5th Meeting, 2nd Session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Older Persons (IGWG)

Excellencies, distinguished participants, I hereby declare open the fifth meeting of the second session of Intergovernmental Working Group on the Human Rights of Older Persons. This afternoon, we will resume our plenary discussions under item 4, discussion on the State obligations to be included in the future legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons. Before we begin this segment, allow me to recall How we arrived at this point? Because sometimes the path we take to build an agreement tells us as much as the agreement itself. The discussion on principles and obligations was not part of our original program of work. We included it after listening to the concerns and proposals expressed by numerous delegations in July. This is not a minor detail. It is a sign that this process listens. And that listening does not simply mean allowing others to speak, it means being willing to change when the arguments call for it. As many delegations have pointed out, principles and obligations are not an appendix of a legally binding human rights instrument. They are its foundations. They give meaning to the rights it recognizes and make it possible for those rights to move from aspirations to guarantees. And here we are speaking of something profoundly concrete. Our challenge, therefore, is not to identify the general commitment states should undertake and the principles that should guide interpretation and implementation of this future instrument. We are not starting with a blank page. There are existing international obligations, accumulated experience, and legal standards that we must take into account. But neither have we come here simply to copy provisions mechanically or to multiply formulas that sound impressive, yet impose little responsibility. In diplomacy, we sometimes possess an extraordinary talent for finding words on which everyone agrees until the moment comes to put them into practice. That is precisely why our ambition must be greater, not merely to agree on words, but to agree on clear responsibilities, capable of guiding public actions and genuinely improving the lives of older persons. Those responsibilities must be capable of implementation across very different legal systems, those rooted in Roman law and the civilian law tradition, customary law, and other legal, cultural, and religious traditions that have helped shape our institutions and societies. We cannot ignore that diversity, not should we fear it, because the diversity of our legal traditions does not diminish the universality of human dignity. Our task is to build principles firm enough to protect rights and obligations clear enough to be fulfilled, while respecting national particularities. Therefore, I invite you to approach this discussion with openness. pragmatism, and genuine determination to find common ground. Let us not seek merely a text that we can all approve. Let us seek an instrument that we can all implement. Because for us, this negotiation is measured in meetings, documents, and years of work. But for millions of other persons, it is measured in the time they have left to exercise the rights that have always belonged to them. At that time, distinguished delegates cannot be renewed. Thank you, and I'll give you the floor to Mrs. Maller. That doesn't need any presentation for her kick-off remarks. Thank you.

Ms. Maller: Mr. Chair, Excellencies, colleagues and friends, it is an honor to be with you today. Thank you, Chair, for the opportunity to share some ideas to kick off our conversation on this important stage. As many of you know, my argument as United Nations independent expert on enjoyment of all human rights by older persons was always that a conversation would make my engagement, that a convention would make my engagement with member states so much easier, especially on country missions. I was always a little bit jealous of my other colleagues, like the Special Rapporteur on people with disabilities, that he had a convention which really gives guidance to Member States. As a starting point, Member States of the future legally binding instrument must ensure that older persons can fully enjoy their human rights. They must respect, protect, and fulfill all the human rights and underlying principles in the light that they are invisible and interdependent. The core human rights treaties provide us with an established legal architecture and common language for general principles and state obligations, while the experience of the mandate of the independent expert underscores what those principles and obligations mean in practice for older persons. Bringing these two sources together would allow us to build on existing international human rights law while responding to areas where greater clarity, specificity, or protection is required to ensure the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons. On country missions, I had to discuss state obligations to strengthen the enjoyment of the rights of older persons, and these kinds of exchanges showed once again that the current human rights framework is not fit for purpose, to ensure a straightforward guidance for Member States. I had the honour to engage with the governments of Finland, Nigeria, Moldova, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Peru, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia throughout my six years, and I am still grateful for invitations which I could not convene. During these missions, I had the chance to listen and learn from all the persons in different contexts. which gave me the opportunity to report back to governments specific violations of rights or high risks of older persons, which has not been visible to them as a lived reality of older persons in the country, because the data did not show these realities. I also understood that governments also wanted to have more specific guidance for the implementation of policies and laws. In addition to the country missions, I focused on two thematic areas per year, which also showcased that the obligations for states must be clarified and addressed in the specific areas, like ageism and age discrimination. Specific measures must also ensure that the rights of older women, violence, abuse, and neglect must be specifically addressed, as well as older persons deprived of liberty, environmental disaster management, and older persons in armed conflicts. Therefore, I am more than happy to add a couple of ideas to the segment on State obligations in our discussion today. These are of major importance for Member States to understand how to best protect and promote the rights of older persons in specific lived realities. Excellencies, colleagues and friends, let’s look back to a couple of diagnoses from my first report on the situation of older persons during the pandemic. It was clear from a lot of evidence which was contributed to my report that older persons have been treated unequally, and that a lot of unequal treatment was based on negative stereotypes, which is nothing different than ageism. While digging deeper, I could see crystal clear that ageism is a root cause, which leads to age discrimination and a lot of other negative impacts on the lives of older people, including a decrease of lifetime. So based on this experience, one of the state obligations to ensure equality for all the persons in law, policies, and administrative structures on the equal basis as for other age groups, including positive discrimination. During my country missions, I had the chance to engage further with governments based on my findings, which I presented as preliminary reports. I had the chance to discuss some specific state obligations, which were launched with the reports to the country missions. For example, to halt the spread of ageist stereotypes and misconceptions, conducting educational programs and awareness raising campaigns. Such programs and campaigns should focus on intergenerational dialogue and inform the population about the positive contributions of older persons to society. That would also contribute to shifting the narrative so that older persons are now seen as rights holders instead of beneficiaries. In regard of climate change and natural disasters, they have also a huge impact on older persons and were regularly not discussed. Therefore, governments need to take urgent and meaningful action to mitigate the impacts of climate change on older persons. Such measures must be age responsive and consider the special needs of older persons. including their disabilities and their gender, enabling older persons to participate and contribute to decision-making processes about climate change at the local, regional, and national level would foster further appropriate age-responsive climate action. Governments need to ensure that older persons are meaningfully and effectively consulted on the evaluation, preparation, implementation, and monitoring of disaster response plans. In planning such programs, particular attention should be paid to older persons, including older women and older persons with disabilities. In regard of the criminal detention, Member States should examine the possibility of non-custodial alternatives at all stages of detention, including sentences being served in facilities where the needs of older persons would be addressed through or benefit from humanitarian or compensational release. Alternatives to detention for older persons should be established. To be also consistent in my engagement, I went back to one of my thematic reports, the right to housing from 2022, where I already indicated in the conclusion and recommendation that states have the responsibility to promote inclusive, age-friendly communities and environments, and to provide a range of support services that promote their dignity, autonomy, and independence, so as to enable them to remain in their homes. taking into account their will and individual preferences. States have an obligation to protect older persons also from forced evictions. Combating ageism and age discrimination and intersecting forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on gender, disability, race, ethnicity, migrant status, sexual orientation and gender identity, religion or indigenous status that compound the situation of older persons is a fundamental obligation of states. That is deemed to be of immediate effect, as we have seen proof in many different circumstances, age is aggravating inequalities. Another topic which has been taken into account when discussing a life in dignity is legal capacity. Legislation or practices that enables substitute decision-making, especially in the context of forced institutionalization, must be repealed and replaced by laws guaranteeing supported decision-making, as set out in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All laws, policies, and strategies must promote the right of older persons, taking into account full diversity in later life, to live where, how, and with whom they want, As set out under international law, and in particular in the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, states must recognize that rights must be accompanied by mechanisms through which all the persons can effectively claim those rights when violations occur. This requires that the structures are accessible to file a complaint, as well as justice mechanism and appropriate monitoring arrangements are in place. The drafting of such a convention on the rights of older persons must involve the meaningful participation of older persons at all stages, their representative organizations, civil society organizations, and national human rights institutions from north-south, east, and west. We must be as inclusive as possible. I thank you, Chair, for letting me speak here on this panel, and I'm looking forward to the further discussions.

Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Claudia Mahler, for your statement. And now I'm going to open the floor for interactive discussions. I give the floor to the.

Distinguished representative of Mexico.

Thank you very much, Chair Rapporteur. Mexico believes it is vital for the instrument to establish robust principles and clear state obligations which reflect recognition of rights in tangible terms. We propose five principles: dignity, autonomy, and independence with respect to the life plans, decisions, preferences, and wishes. equality and non-discrimination, which prohibits age-based discrimination in direct, indirect, structural, and intersectional forms, rather full and effective and accessible participation and inclusion in political, public, community, economic, and cultural life. gender perspective and intersectional perspective, and life course, which recognizes cumulative inequalities and differentiated needs and solidarity, as well as strengthening of community networks. These principles find corresponding provisions in the Inter-American Convention on the Protection of Human Rights of Older Persons and in our national legislation concerning obligations and Specifically on the subject of obligations, Mexico proposes that we craft this chapter based on an idea, a participatory network of care whose legal foundation is state responsibility. Human rights treaties oblige states parties to respect, protect, and guarantee. the families and communities participate in this network and their valuable contributions are recognized, but they are part of this instrument. They are not rather parties to this instrument, nor can they be an object of its international monitoring. This is the logic that is reflected in the Latin American Convention, state responsibility and participation by the family and community. This distinction has consequences. If enjoyment of this right depends on the family, were to depend on the family, it would mean that people were not protected without them, without a family, with a family without resources and violence as a part of its trends. And there would be inequality of gender as a result, because care would fall on women, most of them older women. The treaty cannot substitute nor reduce state obligations. Therefore, the instrument must apply to states to ensure care and support systems and to back up those who participate in the network and to regulate, supervise, and be accountable for the services. Thank you very

Thank you very much. I now thank the representative of Mexico and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uruguay.

