The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recently hosted an expert meeting on the human rights obligations of States regarding violence against, abuse, and neglect of older persons in all settings. The meeting was held online, over two days, from 13-14 June 2024. It brought together representatives from the UN and NGOs, as well as ambassadors and academics. The goal of the session was to address shortcomings in international human rights law and develop recommendations on the protection of the rights of older persons.
In the context of a demographic shift marked by an aging population, the meeting underscored the importance of protecting the rights of older people, including through large-scale changes to infrastructure and the economy. Panelists frequently emphasized the need to take an intersectional approach to elder abuse in order to understand the particular vulnerability of older people who are women, migrants or refugees, disabled, living in rural areas, living in conflict zones, and members of other marginalized populations.
Claudia Mahler, the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, provided the context setting speech. She argued for longevity and healthy aging to be seen as an achievement of our society, not a burden. She stated that violence, abuse, and neglect must be addressed as discrimination and noted the forms that abuse may take, including physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, financial, and material abuse. She highlighted the importance of ensuring equal access to services for older people and advocated for the mobilization of information campaigns on ageism targeted towards older people as well as those who work to address discrimination.
During the session “Challenges in Addressing Violence Against, Abuse, and Neglect of Older Persons,” speakers discussed the importance of maintaining the autonomy and dignity of older persons, including through improving digital accessibility and involving them in decision-making related to their human rights. In terms of recommendations, they called for the adoption of clear standards against all forms of violence in order to provide states with guidance on legislation and remedies, and to create an international framework for accountability. They also emphasized the importance of information sharing among countries and the creation of country-specific implementation guidelines to ensure the effective establishment of protections for the rights of older people.
Relevant documentation and recordings of the session can be found here.
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