Growing Ageing Population - 60+ Years
NEWSFLASH!!
AGE WITH RIGHTS RALLY, 3 MARCH 2022 !!!!!
ORGANIZE AND JOIN CAMPAIGNERS AROUND THE WORLD
The Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP) is organizing a GLOBAL RALLY on 3 MARCH 2022 to advocate for the rights of older persons. Can you organize an event or help to spread the word? Find out how you can get involved by accessing the GAROP website: https://rightsofolderpeople.org/age-with-rights/
This is an opportunity to call attention of governments around the world that an international legal instrument (a “convention”) is essential for protecting the rights of older persons, which would, among other things:
• View older persons as rights-holders;
• Codify the rights of older persons;
• Establish a common global understanding of definitions and minimum standards of practice;
• Act as an anti-discriminatory tool;
• Combat ageism;
• Require governments to collect data, develop indicators, establish laws and policies, develop programmes that take into account the rights and concerns of older persons;
• Raise public awareness;
• Create societies for people of all ages, everywhere, no matter their economic and social situation, where they can lead lives of dignity throughout their life-course.
INTERNATONAL ACTION IS NECESSARY WHERE NATIONAL ACTION IS INADEQUATE!
For information on the work of the United Nations Open-ended Working Group which is tasked with considering the establishment of an international legal instrument to protect the rights of older persons (along the lines of the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, CEDAW; the Convention on the Rights of the Child, CRC; and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD) access: https://social.un.org/ageing-working-group/
Older persons are valuable contributors to their families, their communities and to the national economy, and should not only be viewed as beneficiaries of medical rehabilitation and social welfare. They have rights which must be protected !
- Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (11-14 April 2022) – guiding questions on focus areas (a) economic security and (b) contribution of older persons to sustainable development” have been sent to Member States, NHRIs, NGOs with ECOSOC status and NGOs that have been previously accredited to the OEWGA, to solicit their contribution to the discussions. Deadline is 15 February 2022. Check website for updates and to read their submissions: https://social.un.org/ageing-working-group/twelfthsession.shtml
- United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing – 2021-2030, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 75/131
https://undocs.org/A/RES/75/131, aligned with the last ten years of the Sustainable Development Goals, that brings together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media and the private sector to improve the lives of older people, their families and the communities in which they live. The Decade will address four areas for action: age-friendly environments; combatting ageism; integrated care; and long-term care. Access to information about the Decade here: https://www.who.int/initiatives/decade-of-healthy-ageing - The World Health Organization has also established an online Platform for the Decade of Healthy Ageing to connect and convene the stakeholders who promote the four action areas at country level and to support those seeking to find and share knowledge that can improve the lives of older people, their families and their communities. The Platform is an inclusive space where all the knowledge necessary for implementing the Decade of Healthy Ageing can be accessed, shared, and produced by everyone. Five core categories of knowledge: Voice, Resources, Innovation, Connect, Support of knowledge: Voice, Resources, Innovation, Connect, Support. GET INVOLVED !! Access WHO’s Platform for the Decade of Healthy Ageing here: https://www.decadeofhealthyageing.org/
- NGO COA members cited in PassBlue news article! Correspondent Barbara Crossette writes that "action to protect older women's rights has stalled in the UN General Assembly". Susan Somers and Frances Zainoeddin were interviewed about the slow pace of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing which has held 11 sessions without coming up with any proposals for an international legal instrument to protect and promote the rights and dignity of older persons. Read the article here.
- 223 NGOs from 62 countries signed an Open Letter calling for urgent action to be taken by the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing to protect the rights of older persons. https://rightsofolderpeople.org/over-200-organisations-sign-an-open-letter-to-the-un-open-ended-working-group-on-ageing-calling-for-clear-action-on-older-peoples-rights/
- A full listing of current and past newsletters may be found here.
- Learn how to use your Twitter Account !! Powerpoint presentation here.
Notifications of events organized throughout the year by the NGO Committee on Ageing will be sent out by email. Watch this space for updates on upcoming events. Full list of recent events of interest to our members may be found here.
RECOMMENDED EVENTS
The NGO Committee on Ageing calls your attention to upcoming event:
NGO COA program meeting
PROGRAM: WHAT IS “OUR COMMON AGENDA” AND WHY NGOs NEED TO PAY ATTENTION (See details here…)
Thursday, 13 January 2022
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR ATTENDANCE AT ZOOM MEETING: LOGIN
Download the flyer here… (PDF 165KB)
IFA Global Cafe series - Dr. Marie Beaulieu will discuss the role of global actors and networks in raising policy priority for elder abuse.
Download flyer here… (PDF 467KB)
60th session of the Commission for Social Development
The agenda will include a preliminary assessment of the Fourth Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing
https://undocs.org/E/CN.5/2022/4
66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
The 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will discuss its priority theme (achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes) and its review theme (women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work).
https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw66-2022
Watch this space for details on side events concerning older women.
Videos, reports and articles related to COVID-19 can be accessed here.
Useful websites (which also provide links to other useful information):
https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/pages/home.aspx
https://rightsofolderpeople.org/covid-19-resources-relating-to-older-people/
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Joint letter sent by the NGO Committees in Geneva, New York, and Vienna to the Executive Director of UN Women, dated 26 October 2021. Here...
“Older women: the hidden workforce”, a publication by Age International UK.
Human Rights Council resolution on human rights of older persons
https://undocs.org/A/HRC/RES/48/3
Human Rights of older women: the intersection between ageing and gender - report of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, A/76/157
Here.
Ageism and age discrimination - report of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, A/HRC/48/53
Here.
Report of the Secretary-General on Follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons: Second World Assembly on Ageing: A/76/156.
Here.
World Population Ageing 2020 Highlights: Living arrangements of older persons
Here.
World Population Ageing 2020 Highlights
Here.
Population Fact Sheet 2020.
Here.
Report of the Independent Expert (Claudia Mahler) on Human Rights of Older Persons: the data gap. A/HRC/45/14
Here.
Report of the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Independent Expert on Impact of the coronovirus disease (COVID-19) on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons. A/75/205
Here.
Report of the Secretary-General on Follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons: Second World Assembly on Ageing. A/75/218
Here.
A/74/186, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, on older persons with disabilities.
Facts about older women prepared for UNECE Beijing plus 25 review, Geneva October 2019, Section 1: overview: achievements and challenges since 1995.
HereE/CN.5/2020/3, Report of the Secretary-General on affordable housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness.
HereReport of Expert Group Meeting on “Affordable Housing and Social Protection Systems for All to Address Homelessness”.
HereWorld Population Ageing 2019, Ten Key Messages. Here. Please note that the World Population Ageing 2019 report refers to older persons as 65 and above.
HereA/74/170: Report of the Secretary-General on Follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons: Second World Assembly on Ageing.
HereA/AC.278/2019/2: Report of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing on its tenth working session.
HereFor documents related to the 11th session of the Open Ended Working Group on Ageing:
https://social.un.org/ageing-working-group/eleventhsession.shtmlA/HRC/41/32: Report of the OHCHR on activities of the OHCHR, United Nations system and regional organizations to support States’ efforts to promote and protect the human rights of older persons.
Here