Thank you, Chair Rapporteur. The obligations of States Parties is a fundamental component in the future convention when establishing the commitments that are necessary for transmitting knowledge about the human rights of older persons and effective guarantees for its application. First of all, we would like to mention the State's responsibility to ensure that the human rights of older persons are effective in conditions of equality and without discrimination of any type. This means also ensuring that legislative and administrative measures are adopted, as well as others, to ensure effective enjoyment of their rights and to avoid violations by others, particularly in the areas of health and care. Against this backdrop, the future instrument should contemplate the adoption of legislative, administrative, and judicial measures, as well as others. revising norms and practices which could restrict the rights of older persons. Also, it will be fundamental to deal with age-based discrimination from the institutional and structural points of view, eliminating discriminatory practices and norms, and preventing ageism, as well as affirmative measures such as a reasonable accommodation and measures of protection and reparation. Concerning the economic, social and cultural rights, the future convention should recognize their progressive implementation through the adoption of measures up to the maximum resources provided. However, this does not mean that states are freed from their obligations in the area of equality and non-discrimination and respect for the requirements of civil law. Another central aspect is ensuring in a cross-sectional the rights of older persons in public policies, strengthening institutional structures and the training of professionals to avoid ageism. Also, it will be fundamental to avoid communication, economic, and technological barriers to avoid digitalization from generating new forms of discrimination and allowing for accessible forms of communication. Also, access to judicial and administrative measures which are effective must be guaranteed in the face of violations. Also, any barriers should be removed and accessible procedures and appropriate support should be provided, as well as compensation. Before concluding, Chair, I would also like to highlight the need to establish an explicit obligation on States to consult and involve actively older persons directly or through their organizations in the development, implementation, follow-up, and evaluation of laws and policies that affect their rights, guaranteeing accessible information and conditions that allow for significant participation and effective impact on decision-making. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Uruguay.

Austria. Thank you.

Thank you, Chair. Austria considers the discussion on state obligations essential. However, these obligations must be developed in close connection with the substantive rights that the future convention will protect. They should be meaningful, legally coherent, and capable of practical implementation. State obligations provide the bridge between these commitments on paper and their realization in everyday life. For example, when access to a public service becomes exclusively digital, older persons without the necessary skills or equipment may be excluded. States must therefore address such barriers to ensure that rights can be exercised in practice. As a starting point, States should respect, protect and fulfil the rights recognized in the Convention in accordance with the nature of those rights and existing international human rights obligations. Equality and non-discrimination must guide their implementation. This includes identifying and addressing age-based barriers in legislation, policies, and administrative practices, as well as taking appropriate measures to combat ageist stereotypes. Another important responsibility is to promote awareness and understanding of the Convention and the rights it establishes, particularly among public authorities and relevant national stakeholders. Meaningful participation of older persons must also be ensured, especially in decisions that directly affect their lives. Accessible information, services, and effective remedies are equally important. Furthermore, reliable age-disaggregated data can help States identify protection gaps, develop evidence-based policies, and assess whether their measures are making a difference. International cooperation, including the exchange of knowledge and good practices, can support states in implementing the Convention. At the same time, we should avoid prescribing detailed national institutional arrangements or anticipating obligations that must be negotiated under specific substantive rights. The Convention should accommodate different national legal and administrative systems while ensuring effective human rights protection. Austria therefore supports a balanced, rights-based and practical approach to State obligations, ensuring that the future Convention can make a tangible difference in the everyday lives of older persons. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Now I'll give the floor to distinguished representative of Malta. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair Rapporteur. The thematic area of State obligations is an important one that sets out an overall framework of obligations eventual States party to the instrument will commit to implement to fulfil their obligations. The following points provide a brief overview of Malta’s priorities under this section, without prejudice to future additional views as this process moves ahead. We do not see this section as needing to include minute detail and should list the customary language included in other human rights conventions. We see the CRPD as one of the most recent conventions as a good source of inspiration for the purposes of this section, in its article 4, adapted mutatis mutandis to the purposes of this instrument. In our view, this section should include a direct reference to the State obligation to protect all human rights and to implement all necessary anti-discrimination measures with regards to older persons. We would like to underline that the well-established principle That is, the obligation of States party to any human rights convention is that they have the primary responsibility to promote and protect human rights, and that individual persons carry no obligation to protect their own rights, but are in fact the rights holders. There should also be a reference to economic, social, and cultural rights and their importance for implementation. The customary provision that all provisions already implemented in eventual state parties, or that will be implemented after the instrument enters into force, that offer more enhanced rights than those to be included in the instrument, will not result in a deterioration of rights already enjoyed under these provisions, should be included. We are therefore ready to work with the co-facilitators, Member States, civil society, and stakeholders on this section going forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Distinguished representative of Iraq.

Thank you, Chair. Now, concerning state obligations, the Republic of Iraq stresses the importance of a comprehensive legal framework that guarantees the effective rights of older persons. These people are rights holders and not beneficiaries of benefits. The Republic of Iraq would like to say that the constitution has produced the legal basis through Article 14. on equality and non-discrimination, article 29 that protects families against violence, and also articles concerning social insurance and medical protection. We also have the right of protection, which goes back to 2011, and other articles that regulate the protection of the family and older persons from a socioeconomic point of view. As a result, We believe it is important to include the state commitment to implement old age strategies and to allow for the commitment of state institutions to respecting the wishes of older persons as well as their legal competence, and not to undermine those rights. Likewise, the protection of the family as well as society must play their proper role, respecting the wishes of older persons who should not be institutionalized without their explicit agreement. It is important to have the State's obligations be put forward in a balanced and clear way, being understood that cultural and legal and constitutional specificities are respected and without undermining public morals or ethical systems. Thank you.

Portugal.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Portugal would thank you for convening this discussion and also Ms. Muller for a good introduction. From our side, we would like the first draft to take into account the need to establish general obligations that give concrete expression to older persons equal status as right holders. This chapter should make clear what states must do and refrain from doing to ensure that age does not become a basis for restricting rights and older persons can exercise their rights on an equal basis with others. As such, we consider that equality and non-discrimination should be central. States shall take measures to eliminate discrimination on grounds of older age and address discriminatory laws, policies, and practices. This should encompass direct and indirect discrimination and the denial of reasonable accommodation. Additional respect for autonomy must also translate into clear obligations. We would expect that states should ensure equal recognition before the law and respect for older persons' autonomy, will and preferences, including access to support in decision making where needed. Building on existing human rights instruments, the chapter should establish obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill all human rights. States should have the obligations to taking measures to prevent and protect older persons from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation, whether in family, community, institutional, or digital settings. They should also ensure access to justice and effective remedies. As said by some delegations, family or community support must not displace state obligations or override individual choices. Additionally, meaningful participation should be framed as an obligation to closely consult and actively involve older persons and their representative organizations whenever laws, policies, or other measures affecting their rights are developed and/or revised. Consultation must begin early enough to influence decisions, provide accessible information and appropriate support, and reflect the diversity of older persons. It must include those who face greater barriers to being heard and safeguard their freedom to express their views. Finally, a general safeguard should ensure that nothing in this instrument diminishes protection already afforded under international human rights law. I thank you.

Thank you. The distinguished representative of Peru, please.

Peru believes that the general obligations of the future instrument should be based on, first, guaranteeing effective access of the rights of older persons on an equal footing in dignity and non-discrimination. We believe, therefore, that states should adopt in keeping with their respective national frameworks, legislative, administrative, and public policies that are necessary to prevent and combat discrimination on the grounds of age. eradicate barriers and ensure an appropriate response to the various realities of ageing. Our national experience offers a few useful points. The multi-sectoral national public policy for older persons to 2030 identifies structural problems as a public problem that requires a state response, guidelines and indicators for services with allocated responsibilities for various sectors within the government. Priorities include care, good treatment, health care, education, and participation. Chair, as regards the standards that should guide this chapter, my delegation believes it's important to start from the zero draft that exists. We must highlight once again during this session that the Inter-American Convention on the Protection of the Human Rights of Older Persons provides useful references on non-discrimination, autonomy, participation, protection, and state responsibilities. We therefore believe it's crucial that the general obligations incorporate explicitly the significant participation of older persons and their representative organizations in the drafting, implementation, follow-up of the laws, policies, and other measures that affect them. Peruvian experience shows that the value of taking on board their knowledge and expectations and priorities in drafting public policies is positive. Peru believes that the future instrument should recall the role of families and the support community, preserving ultimately, however, the state's responsibility. Thank you.

United Arab Emirates, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The efforts to develop an LBI that protects and safeguards the rights of older persons do not only reflect global demographics, but also reflect our collective commitment to humanity, justice, and to promote the status of this essential category in society. As per the principle, do not leave anyone behind. We are deeply convinced of the importance of supporting older persons, protecting their dignity, providing health care, financial stability, and support. as well as promoting communication and exchange of expertise between generations, highlighting the success stories of older persons and highlighting their roles as role models. Regarding the LBI, our delegation looks forward to seeing provisions that are in line with existing international obligations, as well as taking into account the following: first, provide a legal framework to eradicate all forms of discrimination against older persons, secure their efficient and full participation in society. Second, to have a comprehensive social network, social protection network. Third, to provide appropriate health care services. And fourth, to have national mechanisms to protect older persons from all forms of psychological, physical, and digital harm and abuse. finally, to develop easily accessible digital and technological infrastructure that can be used by older persons. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Chair, and my thanks to Ms. Mello for the introduction. Ladies and gentlemen, the general principles and obligations of the future binding instrument must be rooted in a human rights-based approach. Older persons are subjects and rights holders that benefit from full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms without discrimination or any kind of restriction. The general principles must also include the respect for intrinsic dignity, individual autonomy, and the independence of persons, including freedom to take into account their own decisions and the right to be supported when this is necessary. In addition, equality and non-discrimination, including gender equality, participation, inclusion, and full, effective integration in society. In order to fulfil the general obligations, States Parties must implement the general principles in the framework of interpretation, application, and implementation and follow-up of the instrument. The general obligations must indicate that States Parties must take all appropriate measures, legislative, administrative and others, to implement and guarantee in practice the rights recognized in the instrument, and this throughout the life cycle, as well as abolishing and preventing any kind of discrimination. General obligations must also underscore the importance of adapting measures that are in step with diverse realities that are changing in drafting and implementing the acts and policies adopted as well as the adoption of all decisions on older persons, it's essential that States Parties carefully consult and act and ensure that older persons themselves actively participate via their representative organizations. General obligations must also encourage training in rights recognized in the instrument by public decision makers and the persons working with older persons. I thank you.

