Strengthening the rights of older persons through the UPR
As the international community advances toward a new convention on the rights of older persons, UPR Info hosted a side event during the 59th session of the Human Rights Council to explore how the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) can help make ageing and older persons’ rights more visible in global human rights discussions.
Demographic shifts demand human rights action
The world is experiencing an unprecedented demographic transition. Since 1980, the number of people aged 65 and over has tripled, reaching more than 760 million in 2021. By 2030, one in six people will be over 60 years old, and by 2050, this number is projected to exceed 1.5 billion, representing more than 22 percent of the global population.
Ms. Mona M’Bikay, Executive Director of UPR Info, noted that many older persons face interconnected challenges, from limited access to healthcare, to financial insecurity, and digital exclusion, which can lead to social isolation. She underlined that the UPR provides a key tool to address these gaps.
“The UPR’s universal nature makes it possible to consider the full spectrum of older persons’ rights,” she said, highlighting that the mechanism can support national reforms and raise awareness of age discrimination. – Mona M'Bikay
Renewed attention following Human Rights Council resolution
The adoption of Resolution 58/13 marked a historic step in advancing the rights of older persons. The resolution reaffirmed States’ obligations under existing international treaties and called for the development of a new international legally binding instrument to promote, protect, and ensure the realisation of all human rights of older persons. Slovenia, one of its key supporters, has consistently raised questions about the rights of older persons during UPR sessions and supports their systematic integration into national reporting and implementation. As Ms. Jana Urh Lesjak, Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovenia reaffirmed, the UPR stands as a cornerstone of the international human rights system, a cooperative process where governments, national human rights institutions, and civil society come together to promote constructive dialogue.
Demographic changes and the need for data
OHCHR representatives emphasised the world has reached a demographic milestone: people aged 60 and above now outnumber children under five. They noted that older persons, especially women, face unique challenges that often go unnoticed due to a lack of disaggregated data, calling for stronger monitoring and data collection to guide effective policymaking.
Ms. Chitralekha Massey, Chief of the Section on the Rights of Older Persons at OHCHR, echoed the importance of an intersectional approach, stressing that ageing is universal but not uniform. She highlighted the overlapping nature of ageing-related issues, noting that factors such as disability often increase with age, and that the lack of financial independence among women can make them particularly vulnerable as they grow older. Ageing, she stressed, is not an isolated issue but one that intersects with other human rights concerns. She further emphasised the role of National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-Up (NMRFs) and National Recommendation Tracking Databases (NRTDs) in improving coordination and follow-up on UPR recommendations.
Country experiences: Malaysia and Kenya
The event also showcased good practices in implementing UPR recommendations related to older persons’ rights. Malaysia, for example, established a Human Rights Action Committee that meets twice a year to track progress and developed a national database to follow up on all UPR commitments. H.E. Mrs. Dato’ Nadzirah Osman, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Malaysia, explained that 25 recommendations from Malaysia’s latest UPR cycle relate to the rights of older persons, leading to new initiatives on social protection, healthcare, and support services. These include mobile care service units reaching more than 10,000 older persons, over 1,000 clinics offering dedicated elderly healthcare services, and stronger collaboration with civil society and parliament. A Senior Citizens Bill is also under preparation.
From the civil society perspective, Mr. Michael Kanyingi, CEO of the Mangu Integrated Community Project (MICOP) in Kenya, described how grassroots engagement has been instrumental in bringing older persons’ issues into national dialogue. Awareness-raising was central to MICOP’s strategy. Working in collaboration with the government and the UPR coalition, the organization helped develop a sensitization booklet on the rights of older persons, aimed at increasing understanding at both governmental and public levels based on UPR recommendations. Through stakeholder consultations and close collaboration with ministries, MICOP contributed to ensuring that at least one recommendation that explicitly mentioned the rights of older persons was adopted by Kenya during its latest UPR review. These efforts also supported the drafting of a Bill on the Rights of Older Persons, demonstrating how civil society can drive change from the ground up. “Since the recommendations in the third cycle, the Government of Kenya has significantly changed how older persons are treated and viewed,” said Mr. Kanyingi.
The UPR as a platform for change
The UPR remains a powerful mechanism to connect local realities with global human rights commitments. By integrating older persons’ rights across all review cycles and recommendations, States can translate dialogue into tangible progress, ensuring that ageing is addressed as a core human rights concern.
As Ms. Juliette de Rivero, Chief of the UPR Branch at OHCHR, underlined in her concluding remarks the cooperation among States, the UN, and civil society remains vital to ensuring that older persons are fully included in human rights efforts.