Do We Have the Right to Age Well? | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD)

“When an elder dies, it is indeed like burning a library,” said a representative from Angola, “They are the faithful guardians of our cultural heritage and identity.”

In our rapidly shifting and increasingly technological world, security of the elderly is uncertain. Once the key holders to knowledge that has now gone viral, older persons face unique challenges threatening their full participation in modern society.

Established in 2010 after a resolution by the General Assembly, the Open Ended Working Group on Ageing brings Members States, UN entities and - following a resolution in 2011 - Civil Society together for three days to consult, debate, and collaborate on policy and practices with the aim of generating concrete solutions to enhance and promote the human rights of older persons across all regions and contexts.

The group’s newly elected Chairman, Mr. Mateo Estrémé from Argentina, commenced the Seventh Session by delivering a summary of their mandate, emphasising the need for progress in lieu of rapidly rising global demographics.

Presently, 617 million people in the world are over age 65; in just over three decades this number will climb to 1.6 billion.

These rising population trends are made more pressing by the fact that, as the Chairman noted, older persons the very group who suffer most from discrimination, poverty and are more at risk of violence.

Faced with a momentous task, the Working Group responded with a momentous decision, voting unanimously in favour of a draft that would grant National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) access to the working group.

With a strike of his gavel, the Chairman ushered the working group into UN history. This is the first time that a UN subsidiary body has voted to give National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) full access to proceedings (after the NHRIs acquire accreditation).

While the adoption of this mandate was a high point of consensus during sessions, barriers to progress arose. One topic that was a recurring point of tension was the question of whether existing frameworks are sufficient, or whether a new legally binding international instrument should be adopted to ensure human rights of older persons.

By the Closing Session, agreement on this issue was reached: existing frameworks are, for the moment, sufficient. The Chairman encouraged delegations to accept this ruling and avoid revisiting the topic in later discussions. He emphasised that it is the substance that matters, not the container in which the substance is held.

After open discussion of the most critical areas affecting the world’s ageing population, the Bureau identified three main topics for the working group to focus on: 1) Equality and Non-discrimination 2) Violence, neglect and abuse 3) Autonomy and independence.

While the tenuous relationship between challenge and benefit, ideal and reality undoubtedly mediated working group discussions, friction is a catalyst, and the group hopes to bring new force to debates on Ageing with the inclusion of National Human Rights Institutions in sessions to come.

To learn more about our work on preserving the human rights of older persons, visit social.un.org/ageing.