6 October 2011
“Ageing with Dignity: Strengthening the Protection of Human Rights of Older Persons”
This Briefing, held in observance of the International Day of Older Persons, examined the issues brought about by unparalleled global ageing and its effects on human rights. Populations are ageing all around the world and this phenomenon is not limited to developed or developing countries alone. There are currently 784 million persons over the aged of 60, a number which is expected to reach 2 billion by 2050.
The Briefing featured opening remarks by the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information (DPI) who shared his own views on the issue, including a warning about the feminization of ageing in a world where women outnumber men by an estimated 66 million among those 60 and older. The Panel consisted of the Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations, the Chief of the Development and Economic and Social Issues Branch for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights in Geneva, the Chief of the Population and Development Section at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the President of Global Action on Aging.
Speakers at the Briefing acknowledged that there was not a international protection regime addressing the human rights of older persons and felt there was an urgent need for the international community to come together to achieve this. Support was expressed for the a Convention or Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Older Persons which it was felt would advance the legal protection of Older Persons. An NGO panelist issued a call to action noting, “We can give voice to older people’s demands to be heard…Together, we can bring older people’s welfare under the UN’s Human Rights umbrella. It will take our combined efforts… we can and will do it.”
Other important points raised by panel members included the following:
• Although populations are ageing in almost every country, over 60% of those aged 60 and older live in the developing world. Emerging countries like Brazil are on the forefront of this issue, striving to put it on the international agenda.
• An additional human rights challenge facing older persons is invisibility. There is a paucity of information and data on the global community of Older Persons and there is an urgent need for accurate and disaggregated data to better address the rights of Older Persons.
• Today, people are living longer lives in good health and are making social and economic contributions to their communities. However, those who cannot work still deserve their full rights.
• NGOs have the power to seize this important human rights movement by taking action to inform and support efforts to improve the lives of older persons around the globe.
Please refer to the Briefing Programme for detailed information.
The Briefing was attended by 246 NGO representatives of NGOs. A question and answer period followed the panel discussion.