Intergovernmental Working Group on the Human Rights of Older Persons - EU Statement - Item 3: General Statements
Intergovernmental Working Group on the Human Rights of Older Persons
1st Session Organisational Meeting
13-17 July 2026
Item 3. General Statements
EU statement
Thank you Chair,
At the outset, allow me to thank you and the other members of the core group for the arrangements made for the session and the documentation circulated last week. The EU looks forward to engaging with the Working Group to address protection gaps and to enhance the respect for, protection and fulfilment of the human rights of older persons.
Mr Chair,
The EU remains fully committed to and active in promoting the full enjoyment of all human rights by older persons without discrimination. This includes ensuring the meaningful participation, access, accessibility and inclusion of older persons in all spheres of life, independent living, combating ageism and age discrimination, and addressing all forms of violence, neglect, and abuse, and exploitation. We support a human rights-based approach to ageing that recognizes older persons as rights-holders and active members of society.
In our statement in February, we shared that, within the European Union, we have a significant legislative and policy acquis benefiting older persons and spanning multiple issues.
Meanwhile, in March 2026, the European Commission adopted a Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness which promotes a long-term intergenerational perspective in policymaking and seeks to ensure a fair balance of opportunities, rights and responsibility across generations. As populations age, it is increasingly important to promote the inclusion and participation of older persons, and to address barriers to the full enjoyment of their rights. Under this Strategy, a Compendium of Member State good practices is being drawn up to support the exchange of experience on the rights, inclusion and participation of older persons, and to strengthen inter-generational dialogue.
As the work of this IGWG commences, we look forward to the various discussions this week, to the presentations arranged and to broad, meaningful participation by civil society organisations, representatives of older persons, including older persons with disabilities and those facing intersecting vulnerabilities, and older persons from all regions. We are grateful for the numerous submissions by stakeholders from around the world in response to the call for inputs on which we can draw upon.
You will understand that we need more time to deliberate on the documentation before this session, notably your Food for Thought paper. Having said that, we underline [once again] that the development of standards relating to the rights of older persons must be based on and fully aligned with international human rights law, including the CRPD to which the European Union is an early party to alongside its Member States, as well as relevant regional instruments.
In closing, Chair, we wish you much success in steering our work this week. In light of demographic trends and looking to the future of our societies, it is crucial to continue to uphold older persons’ full enjoyment of human rights and promote intergenerational fairness.
Thank you.