Older people around the world are subject to human rights concerns that cover the entire catalogue of international human rights – abuse, neglect, inadequate housing and of course systemic and institutionalised ageism just to name a few.
The United Nations Open Ended Working Group on Ageing is a group of UN member states that have been working since 2010 to strengthen international human rights protection for older people. Progress on the level of the UN has been slow, and one of the root causes has arguably been a lack of urgency and importance attached to the topic in countries and societies around the world – but there are signs that this is changing, especially since Covid-19 which has painfully highlighted the human rights situation of older people.
Signs for greater interest in the human rights of older people are an increasing rethoric of human rights, used by civil society organisations, academics of various disciplines and steps taken within the UN Open Ended Working Group on Ageing when they met in April 2023.
In March 2023, the Human Rights and Social Care Forum, the British Society of Gerontology, Age International and the Institute of Gerontology at King’s College London hosted a Networking Conference (hybrid) in London with the purpose to take stock of the current progress of human rights protection for older people on the international, European and (UK) national level as well as to hear about relevant topics, like health and long term care, race equality, intersectionality and ageing and ageing with disabilities.
Around 35 people from academia, civil society and research attended in person and another 50 delegates joined internationally online for the day-long programme. Click on the names to see powerpoint slides or on the media as added:
Welcome
BSG President Professor Carol Holland
1: Towards a UN Convention on the Rights of Older People – Now and next steps
2: Human Rights and Older People Post Covid 19 from a European and UK perspective
3: Ageism, intersectionality and human rights
4: Ageing with disabilities in Ireland and the UK
5: Health and social care for older people – a human rights perspective
Human Rights and Social Care Forum 