Thank you, Naguil, for the distinguished representative of Iran. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Iran wishes to highlight three priorities regarding general obligations of States under the future instrument.

First, effective national implementation and meaningful participation.

States should adopt appropriate legislative, administrative, judicial, and policy measures to respect, protect,

and fulfill the right of older persons without discrimination.

Such measures should be developed

and implemented with the meaningful participation of older persons and their respective organization, taking into account the diverse needs and

national circumstances. Second, protection of human life and support for older person.

States should strengthen mental health services, psychological support, and community-based care.

and take appropriate measures to prevent suicide and protect older persons against coercion or undue pressure to end their lives.

We also emphasize the responsibility of states to support families and caregivers, while respecting the dignity, needs,

and preference of older persons.

Third, international cooperation and the removal of obstacles. States should promote international cooperation, technical assistance, and capacity building, particularly for developing countries, while respecting national ownership and They should also take appropriate measures to address the adverse effects of unilateral coercive measures contrary to international law, including related financial restrictions and overcompliance, which can obstruct all their access to essential medicine, healthcare, and support services. Mr. Chair, we believe that these obligations are essential to ensuring the effective protection and enjoyment of the human rights of older persons.

Thank you.

Thank you. I give you the floor to the representative of Paraguay.

I recognize Paraguay.

Paraguay believes that State obligations in the future instrument must be shaped on the basis of commitments already undertaken in international human rights law, striving to identify the specific needs of protection for older persons. To this end, we believe it is crucial that States adopt appropriate measures to prevent and combat discrimination on grounds of age, as well as all forms of violence, abuse, negligence, abandonment and exploitation, both in the public and private sphere. We also highlight the importance of promoting access without discrimination to healthcare services and comprehensive care, including palliative care, as well as dealing with situations of isolation and solitude that can particularly affect older persons. In addition, in line with our general comments, we would like to underscore the fundamental role of families and communities in providing care and support to older persons. We believe it's important that the future instrument contemplate measures geared at strengthening family networks and community networks, as well as promoting intergenerational solidarity, recognizing at the same time the responsibilities that are incumbent upon states. Finally, we reiterate the need for obligations to be clear, realistic, and and able to be implemented, bearing in mind the different international capacities, development priorities, and national realities. I thank you.

Distinguished representative of Gulf Cooperation Council.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I deliver the statement on behalf of the GCC. Following our statement in the previous session regarding the measurement of progress, we consider that the LBI should help countries to develop their national systems in line with clear responsibilities, practical means that take into account the national reality. In this context, we would like to confirm the following: first of all, revision and reviewing of legislations and laws to prevent discrimination based on age and to promote prevention from harm, neglect, and abuse, including financial and digital abuse, as well as providing facilitated measures for reporting complaints and remedies. Second, to secure the participation of older persons in decisions that are linked to their life, their care, and to provide support and facilitation measures so that they can exercise their rights and access information and services. Third, to promote access to health care, social protection, and long-term care support. as well as supporting home care by communities, by families, and by care providers, while also providing appropriate protection to those who live alone or those who do not enjoy family support. Fourth, to have national plans to establish national plans that determine the responsible entities, the resources, the timelines, and that involve older persons in terms of preparation, implementation, and assessment. We also reiterate the importance of having comparable indicators that are based on clear definitions and methodologies. Mr. Chair, our countries consider that regional and international cooperation, capacity building, exchange of expertise are factors that can support the fulfillment of obligations. We look forward to further cooperation with all delegations in order to achieve implementable obligations that will promote the dignity of older persons, their independence and the quality of their lives.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Brazil considers that the general principles should establish the normative foundation of the future instrument. This should include human dignity, autonomy, independence, equality, no discrimination, intersectionality, participation, inclusive, intergenerational solidarity, and comprehensive protection. Moreover, we are of the view that combative agents must be a central and cross-cutting principle of the future instrument. Agents can take the form of stereotypes, prejudices, and discriminations, but it can also be embedded in laws, public policies, institutional practices, and social norms. The instrument should make clear that no distinction, exclusion, or restriction based on age should undermine the full enjoyment of human rights by the older persons. Intersectionality should also be operational principle through the instrument, helping states identify and address different and overlapping forms of discrimination that other persons may face. With regards to autonomy and independence, those are principles that should be understood as the possibility to make choice with freedom, safety, and appropriate support. The principle of dignity also requires cognitions of older person, capacity for personal fulfillment, rather than passive recipients of protections. This principle must be reflected in clear obligations for states to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of the older persons. This includes adopting legislative, administrative, and judicial measures, preventing violations. ensuring that they are investigated, hold those responsible accountable, and providing effective remedies and reparation. States should also strengthen the protection networks, providing global training for public officials, collected segregated data, and promote coordination across public policies. Older persons in their representative organizations must be able to participate meaningfully in the design, implementation, and monitoring of these measures. Implementation of these principles requires coordination across government sectors. Health, social assistance, social security, care, housing, mobility, culture, employment, justice, and environment must all incorporate the rights of older persons into their plans and services. Intersectoral approach recognize that protecting the rights of older person requires planning, resource allocations, and social participation mechanism to ensure that older persons in their organization can take part in setting priority and evaluate outcomes. An adequate response by states must combine safety guard against any abuse with respect for individual choice, support for design making, and access to complaint and appeal mechanisms. Coordination between principles, state obligations, and recognition of the roles played by families in communities is essential to consolidate an instrument that effectively protects the rights of a disabled person. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Regarding your first question, we think that the general principle should be based on human dignity as a base of all rights, non-discrimination, as well as autonomy, And to also secure the respect of the valued elderly, their capacity to take decisions that are relevant to them, and also to protect them from harm, abuse, and neglect, as well as. the protection as per international law, and this should also be monitored according to relevant legal framework. It is also important to recognize the complementary role of the society and the family when it comes to providing care for the older persons. The states are also responsible for additional protection as per international obligations. We think that we should take all necessary institutional and legal principles to combat stereotypes, to support disaggregated data, and to develop policies and programs based on evidence while taking into account national situations and capacities of countries. Regarding your second question, it is very important to rely on international rules and principles in the field of human rights. Regarding your third question, we reiterate the importance of efficient and meaningful participation of older persons when it comes to drafting, implementing, and monitoring policies that are relevant to them, and also making the data available to them in a facilitated manner, be it in a digital format or non-digital, and in a way that takes into account the capacities of older persons. National human rights institutions, according to their mandates, can have a leading role, a supportive role, and to also convey the opinions of older persons to relevant authorities. It is also very important to take into account national legislations and the different capacities and legal realities of countries when defining the state's obligations. Mr. Chair, this instrument should be a reference for protecting older persons. It should comprise principles and mechanisms that can be guiding for countries that take into account the national circumstances and take into account the national specificities, social characteristics, and demographics. It is also very important to rely on the pioneering experiences by some countries when drafting the LBI. We should find a balance between international standards and local realities. Our ultimate objective is to protect older persons and to save their dignity.

Interpreter's observation: The interpretation was incomplete due to the speed of delivery.

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson. The Gambia welcomes this discussion on general principles and obligations. We appreciate the opportunity to co-facilitate this thematic area with Qatar and look forward to the constructive contributions of all delegations and stakeholders. We would like to offer a few preliminary reflections on the guiding question. As a starting point, we believe that the general principles should reaffirm the dignity of older persons and respect for their equality, independence, and full participation in society. Accordingly, the general obligations should build on existing international human rights law and provide a clear basis for states to give effect to the rights recognized in the future instrument, taking into account their respective national legal systems and circumstances. However, effective protection of the rights of older persons transcends the recognition of rights. It requires the development of appropriate laws, institutions, and protection systems to give practical effect to this right. Accordingly, the future legally binding instrument should mandate every state party to conduct a review of its policies and laws with a view to addressing the diverse forms of discrimination faced by older persons in each country. and adopting appropriate measures to ensure that their rights are not only respected, but that effective remedies are available and accessible to give meaning to this right. So, Chairperson, it is also vitally important that states should work together with older persons rather than for them. Thus, the future legally binding instrument should mandate that older persons and their representative organizations are consulted and actively involved in the development and implementation of laws, policies, and other measures that affect their lives. Their experiences can help states identify barriers and better shape response mechanisms that reflect their needs and circumstances. Furthermore, while the universality of human rights is unquestionable, implementation of such rights must be responsive to national circumstances and differing capacities of states. Thus, implementation of obligations must necessarily involve the progressive realization of the diverse forms of sustainable services and the material needs of older persons within the broad framework of a state's development paradigm. In this regard, domestic efforts should be complemented by international cooperation, technical assistance, and international financing to support developing countries and least developed countries implement their obligations effectively. Gambia looks forward to working with all delegations and stakeholders as we take this discussion forward. Thank you.

I think I give the floor to distinguished representative of Japan.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In response to the guiding questions regarding the general principle and the state obligation, the delegation of Japan would like to stress emphasis on two points. The first point is universality and non-discrimination. All human rights and fundamental freedoms are universal. Thus, the basic principle should be that all people, regardless of age, including older persons, enjoy these human rights and fundamental freedoms without discrimination. Second, a new legally binding instrument should be consistent with and build upon existing international human rights treaties. On that basis, the legally binding instrument should provide added value by filling the gaps necessary to

realize the right of older persons.

The Japanese delegation would continue to engage constructively in discussion. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belgium.

