meeting on the human rights of older persons (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/52/49)

Report of the OHCHR – Normative standards and obligations under international law in relation to the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/49/70).

Report of the Secretary-General on Fourth review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2022, (https://undocs.org/E/CN.5/2023/6)

Report of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, 12th session:  (https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2022/2)

Joint letter from the three NGO Committees (New York, Geneva, Vienna) to UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and to UN Women, expressing concerns about lack of references to older women, here: Letter on gender snapshot

Reports on ageing issues prepared by various entities of the UN system can be found in the list of entities under “Resources/Key International Documents on Ageing”

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Learn more about the Committee’s mission here.  


NGO Committee on Ageing • PO Box 1854 • New York, NY • 10163-1854