Rights policy
The world is aging and age discrimination is rife. Existing human rights mechanisms do not adequately protect the rights of older women and men.
Older people are also discriminated against for a number of reasons other than age.These include their sex, ethnic origin, where they live, disability, poverty, sexuality or level of literacy.
The difference we're determined to make
We're fighting to get older people rights recognised by calling for:
- National legislation and policies that reduce age discrimination and protect the rights of older women and men.
- Older women and men’s rights to be better addressed by existing human rights mechanisms including the Universal Periodic Review system at the Human Rights Council, special procedures and reporting on human rights treaties.
- A special rapporteur on the rights of older people to promote and give visibility to the rights of older women and men. They will examine and report on violations of their rights, and make recommendations on how to better protect them.
- A convention on the rights of older people. This will legally protect older women and men’s rights, clarify government responsibilities towards older women and men, improve accountability and provide a framework for policy and decision making.
Examples of our impact so far:
- The Advisory Committee to the Human Rights Council has recommended that a new convention and Special Rapporteur are necessary as a result of our evidence.
- The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions included the killing of those accused of witchcraft in his report to the Human Rights Council, citing our reports. The Rapporteur recommended that all such killings be investigated and prosecuted as murder.
- 55,000 older people have been equipped with the documents and legal back-up they need to claim social benefits.
- The technical and material support we have given to affiliates and partners has progressed legislation and national plans of action on ageing in Bolivia, China, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Myanmar, Peru, Uganda and Vietnam.
- Submissions of our evidence to the committees that monitor human rights treaties on women's, economic, social and cultural rights have resulted in recommendations to governments on what they can do to better protect older women and men's rights in Mozambique, Tanzania, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Uganda and Moldova.
- Our presentation on the inadequate attention being paid to older people's rights in existing human rights mechanisms to the first session of the new UN Opened Ended Working Group on Aging in April 2011 helped convinced the working group that there are significant gaps in the protection of older people's rights.