Thank you, Chair. For Belgium, the general principles and obligations of a future LBI should be firmly grounded in the recognition that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent, and interrelated. References to national context or cultural specificities or regional particularities should not be used in a manner that could weaken the universally agreed human rights standards. It is, however, critical to foster local ownership. Regional organizations have played an essential role in bringing universal norms closer to local realities, including on the human rights of older persons, and can serve as a source of inspiration. The overarching framework of any future legally binding instrument should be fully consistent with the existing human rights treaties. In this regard, it is essential to reaffirm that states are the primary duty bearers for the respect, protection, and fulfillment of human rights, while older persons should be fully recognized as rights holders. Ensuring their agency, dignity, and individual autonomy is fundamental to the effective enjoyment of these rights and to their full and meaningful participation in decisions that impact their lives. Any future instrument should therefore build upon and reinforce existing human rights obligations and mechanisms. With regard to the role of families, families have long been at the heart of most societies. However, societies continue to evolve, and families today take many different forms, any future legally binding instrument should reflect this diversity. At the same time, it should recognize individual family members as right holders in their own right and ensure that the rights of older persons who do not belong to any family structure are equally respected, protected, and fulfilled. In that regard, it is critical to acknowledge that while families play an important role in care and support systems, a disproportionate share of paid and unpaid care work continues to be undertaken by women and girls, and that this constitutes a primary driver of gender inequality. We also must acknowledge that older persons are not merely recipients of care; they are often caregivers themselves, particularly older women, whose invaluable contributions remain too often overlooked. Recognizing the contribution of families should not diminish or replace the responsibility of States as the primary duty bearers. I thank you.

Thank you, Neguib, for the distinguished representative of Algeria.

Mr. Chair, the Algerian delegation wishes to share its vision regarding the formulation and scope of State obligation in this future instrument. For our delegation, the effectiveness and universal acceptability of this future instrument rests on a rigorous balance between the ambition for protection and institutional realism. First, obligations incumbent upon States must be grounded in the principle of progressive realization with respect to economic, social, and

cultural rights.

It is essential that the future instrument account for the diversity of socio-economic systems, institutional capacities, as well as financial and budgetary constraints, particularly for developing countries. Second, the text must enshrine a balanced articulation between the role of the State and that of the family. While the State remains the ultimate guarantor of fundamental rights protection, International obligations should not aim to replace or undermine the traditional model of family and community solidarity, which constitute the primary framework of protection and social cohesion in many of our societies. Finally, Mr. Chair, regarding the effective participation of older persons and their representatives in the development and implementation of policies. This should be structured through adopted national mechanisms that respect the legislative and institutional frameworks of each country, while avoiding any unnecessary overlap or duplication with existing international monitoring mechanisms.

I thank you.

I think I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of Germany.

Thank you, Mr. Chair Rapporteur, for giving Germany the floor on this item. As stated in our general statement on Monday afternoon, following the guiding questions, Germany suggests the following to be included in this cluster: The universality of human rights is the main principle that must prevail. Thus, standards and norms included in the new LRI must be derived from the international rights acquis. Human rights have no age limit. Where specific rights already exist in the human rights acquis, The exact text of existing rights have to be taken to a new LBI in order to avoid contradiction and confusion regarding the content and interpretation of rights. No existing norm may be weakened. That includes the human rights acquiesce and the ILO standards for social and labor rights, which complement the human rights acquiesce as university agreed standards. A central guiding framework must be the CRPD. A new LBI may not fall behind the widely agreed standards of this core international convention to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, many of them older persons. Thus, we ask for a provision, let's say a saving clause, corresponding to Article 4 CRPD to ensure that existing obligations may not be weakened or questioned. The principle of intergenerational fairness should be incorporated into the LBI as a guiding principle. Intergenerational fairness is a two-way street striving for a balanced fulfillment of the human rights needs of all generations, not least against the background of demographic change in many member states. We should recall the guiding principle of the MIPA Ministerial Declaration, which states the purpose of MIPA is Two, I quote, "To respond to the opportunities and challenges of population aging in the 21st century and to promote the development of a society for all ages." As concluded by the OEWGA, the principle of non-discrimination, especially the explicit ban of age discrimination and ageism in the field of human rights must be the core principle of the new LBI. Gender equality and diversity are important principles, especially against the background of intersectional discrimination. Germany has a long-standing tradition of ensuring meaningful participation in decision-making. In the field of aging, this is from the commitment to the MIPA process and its regional implementation strategy for the UNECE region. The importance of CRPD has been mentioned by the vast majority of Member States and other speakers. We should draw on the experience of CRPD and look at Article 4, paragraph 3, on participation. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of China.

China is of the view The provision of the Convention on the State obligations should include the following elements: First, the Convention should clearly establish the legal obligation and responsibility of States Parties to protect the rights of older persons. States Parties should adopt appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures to give effect to the rights recognized in the Convention, and amend or repeal existing laws, regulations and practices that constitute discrimination on the basis of age. Second, in light of their national economic social conditions, states should give full consideration to the protection and promotion of the human rights of older persons when formulating policies, and should progressively develop and improve the systems required to safeguard their rights and interests. Third, states should undertake public awareness raising activities to promote a positive perception of older persons throughout society and ensure their equal treatment. Fourth, states should establish and improve multi-tiered systems of social security, care, and health support for older persons, and progressively enhance the services and protection available to them. Fifth, states should respect the value attached to family-based care for older persons in different cultures. and recognize and encourage the positive role of families and communities in providing such care. Thank you, sir.

Thank you. I give the floor to distinguished representative of the Philippines.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Philippines recognizes population aging not as a burden, but as a testament to humanity's progress. As our country prepares for its transition into an aging society by 2030, we welcome the development of a legally binding international instrument that recognizes older persons as rights holders, agents of change, and indispensable contributors to society. In defining state obligations under the proposed instrument, the Philippines wishes to emphasize three fundamental considerations. First, the obligation to respect. The States must uphold the inherent dignity, autonomy, independence, and legal capacity of older persons, ensuring their right to self-determination, meaningful participation, and freedom from age-based discrimination. Advancing age must never diminish the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. Second, the obligation to protect. States must establish effective safeguards against discrimination, violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including in humanitarian emergencies and climate-related disasters. The Philippines further emphasizes that protecting older persons necessarily entails safeguarding the rights and welfare of those entrusted with their care, decent working conditions, Fair remuneration, social protection, and ethical recruitment practices for care workers, including migrant caregivers and healthcare personnel, are essential to sustainable and dignified care systems. In this regard, ILO Convention No. 189 and the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel provide valuable international guidance. Third, the obligation to fulfill. States must undertake sustained measures to ensure equitable access to social protection, affordable and quality health care, long-term care and support services, lifelong learning, and meaningful participation in society. These commitments must be supported by investments in accessible, inclusive, and age-responsive institutions, strengthened care systems, and international cooperation. The Philippines believes that the proposed instrument must translate these obligations into clear, actionable, and measurable commitments supported by effective and transparent implementation and monitoring mechanisms. Our collective responsibility is to ensure that increased longevity is accompanied by dignity, security, autonomy, and opportunities for meaningful participation. The Philippines reaffirms its commitment to working constructively with Member States and stakeholders towards an instrument that advances the human rights of older persons and our shared aspiration of a society for all ages. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I will give the floor to the distinguished representative of Turkey. Türkiye.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The effectiveness of the future legally binding instrument will largely depend on how clearly and coherently state obligations are formulated and how effectively they can be implemented in practice. For Türkiye, a fundamental consideration is the reaffirmation of the primary responsibility of states to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of older persons in accordance with existing international human rights law. General obligations should provide a sound basis for translating these commitments into appropriate legislative, administrative, and policy measures at the national level. This entails particular attention to preventing and combating age-based discrimination, removing barriers to accessibility, and enabling older persons to effectively exercise their rights. Equally important is promoting access to appropriate and effective remedies in cases of human rights violations. The meaningful participation of older persons and their representative organizations in the development and implementation of policies affecting their lives is another priority for Türkiye. We also recognize the valuable role played by families, communities, and intergenerational solidarity in supporting older persons. Such support, however, should complement, rather than replace, the legal obligations of states. At the same time, Due consideration must be given to the different nature of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights when formulating state obligations, including the principle of progressive realization where applicable under international human rights law. Common international standards should be accompanied by sufficient flexibility to enable implementation across different national legal systems, institutional arrangements, and circumstances. Ultimately, clear and balanced obligations supported by effective national measures will be essential to ensure that the future instrument brings meaningful improvements to the lives of older persons. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ecuador.

Chair, my delegation would like to thank the independent expert, Ms. Mahler, for her comments. And my delegation would attach particular relevance to this segment because It will be decisive in determining to what extent the future instrument is translated into tangible commitments. More than one decade of deliberations have shown that older persons are facing not only a lack of specifically recognized rights, but also the absence of clear state obligations, which allows them to demand them, is missing. In this context, we believe that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities gives us a robust basis with its principles and general obligations, which could be adapted to the specificities of older persons, thus, as has occurred with normative and program developments at the national level, regional and local levels in the area of the rights of persons with disabilities, states should adopt legislative, administrative, and other measures which are necessary, assigning and allocating corresponding resources to them. They should modify and repeal laws and discriminatory practices, and incorporate the rights of older persons in all of their policies and programs at different levels. In addition, there is the duty to prevent discrimination based on age. alone or combined with other factors, including on the part of non-state actors, in particular in care services and consumer relations. Indeed, the provision of services by private actors does not relieve the state of its responsibilities, which should be translated into authorizations, supervision, and inspection of the services provided in an appropriate combination of prevention and access to justice and compensation. Likewise, obligations related to accessible information, the universal design, and the training of professionals should be provided to assist all older persons, coming together with measures to eradicate ageism and with disaggregated data without higher age limits. Along the same lines, my delegation values intergenerational solidarity and the role of families and communities. This solidarity should be approached without any hierarchy. The rights holders that are recognized in this instrument are the old persons themselves. Therefore, the support of their environment should be oriented towards strengthening their autonomy and not substituting for it, without shifting responsibility in a prime way from the state or giving disproportionate burdens, particularly on women, for care. Moreover, consulting with older persons through their representative organizations should take the form of a state obligation of ensuring active participation in the design of those obligations, the application and follow-up to measures, including the community organizations' measures with the necessary support. Lastly, Chair, the future treaty should include a clause which preserves the most favorable provisions of national legislation and other international instruments, including Thank you very much.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Colombia.

