2010
December 21 2010
Work is underway to develop a new UN Convention on the rights of older persons, a landmark international human rights treaty that could strengthen the rights and dignity of older people worldwide.
A Convention would establish clear standards for how governments should respect, protect and fullfil the rights of older people, helping to address ageism and ensure that people can participate fully in society as they age.
Following a historic decision by the UN Human Rights Council in April 2025 to begin the drafting process of a new legally binding instrument on the rights of older persons, attention has now turned to shaping the content of the future treaty. This page explains why a Convention is needed, how the process is moving forward, and how older people and civil society are helping to shape its development.
Why do we need a UN Convention?
There is currently no dedicated international human rights treaty that sets out governments’ obligations towards older people. Existing human rights frameworks do not consistently address the realities of ageing or provide adequate protection against age-based discrimination.
A UN Convention on the rights of older persons would create a dedicated international framework to protect their rights, address ageism and discrimination, and ensure that the needs, experiences and contributions of older people are reflected in laws, policies and services worldwide.
A UN Convention would:
- Provide a comprehensive and legally binding framework to promote and safeguard their rights, covering areas such as healthcare, social protection, employment, and participation in decision-making processes
- Serve as a powerful tool in combating ageism, discrimination, abuse and neglect, while fostering an inclusive and age-friendly society for all
- Address the pressing issue of elder abuse and neglect, which remains a global concern and establish clear guidelines and mechanisms for preventing, detecting, and addressing instances of abuse, whether physical, emotional, or financial
- Promote the importance of dignity, autonomy, and independence for older people, while ensuring that they have access to justice and support systems
- Contribute to a paradigm shift in societal attitudes and practices by raising awareness and setting global standards for the treatment of older people, ultimately fostering a culture of respect for our older population and intergenerational solidarity.
What is happening now?
Governments are now engaged in the formal process of drafting a UN Convention on the rights of older persons. Following the decision by the UN Human Rights Council to begin negotiations, attention has turned to shaping the purpose, principles, scope and content of the future treaty.
The process entered a new phase in February 2026, when the Intergovernmental Working Group held its first organisational session at the UN in Geneva. Government representatives, civil society organisations and older people came together to agree how the drafting process would move forward, with a strong focus on ensuring the negotiations are transparent, inclusive and participatory.
Tanja Venisnik, Rights Adviser at HelpAge International.This meeting marked a real shift from questioning whether older people need a dedicated human rights instrument to focusing on how that instrument should be shaped. The process matters because it determines whose voices are heard and whose realities shape the outcome. This is the foundation for a strong treaty that truly reflects the lived realities of older people worldwide.
A clear message has emerged through the process: older people must play a central role in shaping the convention. Working alongside the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP), so far, HelpAge International supported older advocates from Bangladesh, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Rwanda, Pakistan and South Africa, Pakistan and the Dominican Republic to participate directly in discussions and share their lived experiences. Their involvement reflects a core principle of the campaign: nothing about older people without older people.
How HelpAge is contributing
For over 15 years, HelpAge and members of the global network have worked with older people around the world to advocate for stronger protection of their rights.
Today, HelpAge is helping to:
- support older people’s direct participation in the drafting process
- coordinate civil society engagement through GAROP
- provide evidence and expertise on the rights of older people
- advocate for an ambitious and effective convention
- ensure the experiences and priorities of older people remain at the centre of negotiations.
What happens next?
Work is now moving into the drafting of the actual text and key provisions, where government representatives will begin discussing the purpose, principles, scope and substance of the future convention.
To succeed, the process must:
- ensure meaningful participation of older people and their representative organisations
- reflect diverse experiences across regions and communities
- address ageism and intersectional discrimination
- adopt a life-course approach
- create strong accountability mechanisms
- result in a convention that delivers real change in people’s lives.
Rose Gahire, Co-Chair of GAROP and Board Member of HelpAge International (Rwanda).Nothing for us without us. The voices of older people should be involved from the beginning to the end, because we live these realities and we know what we want. We are asking for meaningful participation throughout the drafting of the treaty. We are not asking to be an afterthought. We are asking to be consulted, to be involved, and to have meaningful participation in whatever is being done during the drafting of the treaty. Older people must have a place at the table from the start.
The road to the Convention
The decision to begin drafting the convention was the culmination of 15 years of work by older people, civil society organisations and supportive governments around the world. Through the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWGA), advocates gathered evidence, highlighted gaps in legal protection and built momentum for stronger international action on older people’s rights.
In May 2024, the OEWGA recommended that governments move forward with a legally binding instrument, paving the way for landmark decisions by the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council. The establishment of the Intergovernmental Working Group in April 2025 marked the beginning of the formal treaty-drafting process.
