Rights of Older Persons

LATEST UPDATES

The General Assembly, in a resolution adopted on 13 August 2024:

  1. Decided that the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing has completed its work, in view of its adoption of decision 14/1 by the OEWGA  (https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2024/2) in line with its mandate outlined in resolution 65/182 and all subsequent resolutions on the Follow-up to the Second World Assembly on ageing, including 78/177 of 19 December 2023, and to conclude the mandate of the OEWGA, under item “Social development: social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, persons with disabilities and the family” of the Third Committee;
  2. Urged relevant United Nations bodies, in line with their respective mandates,  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 the discussions in the Third Committee of the General Assembly at its 79th session and 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 older persons, their representative organizations, national human rights institutions and civil society. 

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The NGO Committee on Ageing is committed to protecting and promoting the rights of older persons everywhere, irrespective of their economic and social situation.  It does so by encouraging and facilitating its members to advocate for older persons in a number of ways:

  • Participating (those that have ECOSOC consultative status) in intergovernmental meetings at the United Nations, by making statements, oral and written, to call attention to the concerns of older persons, ensuring their visibility and inclusion in intergovernmental recommendations for action;
  • Participating in side and parallel events that are organized during intergovernmental meetings, usually by other NGOs, to ensure that the concerns of older persons are fully recognized and where actions can be taken;
  • Networking with NGOs that focus on other issues (women, persons with disabilities, youth, migrants, human rights, health, education, employment, social protection, environment, sustainable development, etc. etc.) to ensure that older persons are included in their recommendations for action;
  • Joining the Stakeholder Group on Ageing (SGA), established for ensuring the inclusion of older persons in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (https://www.stakeholdergrouponageing.org/)  The NGO COA is a member of the SGA.
  • Joining the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP) whose mission is to support and enhance civil society’s engagement at national, regional and international levels on the need for a new international instrument on the rights of older persons:  (https://rightsofolderpeople.org/mission-vision-values/).  (The NGO COA is an ex officio member of GAROP’s Steering Group.)

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The NGO COA has been deeply involved in the work of the United Nations Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWGA) from its establishment in 2010 until 2024 when the General Assembly decided that the OEWGA had completed its work (see above reference to General Assembly resolution 78/324 adopted on 13 August 2024.  The NGO COA Subcommittee to Promote a Human Rights Convention for Older Persons, in its advocacy activities, works closely with:

It is expected that work on protecting the rights of older persons, particularly in the context of the feasibility of an international legally binding instrument,  will be shifting to Geneva, where the Human Rights Council is located.  At the same time,  the NGO-COA will continue its work in New York as listed above, particularly in the context of preparations for the high-level meeting to be convened by the President of the 79th session of the General Assembly.


Open-Ended Working Group On Ageing

The Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWGA), was established by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 65/182 in 2010 to consider “the existing international framework of the human rights of older persons and identifying possible gaps and how best to address them, including by considering, as appropriate, the feasibility of further instruments and measures”. The General Assembly, in its resolution 78/324 adopted on 13 August 2024, decided that the OEWGA has completed its work, in view of OEWGA’s adoption of decision 14/1 (https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2024/2).

Additional information, United Nations website:  https://social.un.org/ageing-working-group/

Background Material - here

  1. Why we need a convention to promote and protect the rights of older persons.
  2.  GAROP briefing on different human rights instruments for consideration as options to address gaps in the existing  international framework of the human rights of older persons.
  3. Brief background notes on the work of the OEWGA. (updated January 2024)    
  4.  NGOCOA-NY Chairman William T. Smith’s letter to the United States Ambassador at the UN,  urging her to support the work of the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing OEWGA.   
  5. A new convention on the rights of older people: a concrete proposal. (HelpAge International)
  6. Strengthening Older People’s Rights: Towards a UN Convention, a resource for promoting dialogue on creating a new UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons, June 2010

Reports of the OEWGA:

2024: https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2024/2

2023: https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2023/2

2022: https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2022/2

2021: https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2021/2

2019: https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2019/2

2018: https://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2018/2 

2017: http://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2017/2

2016: http://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2016/2

2015: http://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2015/2

2014: http://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2014/2

2013: http://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2013/2

2012: http://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2012/1

2011: http://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2011/4


2011: http://undocs.org/A/AC.278/2011/5



Additional information on third session of the OEWGA


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

The Human Rights Council, in its resolution A/HRC/RES/24/20 of 27 September 2013 appointed an independent expert  on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons for three years.  The first Independent Expert was Ms. Rosa Kornfeld-Matte (Chile), whose term was extended for an additional three years, to 2019 (A/HRC/RES/33/5 of 29 September 2016).  The Human Rights Council, in its resolution A/HRC/RES/42/12 of 26 September 2019, extended the mandate with the appointment of Ms. Claudia Mahler (Germany) for three years. Her appointment was extended for another three years by the Human Rights Council in its resolution A/HRC/RES/51/4 of 6 October 2022.


 Following the 13th session of the OEWGA (3-6 April 2023) Ms Claudia Mahler provided her reflections at the NGO COA event on 4 May 2023. View video presentation here.

Claudia’s slide presentation is available here.



Reports of the Independent Expert:


Reports on Country visits

2024: Peru (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/57/42/Add.1)

2023: Dominican Republic (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/54/26/Add.3)

2022: Bangladesh (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/54/26/Add.2);

Nigeria (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/54/26/Add.1 and comments by State (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/54/26/Add.4)

2021: Finland (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/51/27/Add.1)

2020: New Zealand (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/45/14/Add.2)

2019: China (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/45/14/Add.1);

Mozambique (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/42/43/Add.2)

2018: Uruguay (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/42/43/Add.1);

Georgia (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/39/50/Add.1);

Montenegro (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/39/50/Add.2)

2017: Namibia (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/36/48/Add.2)

2016: Singapore (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/36/48/Add.1);

Costa Rica (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/33/44/Add.1

2015: Austria (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/30/43/Add.2);

Mauritius (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/30/43/Add.3)

2014 Slovenia (https://undocs.org/A/HRC/30/43/Add.1)


Regional Legal Instruments

Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons, June 2015. Download Document Here...

Protocol to the Africa Charter on Human Rights and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa, January 2016. Download Document Here...

Useful information about the rights of older persons, including advocacy guidelines, toolkits, etc.

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