Thank you, Chair Rapporteur, and thank you, Ms. Muller, for your presentation. For Colombia, this chapter should be built on two bases: the general principles of international human rights law and the specific standards on aging which already exist. First and foremost, the instrument should work on the basis of general principles of international law and the area of human rights, such as human dignity, universality, equality, and non-discrimination, as well as indivisibility and interdependence and progressiveness. This should be done taking into account the specific needs of older persons in the context of protection. which is covered by international law. Secondly, answering the question as to which standards should be considered, it is important to have as a reference point the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. This is one of the main specific international frameworks on aging, which plays an essential role when it comes to interpretation and normative development. These principles are organized in five pillars: independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment, and dignity. In addition to these, there is the shared responsibility of the state, family, and community, the private sector, and society in general. Each one of these elements having their own competence and capacities and respecting at all times the autonomy, dignity, and independence of older persons. In addition, and despite not being a universally applicable framework, what could be considered as a regional reference point are the general principles of Article 3 of the Inter-American Convention on the Protection of the Human Rights of Older Persons, INTOALIA, valuing the older person, their role in society and their contribution to development. equity and gender equality, and the life course approach, solidarity, strengthening family protection and community protection, the differentiated approach, and the state responsibility in general, and participation of the family and the community in the active integration of the older person in society, as well as their care and attention being given to their issues. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I now call upon Chile.

Thank you very much, Chair. Chile believes it is fundamental for the future instrument to establish clear principles which are executable and protect the human rights of older persons in tangible terms. for their effective application. First of all, these obligations should be based on the principles of dignity, autonomy, and independence, and non-discrimination, equality, active participation, and a progressive nature of the development of norms. We think it is indispensable for the instrument to reaffirm the state's obligations to protect and uphold the rights of older persons and to prevent, investigate, and compensate for any violations thereof. Likewise, it is necessary to have the duty to establish legislative, administrative, and budgetary provisions which make it possible to actually make these rights tangible and to strengthen the institutions responsible for the protection of the rights of these persons. Moreover, we think it is relevant to incorporate provisions to prevent and deal with discrimination, abandonment, and negligence, and also to strengthen regulation in the supervision of care institutions. In this area, Chile recognizes the important role played by families and communities as support networks. Without them, whether they should not be used to replace the state responsibility, therefore. Therefore, we think it is essential for the instrument to establish ongoing, accessible and inclusive mechanisms which guarantee the effective participation and meaningful participation of older persons and their representative organizations in developing, implementing, and evaluating policies and measures that affect them. In this concept, along with us, we have We have a law which is relevant for promoting the active participation of older people in the development of public policies. Lastly, these measures should be built on existing standards and above all, the Inter-American Convention on the Protection of the Human Rights of Older Persons. ensure coexistence with existing international law as well. The recognition of rights also should be accompanied by specific commitments by states which ensure effective application without any backward steps in the further development of this area of work by states. Thank you.

I now call on the distinguished representative of Cuba.

Thank you very much, Chair. Cuba believes that the future international instrument should include, as a minimum, the following general principles: first, respect for the principles of the UN Charter; second, compliance with the principles of universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelationship of all human rights; third, recognition of older persons as full rights holders on equal conditions with other persons; fourth, emphasis on the importance of international cooperation and technical assistance for implementing the future international instrument. At the same time, our delegation proposes that we include the following provisions in terms of state obligations, first, promoting and protecting the full exercise of the human rights of older persons. Second, prohibiting explicitly all forms of discrimination on the basis of age and adopting legislative and administrative measures which are appropriate for eradicating and preventing these practices. Third, guaranteeing the rights of older persons to take decisions on their own life. Fourth, guaranteeing the right of older persons to participate fully and effectively in society. Fifth, the obligation to protect older persons from various forms of violence which affect them. Sixth, guaranteeing the right of older persons to health, education, food, social security, inter alia. Seven, guaranteeing older persons accessible and universal care services. The participation by the family and the community and other actors should not be interpreted as being a substitute for state obligations. Eight, the responsibility of states to guarantee equal access to care services for older persons in a situation of economic vulnerability. Nine, promoting the training and education for care work for older persons to improve the quality of assistance and care services; 10, the obligation on the part of states not to impose and to stop immediately any coercive, unilateral coercive measures adopted against other states which affect the implementation of the purpose and objectives of the future international instrument. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

India.

Thank you, Chairperson. My delegation believes that State obligations need to be clearly defined in the future instrument. In this context, we would like to highlight the framework of obligations proposed by India in the draft text of the Convention on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights of Older Persons for consideration by the Working Group. Under the draft text proposed by India, State Parties are required to enact comprehensive legislative, administrative, and policy measures to translate the rights of older persons into practice. This includes systematically reviewing and repealing existing laws or practices that discriminate against older individuals. Furthermore, nations must embed these protections directly into broader national development frameworks, social protection systems, public policies, and budgetary allocations. A mandatory life course approach guides these implementation efforts. Acknowledging that health, autonomy, economic security, and social participation in later life are deeply shaped by prior life experiences and structural inequalities, states must act to prevent the compounding of disadvantage across different life stages. Special attention must also be directed towards older persons who encounter multiple or intersecting forms of discrimination. While states may establish higher standards of protection than those outlined in the Convention, execution must remain consistent with each country's constitutional structure and division of powers. The draft proposed by India distinguishes between immediate obligations and rights subject to progressive realization. States must immediately guarantee core rights such as inherent dignity, autonomy, equal legal capacity, freedom from age-based discrimination, protection from violence or abuse, access to justice, and free and informed consent. Immediate effect must also be given to providing reasonable accommodation to prevent discrimination, provided such adjustments do not impose an undue or disproportionate burden. Economic, social, and cultural rights are subject to progressive realization, requiring States to deploy the maximum extent of their available resources, individually and through international cooperation. Fulfilling this standard requires targeted and measurable steps, complete with clear implementation timelines and evaluation indicators. Progressive realization cannot be used as an excuse to ignore immediate obligations, permit discrimination, indefinitely delay necessary actions, or enact deliberate retrogressive measures without strict justification. When evaluating compliance regarding progressive realization, the proposed Committee on the Rights of Older Persons must account for a State’s level of development, fiscal capacity, demographic shifts, and competing resource demands. National implementation strategies must actively connect human rights guarantees with the physical infrastructure, public services, and social systems required to make them functional. And finally, international cooperation, including a dedicated convention fund, will assist states whose resources needs surpass their domestic capacity. Thank you.

Thank you. I will now give the floor to distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia.

Thank you, Chair. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attaches the utmost importance to the situation of older persons. This is as a result of our values, which inspire us to give the highest respect for these people. We have indeed translated our commitment to the rights of older persons into laws and regulations. We believe that the instrument should enshrine the following principles: first of all, legal protection; secondly, protection of human dignity. Indeed, all policies that we introduce to protect the rights of older persons must also protect their autonomy, their fulfillment, their protection, and their dignity. These older persons should participate in all decisions which affect them, and they should also protect their own rights. The principle of non-discrimination on the basis of age must lie at the heart of this instrument, because we know that these people can be subjected to intersectional discrimination. This protection from discrimination should be protected by law and practice. Also, the principle of protection from all ill-treatment must be preserved. safeguarded, because older people should be protected in this area by laws and regulations. Older persons must conserve their right to a social and economic life, and they should take part in social activities and not be isolated from their entourages. Also, we are convinced that social contacts can enhance the autonomy of older persons, we also would like to incorporate the principle of access by older persons to all social services, infrastructure, and governmental services. The principle of joint responsibility and protecting older persons is a shared responsibility among all people. the state and society is also, the principle is to preserve rights by providing all economic and social services to older persons.

Lesotho.

Lesotho considers That the future legal binding instrument should establish clear obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of older persons. At the outset, to eradicate age-based and overlapping forms of discrimination in both public and private contexts, states should first implement legal and administrative measures with easily accessible remedies where human rights of older persons are violated. Secondly, states should safeguard older persons' legal capacity and autonomy. Age alone must never restrict decision making, and any support should respect each person's rights, will, and preferences, including in health care and living arrangements. Further, states should use efficient monitoring, qualified staff, and easily available protection and complaint channels to prevent and address financial exploitation, abuse, neglect, and violence. Moreover, the envisaged instrument should distinguish immediate obligations, including non-discrimination, from the progressive realization of economic, social, and cultural rights. States should therefore take concrete, measurable steps using the maximum of available resources towards adequate social protection, accessible health care, and care and support. States should prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation through effective oversight, trained personnel, and accessible protection and complaints mechanisms. There is value in combining income security with accessible services for older persons, including those in rural and remote communities. Finally, older persons and their representative organizations must participate meaningfully in developing implementing and monitoring measures affecting them. Chairperson, clear institutional responsibilities, appropriate budgets, and disaggregated data should support implementation. International cooperation and technical assistance should strengthen developing countries' capacity to fulfill these obligations. Lesotho supports provisions that build on existing human rights standards and deliver effective protection in older persons' daily lives, while addressing the specific barriers older persons face. Our objective should be obligations that translate into effective protection and greater independence in their daily lives. I thank you.

Thank you, Gilda, for the distinguished representative of the Holy See.

Thank you, Mr. Chair Rapporteur. The delegation of the Holy See maintains that this chapter should reaffirm existing human rights obligations and specify the measures required for their effective application to older persons. Additional obligations should address clearly identified protection gaps and establish obligations that states can effectively implement. Its foundation must be the inherent and inviolable dignity that belongs to every person by virtue of being human, created in God's image and likeness. This dignity is neither conferred by circumstances or lost through illness, dependency, or cognitive impairment. Respect for life until natural death, equality, non-discrimination, freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, freedom, exercise of responsibility, participation, and intergenerational solidarity must underpin the LBI. Furthermore, the international covenants and treaties provide indispensable legal foundations and should inform the ongoing work with due regard for their scope and the obligations of their States parties. General obligations should encompass protection against violations by public and private actors, effective remedies and accountability. The protection and assistance owed to the family should receive concrete legal expression. States parties should support family and community care while ensuring necessary services where such assistance is unavailable or insufficient. Health provisions should promote non-discriminatory access to appropriate medical treatment and palliative care, including human and spiritual accompaniment. The Holy See would welcome and express safeguard, excluding any interpretation that recognizes an entitlement to euthanasia or assisted suicide. Finally, a savings clause should safeguard existing rights and obligations under international law and more protective domestic provisions. No human right or fundamental freedom should be restricted or derogated from on the pretext that the instrument does not recognize it or recognizes it to a lesser extent. Thank you, Mr. Chair Rapporteur.

