Human Rights Council Resolution on Older People's Rights

The Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on older people’s rights at its last session in Geneva, attached. This is good as it will keep older people’s rights on the Human Rights Council’s agenda.

The resolution  tasks the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) to hold a public consultation on older people’s rights and then submit a report to the Human Rights Council next year. 

Here is the text of the resolution:

Human Rights Council

Twenty-first session

Agenda item 3

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development

                         Angola, Argentina*, Bolivia (Plurinational State of)^*, Brazil^*, Burkina Faso, Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras^*, Paraguay^*, Peru, Qatar, Turkey^*, Uruguay, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)^*: draft resolution

                   21/…   The human rights of older persons

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 65/182 of 21 December 2010 on the follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing, in which the Assembly established an open-ended working group for the purpose of strengthening the protection of the human rights of older persons by considering 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, and taking into account that no international instrument addresses specifically the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons,

Bearing in mind the Political Declaration and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing of 2002, and relevant General Assembly resolutions,

Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing,[1]

Taking note with appreciation also of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights of older persons,[2]

Noting with appreciation the analytical outcome paper prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner on normative standards in international human rights law,

Recalling general comment No. 6 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the economic, social and cultural rights of older persons, and general recommendation No. 27 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on older women and the protection of their human rights, as well as other relevant documents by treaty bodies,

Conscious that older persons represent a large and growing segment of the population, and that greater attention is needed to the specific human rights challenges affecting them,

Concerned at the multiple forms of discrimination faced by older persons and the high incidence of poverty among older persons, in particular older women, people with disabilities, people of African descent, indigenous people, people belonging to minorities, rural populations and people living on the streets, among other groups particularly vulnerable to poverty,

1.       Recognizes that older persons face human rights challenges relating to civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, such as age discrimination, long-term care, violence and abuse, social protection, adequate food and housing, decent work, access to productive resources, and legal capacity and health support, and that those challenges require in-depth analysis on normative and operational protection gaps;

2.       Also recognizes that current international mechanisms have been insufficient to promote and protect the human rights of older persons, and that dedicated measures are needed without delay;

3.       Welcomes multilateral, regional and subregional initiatives aimed at the promotion and protection of rights of older persons, including the development of normative standards;

4.       Calls upon all States to ensure the realization of all human rights for older persons, including by addressing age discrimination, neglect, abuse and violence against older persons and by providing social integration and adequate health care, bearing in mind the crucial importance of family intergenerational interdependence, solidarity and reciprocity for social development;

5.       Encourages all States to conduct their age-related policies through inclusive and participatory consultations with relevant stakeholders and social development partners in the interest of developing effective policies creating national policy ownership and consensus-building;

6.       Calls upon all States to adopt or improve national legal mechanisms dedicated to the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons;

7.       Encourages all States to ensure that older persons receive information about their rights;

8.       Invites existing special procedures and treaty bodies to integrate, within their existing mandates, the human rights of older persons;

9.       Encourages all States to consider including in their national reports, to be submitted for the universal periodic review, information on the human rights of older persons;

10.     Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize, in Geneva, an intersessional public consultation on the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons, to receive the inputs of States Members of the United Nations, relevant international organizations, United Nations agencies and stakeholders;

11.     Also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to present a summary report of the above-mentioned consultation to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-third session;

12.     Decides to continue consideration of the question of human rights of older persons at its twenty-third session.

                                      

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                                *    Non-Member State of the Human Rights Council.

                     [1]   A/67/188.

                     [2]   E/2012/51.