About older persons and human rights

Population ageing is a global phenomenon that has profound implications for human rights of all. The number of older persons aged 65 and over is projected to double to 1.5 billion in 2050. By 2050, one in six people in the world will be aged 65 or over.  While the increasing longevity is a manifestation of the progress achieved in human development and health over the last decades, the rapid demographic shift has also shed light on the lack of adequate protection mechanisms, and on the existing gaps in policies and programmes to address the situation of older persons.

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has also laid bare, and often amplified, critical human rights protection gaps for older persons that have perpetuated over the years – such as discrimination based on older age, lack of social protection and access to health services, lack of autonomy and participation in decision-making, and freedom from violence, neglect and abuse.

Despite this reality, older persons remain invisible in the current international legal framework. To date, there are no international, universally applicable standards, which could serve as a reference for developing legislation to protect such rights. As a result, the current international legal framework remains fragmented and incomplete to address specific protection gaps for older persons to enjoy their human rights.

In recent years, there have been significant calls for enhanced actions to promote the full enjoyment of all human rights by older persons. Since 2011, the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, established by the General Assembly, has been mandated to address gaps in the existing international framework and to develop proposals for a legally binding instrument to strengthen the protection of the human rights of older persons.

Older persons are not a homogenous group. The challenges they face in the protection or enjoyment of their human rights vary greatly. Many older persons have significant contributions to make to our society. In a rapidly ageing world, there is an urgency to recognize older persons as specific rights holders, in order to enable them to fully participate in social, economic, cultural and political life, on an equal basis without discrimination.

OHCHR's work on older persons

The role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is to ensure a voice for all, especially for those whose voices are seldom heard.

Our Office strives to ensure that older persons are given space and weight in the human rights agenda. We also work to ensure that governments take all measures required to protect and promote their human rights.

Together with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, OHCHR supports the work of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing as its secretariat.

Our Office supports the mandate of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, and the work of UN human rights mechanisms and national human rights institutions to monitor and provide guidance for the promotion and protection of human rights of older persons.

Our Office actively monitors the human rights impact of the COVID-19 crisis across the world, including on older persons. We provide specific guidance for States and other stakeholders concerning older persons.

Our Office collaborates with UN partner agencies such as WHO and UNFPA to support the implementation of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-2030 and the mainstreaming of human rights of older persons in the work of the UN system.