Thank you. I give the floor to Esteban, representative of Jordan.

Dignity, equality, and non-discrimination should guide the instrument, alongside privacy and respect for older persons' decisions. Age alone should not imply an inability to decide. Appropriate information and support should enable choices about their lives and care. Those principles should inform the review of practices and the removal of barriers to rights. Drawing on Jordan's experience, obligations should connect licensing and oversight of public and private care services with quality, safety, and staff competence. Inspections and complaints should promote protection and corrective actions with follow-up. Health and social services should be qualified and trained in rights, communication, recognizing abuse and neglect, and responding to different needs. Professional standards should incorporate continuing training and regular performance assessment. Building on Jordan's participatory approach to its national executive plan, older persons and their organizations should help develop and review legislations, policies, and programs, monitor implementation, and evaluate results. Participation should reflect different regions and diverse health, social, and economic circumstances. Government, civil society, and the private sector should cooperate with clear responsibilities and adequate resources. Obligations should enable measurable progress, take account of national capacities, and remain consistent with existing international obligations. distinguishing immediate duties from measures subject to progressive realization. These elements would help clarify state responsibilities and strengthen the protection of older persons. I thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Representative of Pakistan, you have the floor.

Thank you, Chair Rapporteur, on this. On behalf of Pakistan, I would like to emphasize a few points. First, on principles, we would emphasize inherent dignity, non-discrimination, participation, and security, including protection from violence, abuse, and neglect. The instrument should also reflect support for family and community care, including subsidiarity, intergenerational solidarity, and respect for national legislation and for cultural and social diversity. Two, in response to the guiding question, the instrument should draw on existing agreed standards. the UDHR, the ICCPR, the ICESCR, the CRPD, and CEDAW, together with UN Principles for Older Persons and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. These reflect broad agreement, and building on them will serve both coherence and consensus. Three, obligations in the economic, social, and cultural fields must reflect progressive realization to the maximum of available resources as set out in article 2.1 of ISCESCR. For many in this room have stressed, Mr. Chair, the primary responsibility of states, and we do not, my delegation does not dispute that. But many states lack the means to provide comprehensive care, and their older persons are still not abandoned. Families step in on their own initiative, often at great personal sacrifice. That is nothing short of heroic, and the instrument should clearly say so. Those who call for the primacy of states must also commit to meaningful cooperation through technology transfer, capacity building, and resource sharing. Primacy cannot be a one-way street. Five, we support a savings clause. Nothing in the instrument should derogate from existing international obligations or from more protective national provisions. No right should be restricted on the pretext that the instrument does not recognize it. Finally, the instrument should not prescribe, and this, of course, feeds into the point that we have been making since day one, the instrument should not prescribe any single social model of family, aging, or care. Societies organize themselves in different ways, and many of them do so with great success. A text that is universal in its aims must be flexible in how they are achieved. I thank you, Chair.

Thank you. I give the floor to distinguished representative of Egypt.

Thank you, Mr. Chair Rapporteur. My delegation considers that the first priority must be the full and effective implementation of existing international human rights obligations. All the persons are already rights holders under the universal human rights framework. The challenge, as we see it, is primarily one of the implementation, visibility, and enforcement. not the absence of universal entitlements, nor lack of state obligations. Accordingly, states should prioritize practical measures that give effect to existing obligations, including but not limited to the following: First, prohibit age discrimination in law and practice, including discrimination based on age alone or in combination with other grounds such as race, color, sex, language, religion, disability, or other status. Second, reform laws or policies and practices that restrict older persons' autonomy, substitute decision-making, or exclude them from services or participation. Third, prevent, investigate, punish, and provide adequate remedies for violence, neglect, abuse, and exploitation of older persons, whether committed by state or private actors.

Fourth.

Ensure accessibility, affordable, non-discriminatory health care system, long care, social protection, housing, and empower community-based support, including through families, with particular attention to older persons in.

Vulnerable situations.

Fifth, strengthen national implementation, monitoring, and reporting mechanisms, collect age disaggregated data, and ensure access to effective remedies. These measures reflect the established duties of states to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights. Finally, we believe any further instrument, any future instrument, should preserve the coherence and universality of the international human rights law. Priorities should avoid duplication, use universally agreed language, and ensure complementing, rather than diluting or fragmenting, existing treaty obligations. In our view, the most immediate obligation is not to create parallel norms or obligations, but to make existing ones effective, enforceable, and fully responsive to older persons as right holders. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. If we are strict in terms of the time, and we only have three minutes left. maximum, actually with three minutes we are not going to reach anyway, we may not have any spillover today. So that's why I am going to appeal to the solidarity of every representative of civil society to reduce their intervention as much as possible. I'm going to start with the National Human Rights Commission. You have the floor. This is the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand.

Thank you, Chair Reporter. The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, or NHRCT, supports a clear and comprehensive obligations for States to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of older persons. We would like to highlight the State's duty to protect the human rights of older persons from harms posed by both public authorities and private actors. To address poor care standards, abuse and neglect in residential facilities, the State must set clear guidelines for care providers, implement regular inspections, and hold violators accountable to safeguard the dignity, autonomy, and safety of older persons. Older persons are so vulnerable to financial exploitation, including online fraud. States must strengthen preventive measures, raise awareness of digital risks, and ensure robust protection against exploitation by private actors. The HRCT emphasizes protecting of legal capacity of older persons, particularly those with cognitive impairments. States must provide decision-making mechanisms with effective safeguards against pressure and manipulation, while respecting their will and preferences. The duty to protect requires States to prevent, investigate, and provide remedies. Older persons, especially those isolated, who face reporting barriers, must have access to complaint mechanisms and support without discrimination. The necessity highlights the duty to fulfill in ensuring equal access to public services, as these services increasingly going digital, older persons with limited digital skills face major barriers to accessing essential provisions. States must promote digital literacy, implement user-friendly digital platforms, and provide accessible, practical assistance. Alternative ways to access essential public services should remain available to ensure that no one is left behind. Furthermore, States must move beyond a welfare-based approach, which views older persons as passive recipients of assistance rather than rights holders. to one that champions human rights. Training and education should dismantle ageist attitudes while promoting autonomy, independence, and equal participation. Finally, the NHRC encourages the working groups to set clear and practical state obligations, supported by effective accountability measures, to ensure meaningful protection of older persons' rights in the everyday life. I thank you.

Thank you, your.

Distinguished representative of the Human Rights Commission of South Africa.

Thank you, Chairperson. The South African Human Rights Commission aligns itself with statements that would have been made by Nandri and Ghandri earlier on during the week. Our central task is to define what states must do, how implementation will be measured, and how older persons can obtain redress when their human rights are violated. Human dignity, equality, access to justice belong fully to older persons. The future convention must translate these rights into explicit obligations. It proposed five essential elements. First, legislative reform. States parties should review their laws, regulations, policies, and practices, repeal discriminatory provisions, expressly prohibit age discrimination, and preserve existing stronger protections. South Africa's Constitution, Older Persons Act, and regulations provide valuable experience. They also demonstrate why legislation must be supported by effective implementation. Secondly, drawing on approach of CRPD, article four, subsection three, the instrument should require close consultation and active involvement of older persons and their representative organization in developing, implementing, and monitoring measures affecting them. Older persons leadership, including within institutions such as ours, demonstrates their agency. States must create accessible opportunities for them to exercise influence as full rights holders. States must prevent and respond to violence, neglect, coercion, and financial exploitation. This requires accessible reporting, effective investigation, support, and remedies. Where private providers deliver care, states must retain responsibility for regulation, inspection, and accountability. Obligations should require responsible institutions funded plans, professional training, accessible services, and measurable targets. Progressive realization must involve concrete steps and demonstrate progress alongside immediate duties such as non-discrimination. Chairperson, institutions and institutional capacities differ. A universal instrument is imperative to establish a common standard of protection. Ubuntu calls us to support families and communities while affirming that states remain primary duty bearers. As I close, Nelson Mandela reminded us that a society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future. I thank you.

Thank you. Representative of Finnish National Human Rights Institution.

Thank you, Chair. On behalf of eight NHRIs from Australia, Cameroon, Finland, Georgia, Germany, the Philippines, Poland, and South Africa, I would like to highlight that the LBI should establish obligations of states and should be the basis of accountability and stipulate international minimum standards with general guidelines for country-level compliance and application. States should accept the obligations contained in the LBI and ensure their national laws are compatible with their duties at the international level. As a general principle under international human rights norms and standards, states must respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of older persons without discrimination or distinction of any kind. They must refrain from interfering with or diminishing the enjoyment of civil and political rights and economic, social, and cultural rights of older persons. States must also protect the rights of older persons by preventing non-state actors, such as individuals, businesses, or private corporations and institutions, from abusing or violating such rights. Furthermore, states should guarantee the essential resources, infrastructure, and legal remedies, among others, are available, accessible, adequate, and acceptable to fulfill the human rights of older persons. Obligations of states must include ensuring that older persons have access to effective remedies should their rights be violated, and that when claiming remedies, their rights are determined by competent judicial, administrative, legislative, and other competent authority provided by the legal and administrative systems of the state. The LBI must prohibit states from taking retrogressive measures that lower existing levels of protection of human rights. States should not be authorized to derogate from their obligations under international law. Rights and freedoms already protected under a country's constitution, laws, treaties, regulations, or customs must continue to be protected. No government may limit or remove rights and freedoms that older persons already have simply because the LBI does not explicitly mention such rights and freedoms. In the development and implementation of laws and policies to enforce the LBI, states must consult and include older persons in all phases of discussion and must also work together with their representative organizations, civil society, and national human rights institutions. I thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Qatar National Human Rights Committee.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، السيد الرئيس، أصحاب السعادة، تؤكد اللجنة الوطنية لحقوق الإنسان في دولة قطر على أهمية أن تتضمن الاتفاق.

