The United Nations (UN) is entering a new phase in its response to one of the most persistent gaps in international human rights protection: the rights of older people.
From February 18–20, the UN will meet in Geneva for the first organizational session of a new Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) tasked with drafting a legally binding instrument on the rights of older people. This meeting marks the start of a process that could fundamentally reshape how older people’s rights are recognized and protected worldwide.
After decades of advocacy, the global conversation has shifted. The question is no longer whether older people need a dedicated human rights instrument, but how to build one that delivers real protections and accountability. The decisions made this week will set the direction for everything that follows.
Older voices at the center, not the margins
HelpAge will be present in Geneva alongside civil society colleagues to ensure that older people are not treated as an afterthought.
Together with the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP), we are supporting five older advocates from Bangladesh, Colombia, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa.
They bring lived experience, grassroots knowledge, and regional perspectives directly into global negotiations, ensuring that older people’s voices shape the policies that affect their lives.
Their presence reinforces a simple truth: rights are strongest when shaped by those most affected. Older people are experts in their own lives, and their leadership is essential to building a convention that responds to real-world challenges.
Why this moment matters
Older people are among the fastest-growing segments of the global population, yet their rights remain systematically overlooked in law and practice. Across countries and contexts, older people face age-based discrimination, barriers to healthcare and social protection, heightened risks of abuse and neglect, and exclusion from decision-making that affects their lives.
Existing international human rights frameworks have not consistently addressed these realities. A dedicated UN convention would help close these gaps by establishing clear legal obligations for governments, strengthening accountability, and enabling older people to seek justice when their rights are denied.
From a landmark resolution to real action
The Human Rights Council’s 2025 decision to establish this working group was widely recognized as a historic victory for older people everywhere. It reflected years of sustained pressure from older people themselves, the HelpAge global network, and civil society allies who have long argued that ageism is a human rights issue.
But resolutions are only the starting point. What matters now is how the convention is developed, who is heard, how transparent the process is, and whether older people’s lived experience genuinely shapes the outcome.
What success now depends on
As the process moves forward, the priorities are clear. Older people and their representative organizations must be fully and effectively engaged throughout negotiations. Decision-making must be transparent, and governments must show that they are willing to translate commitments into enforceable rights.
This is not merely a procedural exercise. It is a test of whether the international community is prepared to recognize older people as rights-holders, leaders, and equal participants at every stage of life.