Thank you Mrs. Chair,

The Candidate Countries Turkey, Montenegro*, Serbia* and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, San Marino, and Andorra, align themselves with this statement.

I would like to thank, on behalf of the EU and its Member States, for the fruitful discussions during this twelfth session of the Open Ended Working Group, and welcome in particular the active contribution of civil society to the debates. Their role is essential in informing the deliberations of us all. The EU supports the notion that more can be done to improve the situation of older persons to make their contributions and their needs more visible and strengthen the protection of their human rights, through a more effective implementation of the existing human rights instruments. At the same time, it is important to discuss new analytical developments, such as the presented OHCHR study update on normative gaps, which reported the continuation of existing and emergence of new challenges concerning the enjoyment of all Human Rights for older persons. The regular, coherent and comprehensive discussion within the UN on ageing issues remains crucial to identify adequate and sustainable solutions for the needs of older persons.

In this session, we focussed on crucial issues to the fulfilment of human rights of older persons: On “Economic Security” – as a key basis for the effective enjoyment of social and economic rights and non-discrimination to live life in dignity. We note that the provision of services is an important parameter in ensuring that especially long-term unemployed, many of whom are older persons, can reintegrate into the labour market and are enabled and activated to contribute to society. Social inclusion services play a key role in addressing barriers to this activation. Examples of these services are rehabilitation, counselling, mentoring, social support, debt-counselling, or housing support. To this end, we are working on enhancing the EU framework on active inclusion of people excluded from the labour market through strengthening minimum income schemes encompassing the provision of minimum income benefits, activation measures, with a focus on labour market participation, and enabling social services, while preserving the sustainability of national social protection systems.

The discussions on “the contribution of older persons to sustainable development” highlights in particular the positive contribution older person can and should make, the responsibilities for intergenerational dialogue and the protection of the rights for all, notably vulnerable persons. At the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a promise to ‘leave no one behind’ and to reach the furthest behind first. This entails ensuring that every individual, including every older person, is included in development efforts. The contribution of older persons to society, namely their experience, their knowledge, and their skills, is duly and increasingly acknowledged. Improved living conditions allow many to remain active much longer and are able to fully, meaningfully and effectively participate in the society and contribute to sustainable development.

With regard to the crucial role and responsibilities of older persons and the impact on their lives of the need for sustainable development, it remains crucial to acknowledge that those living in vulnerable situations feel most acutely the negative effects of the failure to effectively make progress towards our joint SDG commitments. Strengthening and promoting the effective participation of human rights defenders, indigenous peoples, and persons belonging to minorities, women and youth in policymaking is therefore decisive to allow them to act as powerful agents of change and for the pursuit of a just transition in our common effort to address climate change and fighting environmental degradation. Older persons have a crucial role to play in participating and promoting this inter-generational and intra-communal dialogue and contributing to sustainable development.

Mrs Chair,

The European Union promotes age non-discrimination policies in the United Nations and has been promoting a better mainstreaming of the human rights of older persons through the work of the UN. Moreover, together with Member States, the European Union is party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that also protects the human rights of those older persons that have age-related impairments. Although both groups share similar problems, it is important to highlight the different nature of both groups. Additionally the implementation of the CRPD has brought significant improvements for persons with disabilities in various areas of our society.

At the European level we are working towards a horizontal Equal Treatment Directive which covers non-discrimination on all grounds, including age, in essential fields such as education, health care and access to and supply of goods and services available to the public, including housing.

In 2020, at ministerial level, the EU Council put forward a human-rights-based approach on “Improving the well-being of older persons in the era of digitalisation” and since 2021 all EU Member States are invited to develop a National Strategic Framework for Mainstreaming Ageing in Public Policies.

We call upon all States to adopt and implement non-discriminatory policies, as well as establish effective redress mechanisms and ensure access to justice. We support the active involvement of civil society and the participation of older persons in equal partnership with service users, carers, families and citizens. 

I thank you, madam Chair.

* Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.