The National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar emphasizes the importance of incorporating into the Convention clear general principles grounded in international human rights standards, including human dignity, equality, non-discrimination, autonomy, participation, inclusion, care, self-fulfillment, respect for diversity and aging, accessibility, intergenerational solidarity, and accountability. The Committee further stresses the need to translate these principles into legally binding obligations on State parties, such as reviewing national legislations and policies, aligning them with the provisions of the Convention, taking the necessary measures to protect older persons from all forms of violence, neglect, exploitation and abuse, ensuring their enjoyment of their rights and their access to essential services and effective remedies, as well as providing the resources necessary to fulfill these obligations, the Committee also underscores the need to ensure the free, effective, and meaningful participation of older persons and their representative organization in the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of laws, policies, and measures affecting their rights. This should be accompanied by clearly defined institutional responsibilities and effective mechanisms for follow-up and accountability, so as to ensure the effective protection of the rights of older persons, respect for their dignity, autonomy and full participation in society on an equal basis with others.

And now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Amnesty International. You have three minutes.

Distinguished delegates, Amnesty International welcomes the opportunity to address this session on state obligation under the new legally binding instruments on the human rights of older persons. The treaty should reaffirm the application of all human rights to older persons in all their diversity, on an equal basis with others and without discrimination on the basis of age or any other ground. It should also specify how this general obligation of rights should be applied to situations commonly, specifically, or disproportionately experienced by older persons. The affirmation of rights in the treaty should therefore be accompanied by clear statements of the obligation of States parties to promote, respect, protect and fulfil the rights guaranteed under the treaty. The treaty should also ensure that its provisions do not weaken existing human rights protection under international human rights treaties or perpetuate limitations on all persons' equal enjoyment of their rights. To this end, and building on the model of recent human rights instruments, including the CRPD, the instrument must include provision for state parties to refrain from engaging in any act or practice that is inconsistent with the new treaty and ensure that public authorities and institutions act in conformity with it. Adopted implement appropriate legislative, administrative, and policy measures, repeal discriminatory laws, policies, and practices. Integrate the rights of all persons across all policy and programs, and ensure that public authorities and private actors comply with these obligations. State parties should also take all appropriate measures to ensure substantive equality for all persons. Realize economic, social, and cultural rights to the maximum of available resources, ensuring effective access to those rights on an equal basis with others. Take steps to raise awareness of and eliminate ageist stereotypes and prejudices across public and private spheres, taking into account their diversity manifestation across economic, social, and cultural context. Closely consult and actively involve older person and their representative organization in all decisions affecting their life, embedding the principle of nothing about us without us across all level of implementation. Ensure to all the person equality before the law, including effective access to justice and the right to an effective remedy under domestic law on an equal basis with others. Collect and use data to inform policies and ensure effective implementation on the treaty. Data collection must respect privacy, data protection laws, and international human rights and ethical standards. It should be disaggregated to monitor compliance with obligation and identify barriers faced by older persons. States should also proactively publish this data and ensure it is fully accessible to older persons. In conclusion, clear and comprehensive State obligations are essential to ensure that new treaties deliver the paradigm shift that older persons urgently require, from passive recipient of welfare or medical care to human rights holder with their own dignity and agency. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to distinguished representative of Human Rights Watch, three minutes max.

Human Rights Watch's intervention focuses on states' general obligations to prevent, prohibit, and eliminate discrimination against older persons. Human Rights Watch's research has found that discrimination against older persons can be systemic. Systemic discrimination is the entrenched and often unchallenged laws, policies, and practices, and social attitudes that disadvantage and cause harm to particular groups of people.

Human Rights Watch has conducted research.

On the impact of constitutional guarantees of equality that exclude age as a protected ground. on anti-discrimination laws that exempt particular forms of differential treatment based on age, such as mandatory retirement ages. As a result, older persons are left without the right to challenge or seek justice for such differential treatment. When differential treatment based on age is subject to challenge, it has often been justified on the basis of ageist stereotypes in contravention of international human rights law. We have documented occupational segregation of older persons, itself a form of discrimination, built into policies intended to support older persons' employment, but which channel all of them into a limited range of low-paid, insecure, and undervalued jobs deemed suitable for older persons. Intersectional and cumulative discrimination too can be systemic. Gender pay gaps rise as women get older and contribute to gender pension gaps which are further exacerbated by pension systems designed in ways that disadvantage older women. The harms of racial discrimination throughout life can accumulate and limit older persons access to care and support services when they need them. Ageism, including gendered ageism against older women, fosters hostile environments that exacerbate and contribute to the systemic discrimination older persons face. A systemic approach is needed to address this systemic problem. Human Rights Watch therefore proposes a general obligation requiring states to prohibit and eliminate all forms of discrimination against older persons, including by modifying or abolishing existing laws, regulations, customs and practices that constitute discrimination against older persons. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Age Platform Europe. Three minutes.

Chair, dear delegates, colleagues, I am speaking on behalf of Age Platform Europe, Europe's largest network of organizations of and for older people. The position that I am sharing with you today is grounded in the contributions of our network of 105 members. The Convention should be based on a set of core principles that guide its development, interpretation, implementation and monitoring, and ensure accountability. These should include respect for inherent dignity, equality and non-discrimination, autonomy and independence, and the full and meaningful participation and inclusion of older persons in all their diversity. The principle of participation must be reflected throughout the treaty negotiations, with the voices, aspirations, and lived experiences of older persons guiding every stage. It must also underpin its implementation, enabling and guaranteeing the meaningful participation of older persons and their representative organization in the monitoring of States' obligations. Participation must be more than a box-ticking exercise. It is essential to ensuring that the treaty makes a real difference and effectively addresses the diversity of experiences in older age, including the cumulative and intersecting forms of discrimination across the life course. While older people are rights holders, states are the duty bearers under international law and undertake the obligation to ensure the full and equal enjoyment of human rights at all stages of life, including in old age. States' obligation of the forthcoming convention must not regress from existing norms and protection under human rights law. Instead, the convention should strengthen and build upon these norms to reflect the lived experience of rights violation in old age. The legally binding instrument should comprehensively address the full range of human rights and provide for States' obligation to address the real-life barriers that older persons face. Among its general obligation, it should pay particular attention to ageism as the root cause of human rights violation in older age. State obligation should encompass all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices which constitute discrimination on the basis of age. To this end, states should work towards eliminating ageism from all levels of society. Age Platform wishes to reiterate its commitment to this issue and stands ready to mobilize its members to help define states' obligations that will enable us to fully enjoy our rights in old age. Thank you.

Thank you. Your distinguished representative of National Association of Community Legal Centers. Three minutes max.

Thank you, Chair. On the issue of state obligations to be included in the new instrument, Community Legal Centres Australia supports the position of the Global Alliance on the Rights of Older People. That position is set out in Garrup's discussion paper number two entitled State Obligations. CLCA would like to recommend the inclusion of four specific elements in the general obligation section of the instrument. These are set out in our written statement, but in the interest of time, I will address only the second and third elements. The second element is that the instrument should include an explicit right to a remedy for violations of rights guaranteed by it. Article 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees the right to a remedy for violations of human rights, and a number of the UN human rights treaties, such as the ICCPR and the Racial Discrimination Convention, require states parties to ensure access to prompt and effective remedies. Even where the UN human rights treaties do not include a specific remedies provision, their supervisory bodies have taken the view that such a right is implied in the treaty. The CRPD is an example of such an approach, where the treaty does include a specific right of access to justice, as are the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. These developments should be reflected in the new instrument. The third point is that we should avoid reproducing old tropes that have been long since discredited about the different categories of rights and related obligations. Rather than uncritically assuming that economic, social, and cultural rights are exclusively or primarily subject only to obligations of progressive realization and do not involve any obligations of immediate effect, We need to recognize that all categories of rights are subject to obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill those rights. That means immediately implementable aspects for economic, social, or cultural rights that go beyond non-discrimination. And also, the same applies for what we might term hybrid rights. Article 42 of the CRPD was an attempt to state this position, but that provision can be improved on and should be. The scope of obligations should also be elaborated against the background that there are presently 174 States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, most of which have been parties to that treaty for decades. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Giedrius. Distinguished representative of International Federation on Aging.

Mr. Chair, the International Federation on Ageing believes that the future convention must clearly define the obligations of states to respect, protect, and fulfil the human rights of older.

Persons in all their life experiences and diversity. We align ourselves to the opening statement by the Global Alliance on the Rights of Older People and welcome its discussion paper on this topic. State obligations should go beyond general commitments and provide a practical framework for legislation, public policies, institutional arrangements, and accountability.

States should take effective measures to prevent age-based discrimination, eliminate ageism and other barriers to equal participation, and ensure access to justice and effective remedies. Attention should be given to social participation, income security, health and long-term care, accessibility, and participation in public life.

States must remove barriers to older people.

Achieving ongoing and equal recognition under the law, and must support older people in their ability to maintain.

Autonomy and continue to make decisions that affect their lives.

The Convention should also recognise that the realisation of rights requires, one, appropriate resources, two, education programmes for public officials and service providers, and three, information and awareness raising initiatives to ensure that older persons and themselves are aware of their rights.

And how to exercise them. Coordination across all government institutions and systemic evaluation of results is also required.

While implementation will necessarily reflect national circumstances, the fundamental obligation to respect and protect human rights must remain universal. The human rights of all older people, including Indigenous peoples, older people with intersectional diversity and other cultures, must be recognised and promoted by states. IFA encourages the working group to formulate obligations that are clear, measurable, and capable of producing tangible improvements in the lives of older persons.

Thank you.

Thank you for distinguished representative of International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.

