New York: Europe and the Arabs
"Over the next decade, the number of people aged 60 or older is expected to rise to 1.6 billion—nearly 20% of the world's population. By 2030, older persons will outnumber younger persons." This was emphasized by the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Philemon Yang, during a high-level meeting on ageing held by the General Assembly on Thursday, where he reviewed the potential implications of this demographic shift. According to the UN Daily News, a copy of which we received on Friday morning, Yang said that this shift will affect every country and every society, and has implications for every area of ​​policymaking—from human rights and social development to economic planning.
He warned that the demands on healthcare, social protection, and economic systems will increase dramatically, noting that the international community must anticipate these changes and respond accordingly. He added: "Governments must adopt policies that address the diverse needs of older persons, as vital contributors to society." With equal access to services that protect their dignity and human rights."
The President of the General Assembly also emphasized the need for comprehensive reforms in health care, social security, and economic structures.
Women are more vulnerable to poverty.
The President of the UN General Assembly said that old age "is not a gender-neutral experience," noting that women live longer than men, both in developed and developing contexts.
He added that a lifetime spent in unequal access to education, low wages, and predominantly informal work means that older women suffer from higher rates of poverty than men, and they "often receive lower pensions and enjoy less security in old age."
Philémon Yang emphasized that ensuring gender equality must continue throughout life, emphasizing that "older persons are essential partners in shaping the future. Every one of us, if we are lucky, will grow old." The contributions of older persons must be welcomed and respected.
He quoted the late Nelson Mandela: “A society that does not value older persons denies its roots and puts its future at risk.”
Madrid Plan of Action
The President of the General Assembly said that the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing provides a vital framework for our efforts. Yet, vast inequalities persist in access to health care, social protection, and essential services.
The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, along with its Political Declaration, recognizes that development, social policies, and human rights are indivisible. It calls on us all to create environments where older persons can live healthy and safe lives, enriched by their full participation in their communities.
Stigma and Discrimination Against Older Persons
Elsie Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, said that one in six people over the age of 60 worldwide suffers some form of abuse.
She noted that widespread stereotypes, stigma, and discrimination, including in access to health care, employment, and social services, are prevalent in all our societies. She warned that ageist attitudes deprive our societies of the rich and essential contributions of older persons.
She explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of 7.1 million people worldwide, the vast majority of whom were older people aged 65 and over. She pointed to the devastating toll the pandemic has taken on older people in care homes and institutions, with reports of neglect or abuse.
Ilze Brands-Keres said that this unprecedented crisis prompted 146 countries to sign a joint statement in 2020 committing to promoting and fully respecting the dignity and rights of older persons.
Last month, at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Member States adopted a resolution to establish a working group to draft a legally binding international instrument on the human rights of older persons. Ilze Brands-Keres described this step as "bold and concrete." The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, Abdulaziz Alwasil, spoke on behalf of the Group of Friends on Ageing and Sustainable Development, which includes, among other countries, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
He said that the Group—launched in October 2024 on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons—aims to place the issue of aging on the global agenda and promote meaningful, evidence-based policies that support current and future generations.
According to Ambassador Alwasil, the Group seeks to provide a platform for Member States to advocate for comprehensive development policies that promote the dignity, active participation, and inclusion of older persons at the global, regional, and national levels.
He added that the Group called for advancing the needs of older persons in the Political Declaration of the Second World Summit for Social Development, to be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 4 to 6, 2025. On behalf of the Group, he urged Member States to take advantage of the World Summit to advance key priorities for older persons. Speaking in his national capacity, the Saudi ambassador addressed his country's efforts to promote the rights of older persons, noting that last month the Kingdom invited Claudia Mahler, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, to visit the Kingdom for 10 days. He explained that the initial findings of the visit indicated what he described as "significant improvements" in services for older persons "hard to find elsewhere," including healthcare, access to digital services, transportation, and infrastructure. Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, said that today's meeting is one of the outcomes of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing.
She emphasized the need for better inclusion of older persons in future outcome documents, including at the World Summit for Social Development. She also confirmed her mandate's readiness to support discussions on older persons at the Commission on the Status of Women and the World Summit for Social Development, as well as to address the issue of older persons in armed conflict in her upcoming report.
Ms. Björg Sundkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, highlighted cooperation on the implementation of the United Nations Decade on Healthy Ageing from 2021 to 2030. She explained that this Decade strengthens measures to combat age-based discrimination and enhances the protection of the human rights of older persons.