Member states, Inter-Governmental Organizations, National Human Rights Institutions, and Non-Governmental Organizations gathered to consider the existing international framework of the human rights of older persons, and adopted a substantive decision to address the gaps in the international human rights system.
The Global Ageing Network looks forward to joining with other civil society and human rights institutions to request that the Human Rights Council establish an intergovernmental working group to draft a comprehensive internationally legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons without further delay. As board member Donald Macaskill asked during his presentation, “How long do older persons of the world need to wait before achieving protection?”
Macaskill and Rosy Pereyra provided support at various events throughout the week, and Marcus Riley, Executive Chairman at BallyCara and a Global Ageing Network board member, presented the following statement on our behalf:
Honourable Chair and Distinguished Delegates,
The Global Ageing Network is pleased to provide this statement and to strongly endorse the joint statement to this session by the Global Alliance for the rights of Older People. On a daily basis, our member organisations work with, and on behalf of, millions of older people in overcoming social exclusion, economic vulnerability and in confronting the systemic barriers that impede upon their rights to inter alia accessibility, infrastructure use, housing and the right to full participation in society. Such barriers must be torn down. Torn down through a legally binding international convention that will codify the rights of older people everywhere serving as a vital tool for both protection and empowerment. It is needed because we continue to see delayed and inadequate legislation at a national level pertaining to the rights and interests of older people. For instance the Australian Government only last week further delayed the introduction of its new aged care act, an instrument which is meant to ensure the rights of older people to access necessary care services and accommodation. We note This new act was called for by a royal commission several years ago. The absence of an internationally binding instrument allows this legislative neglect by national governments to continue. Delegates As evidenced in each of the prior 13 sessions of this working group the protection and promotion of the human rights of older people has clearly become a matter of growing global urgency. Accordingly, We ask member states to act, this week, on the stated purpose of this working group and fully commit to a process of creating and implementing a convention…it is not only a moral responsibility to do so it is an economic, political and practical imperative as our world ages together. Thank you.
