We must shift our narratives around older persons – moving away from an ageist, paternalistic view to one anchored in full respect for the equal rights and dignity of people of all ages. Older people are as diverse as any other population. Assuming that they are necessarily frail and dependent is not only inaccurate, it is harmful to all of society.” Michelle BACHELET, High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1st October 2020
In Focus
First substantive resolution on the human rights of older persons with a focus on ageism and age discrimination was adopted by consensus by Members States at the 48th session of the Human Rights Council.
The text of the resolution HRC/48/3 can be found in the six UN official languages here.
Letter to the Executive Director of UN WOMEN from the NGO Committees on Ageing
Dear Under-Secretary General and Executive Director Bahous,
We would like to express our congratulations and best wishes on your new appointment as Executive Director of UN Women.
We appreciate your letter to civil society, recognizing and acknowledging the critical role it plays in supporting gender equality and the important work of UN Women. We, in turn, appreciate your continued commitment to collaborating with civil society in our common endeavours. We are, at the same time, extremely concerned that you have omitted to specifically mention older women and we call your urgent attention to the issues we are raising below.
UN75: Shaping our Future Together
Listening to people’s priorities and expectations of international cooperation
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres saw the UN’ 75th anniversary as an opportunity for the Organisation to listen directly to the people it serves. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the world faced a growing list of global challenges: from tsahe climate crisis and environmental degradation to nuclear weapons, deepening inequalities, rapid changes in our populations, the transformative impact of new technologies and new forms and patterns of violence.
In January 2020, the UN launched a yearlong, global initiative to listen to people’s priorities and expectations of international cooperation. Through surveys and dialogues, more than 1.5 million people from all walks of life shared their hopes and fears for the future, and discussed how all actors, including the UN, can innovate and work together to better to address the global challenges we face. Read More…
The Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older people- Ms. Claudia Mahler
Ms. Claudia Mahler (Austria) has been working for the German Institute for Human Rights as a senior researcher in the field of economic, social and cultural rights since 2010. She is also a visiting professor at the Alice Salomon Hochschule. From 2001 to 2009, Ms. Mahler conducted research at the Human Rights Centre of the University of Potsdam where her main fields were in human rights education, minority rights and the law of asylum. In 2000, she was appointed as Vice President of the Human Rights Commission for Tyrol and Vorarlberg. She has also worked as a lecturer in the field of human rights law and as a consultant to OHCHR in Geneva. From 1997-2001, she held the position of an assistant at the Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Austria in the field of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedures. Ms. Mahler received her doctoral degree in 2000. Read more…
The Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG)
The OEWG is a UN working group that meets in New York. It was established by a resolution at the 2010 General Assembly. Read the resolution A/RES/65/182. Since the establishment of this working group, every year a session has been held. Read more…
Events/News
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Human rights in older age: Towards the elimination of ageism and age discrimination
Tuesday 21 September 2021 14:00-15:15 CEST
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Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons
Monday 20 September 2021 at 10:00 am CEST The Dialogue will be webcast live on https://media.un.org/en/webtv/ Find all reports by the Independent Expert here: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues...
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HLPF 2021: COVID-19 Pandemic: A Stress Test of Global Ageing
TUESDAY, 6 JULY 2021 19:00 PM – 20:30 PM CEST VIRTUAL The session can be watched live on un web tv https://media.un.org/en/webtv Older Persons have been among the first and hardest hit by the...
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HLPF 2021: Ensuring that no one is left behind
TUESDAY, 6 JULY 2021 18:00 PM – 19:00 PM CEST HYBRID The session can be watched live on un web tv https://media.un.org/en/webtv When Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Dev...
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Interactive civil society dialogue with WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
“Strengthening connections across sectors: Building partnerships for healthy ageing in and beyond the COVID-19 era” Wednesday 16 June 15:00-16:30 Geneva time. Organized by a consortium of civil soc...
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World Elder Abuse Awareness Day – Access to justice
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Healthy and Active Ageing in a Sustainable World: Synergies between international initiatives on ageing – one reporting exercise
This second interactive event in the MIPAA+20 webinar series will focus on the synergies between MIPAA and related international initiatives in the field of ageing. It will provide the opportunity ...
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UN75 Consultation – Vote for a UN convention on the human rights of older persons!
The UN is inviting stakeholders to participate in a digital consultation as part of the ongoing dialogue for the UN's 75th anniversary. This digital consultation seeks to identify bold, actionable ...
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Making participation meaningful: bringing governments and civil society together
In preparation of the 4th review and appraisal of the implementation of 2002 MIPAA (the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing), the UNECE, together with BAGSO, AGE Platform Europe, the Germ...