Strengthening older people's rights: Towards a Convention

This publication was produced to strengthen understanding and awareness of the need for a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.

It provides the arguments and tools for engaging stakeholders in debate about older people's rights and the role of a convention.

Older men and women have the same rights as everyone else: we are all born equal and this does not change as we grow older.

Even so, older people's rights are mostly invisible under international law.

Despite the existence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1, older people are not recognised explicitly under the international human rights laws that legally oblige governments to realise the rights of all people.

A UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons is necessary to ensure that older women and men can realise their rights.

With a new UN convention, and the assistance of a Special Rapporteur, governments can have an explicit legal framework, guidance and support that would enable them to ensure that older people's rights are realised in our increasingly ageing societies.

This paper has been produced collaboratively by HelpAge International, Age UK, AARP, GAA, INPEA, IFA, ILC-US, IAHSA and IAGG.

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