Thank you, Chair. IMPA is a founding member of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People. We align to Garop 's opening statement and welcome its discussion paper on this topic. IPAA emphasized that clear principles must be supported by concrete state obligation. The convention should be guided by dignity, autonomy, and independency, equality, and non-discrimination, gender equality, accessibility, respect for diversity, and full and meaningful participation. These principles must guide the interpretation, implementation, and monitoring of every provision, protection from abuse, must uphold autonomy and legal capacity, including access to the support for decision-making that respect the person's will and preference. First, States must adopt legislative, administrative, and budgetary measures to respect, protect, promote, and fulfill rights. They must amend discriminatory laws and practice, address structuralism, and ensure effective remedies. Non-discrimination requires immediate implementation. Progressive realization, where applicable, requires concrete steps using maximum availability of resources. Second, older persons and their representative organization must participate in developing, implementing, and monitoring laws and policies. Participation must be accessible and adequately supported, including for those unable to travel, participate online, or leave institution. Their views must influence decision. Third, states must prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation by public and private actors. This requires regulation, independent oversight, trained professionals, accessibility complaints, and effective investigation and remedies with safeguards against retaliation. While families have a crucial role, responsibility must not be transformed to families or avoided through private outsourcing services. Finally, implementation must include independent monitoring, disaggregated data without attribute, peer age limits, and accountability. The Convention must ensure that older persons can exercise their rights and obtain redress when those rights are violated.

Thank you.

Thank you again for the distinguished representative of PAXO.

Thank you, Chair. Regarding States' obligations, we would like to highlight two priorities that are particularly important to us as umbrella association of older persons organizations with over 120 member organizations. First, the treaty must require States to ensure the meaningful, effective, and inclusive participation of older persons and their representative organizations in decision-making processes that affect their lives. This participation must extend throughout the policy cycle, including the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of laws, policies and other measures. Older persons must have access to relevant information in accessible formats and be given timely and genuine opportunities to influence decisions. Already now, their knowledge, perspectives and practical experiences must inform the development of this legally binding instrument. Second, the treaty must establish general state obligations that remain effective in the face of evolving social, demographic, environmental, scientific, and technological developments. Such developments may create new challenges and gaps in the promotion and protection of the human rights in older age. The treaty must therefore establish a durable framework that enables states to respond to the emerging risks and changing circumstances. This should include reviewing and, where necessary, adapting their laws, policies, and practices to ensure the continued effective enjoyment of the human rights by older persons. In this regard, we encourage Member States to conduct meaningful, inclusive, and accessible consultations at a national level involving older persons, their representative organizations, and national human rights institutions. Finally, allow me one more comment on the concept of intergenerational fairness mentioned by Germany. While Baxur shares the objective of promoting fairness across generations, we are concerned that increasing emphasis on this concept risks reducing fairness primarily as a question of distribution between younger and older people. We must avoid pitting generations against one another. Instead, we should recognize that tensions between generations often reflect deeper rooted social inequalities. A fair society requires us to address these underlying inequalities and foster solidarity and cooperation across all generations. In closing, as a proud member of GAROP, we would like to recommend its discussion paper on state obligations cited by previous speakers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. For the distinguished representative of Liberation. Three minutes.

Thank you. Liberation is representing the Centre for the Human Rights Abusers and Survivors of Psychiatry during this second IGEW session. If the forthcoming treaty is to be fully rights-based, it will be crucial that it includes the following obligations, and that States adhere to them in practice. There should be full accordance with the UNCRPD. As the UNCRPD Committee has emphasised in its August 2026 statement to the Intergovernmental Working Group, there’s a strong correlation between disability and ageing. It will be vital, therefore, that the new treaty upholds human rights which older persons with disabilities already have under the UNCRPD, as well as setting out any additional rights which they should hold. For those of us who are older persons with psychosocial disabilities, and our colleagues with intellectual or cognitive disabilities, this will involve States respecting our right to exercise legal capacity on an equal basis with others, and so to decide where, with whom, and how we live, free from substitute decision-making, disability-based detention in institutions, and disability-based conditions for living in community settings, so Articles 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 19. Reinterpretations of the UNCRPD used to undermine these rights should have no part either in the forthcoming treaty. The new treaty should also be explicit about other forms of intersectional discrimination which affect older persons as well, including long-standing negative effects of colonialism and labels which far-right movements are increasingly attaching to already marginalised groups. If older persons and their representative organisations are to be involved meaningfully in decisions about their rights at every level, they should have a leading role. There will also need to be a clear distinction between points which older persons put forward directly themselves, and points from groups speaking for, but not led by, older persons. Thank you.

Thank you. I give you the floor, distinguished representative of Alliance Defending Freedom. Three minutes maximum.

Chair Rapporteur, ADF International suggests that the state obligations to be included in the instrument clarify how existing international human rights obligations apply to older persons and address clearly identified protection gaps arising from the circumstances of aging. We offer two suggestions in that spirit. On health care, the legally binding instrument should guarantee older persons access, without discrimination, to preventative, curative, long-term, palliative, and other specialized health care services. In the case of palliative care, consistent with its established understanding as care that affirms life and intends neither to hasten nor to delay death, this care should be comprehensive, timely, available, accessible, and acceptable. On care and support, we propose that the legally binding instrument require its parties to promote older persons' access to long-term care and support services adapted to their specific circumstances, addressing not only their physical and mental needs, but also their social and spiritual ones. The family, as a natural and fundamental group unit of society, plays an essential role in this care. States Parties should therefore recognize and actively support that role, including through social protection and workplace measures that enable the contribution of family members who care for older family members and of older persons who are themselves caregivers, as well as home and community-based services that complement family care. Such support should have due regard to the views and wishes of older persons themselves, and be without prejudice to the responsibility of the State to ensure effective protection where care and support at the closest level is unavailable or inadequate. We remain at the disposal of delegations to elaborate on these suggestions. Thank you.

Thank you. The floor to the distinguished representative of FOCRA.

Well, talking about state obligations, there is a dual role: serving and spurring. On one hand, this means guaranteeing the necessary services for old persons. To begin with, adequate care facilities of high quality. And quality means also qualitative staff. As the Inter-American Court pointed out in its landmark opinion last year, the right to care needs investment in professional care, in decent working conditions, and at the same time, supporting and protecting those who provide the informal care, instead of simply saying that families and local communities should just deal with it. But it's more than care. It's about social housing, public transport. It's about facilities for lifelong learning, also after retirement. It's about the absolute necessity to deliver non-digital services in a digitalizing world. And last but not least, we speak also of a social security system, supplemented by social welfare that guarantees the right to an adequate income for older persons, also in line with the ILO standards, including the right to survivor pension. The second role of the state is guaranteeing that all actors in society behave according to the universal human rights standards, and not only the public actors, but also all private actors by enforceable rules and a credible enforcement mechanism. Not only by waiting for complaints and claims to come in, but also by actively looking for violations and by involving organisations of older people in the supervision. Speaking of state obligations, in July and even more this week, we heard calls from some member states for so-called flexibility. to take in account national circumstances, cultural differences, historical traditions, budgetary constraints, demographic differences, and so on and so forth. Chair, the big risk of all this is that the so-called flexibility will finally lead us to an empty shell with a lack of commitment that is a far cry from the universal nature of human rights. It makes it more necessary than ever, therefore, to also speak, as Claudia Mahler did before, about the state obligation to actively involve older people in national and local policy-making, not by non-committal consultation, but by recognising older people as co-creators of policies. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The International Disability Alliance.

Would like to stress on five elements. First, the LBI must establish the obligation to adopt all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures to respect, ensure and fulfill the rights of all the persons. As for legal harmonization, it could set a clear duty to undertake a systematic review of laws, policies, and regulatory frameworks to identify and address gaps of rights protection and to repeal provisions enshrining or provoking discrimination on the basis of older age, perceived older age, or imputed older age, either alone or in interaction with other grounds, including disability. Secondly, a state should have the concrete general obligation to combat negative stereotypes and prejudice based on older age, perceived older age, and perceived older age. And a specific provision inspired in Articles 5, CIDAW, and 8, CRPD could further detail this area of state action, including in connection to portrayal of older persons in media. Thirdly, the LBI should set the state's obligation to closely consult and meaningfully involve older persons in all their diversity through their representative organizations in public decision-making that concerns them, be it directly or indirectly, seeking inspiration in Article 4.3 CRPD and CRPD Committee's General Comment number 7. In this context, it should be stated that consultation procedures should be legally established and ensure accessibility and reasonable accommodation. Further, priority should be given to the views of right holders over other actors, such as service providers who might have vested economic interests. In addition, states should resource right holders' organizations through co-funding for them to fulfill their role and engage meaningfully and independently in consultation procedures. Fourth, in the area of economic, social, and cultural rights, focusing on the general obligation to take measures to the maximum of its available resources in view to achieving progressively the full realization of these rights, typically regulated in other treaties. It could be further elaborated to suggest that relevant measures should be taken precisely to increase resources available to devote to the implementation of the rights of older persons, including through effective and progressive taxation, and prioritization over less on non-essential public expenses. Finally, a saving clause as that one included in Article 4, sorry, Article 5 for CRPD should be also included. Thank you very much for your attention.

Thank you, and I give the floor to the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care.

Respected Chair, the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care is a non-state actor in official relations with the World Health Organization and works with WHO on technical issues relevant to palliative care. We wish to highlight the importance of explicitly recognizing palliative care in the Convention and translating this recognition into clear state obligations. For older persons, access to palliative care is essential to protecting dignity, autonomy, and the right to health, including the relief of avoidable suffering. We therefore recommend that the Convention explicitly require States Parties to ensure equitable access to palliative care as an integral component of health services and the right to health. To give effect to this obligation, we encourage the drafting group to include provisions requiring States Parties to: first, adopt appropriate laws, policies, national health programs, and budgets that integrate palliative care into health systems; second, ensure that health insurance and other health coverage arrangements include palliative care; Third, the guarantee access to essential medicines and technologies for pain relief and palliative care, including appropriate formulations for older persons. Fourth, integrate palliative care across all levels of health services, from community-based care to hospitals, ensuring that health professionals can provide basic palliative care and that specialist multidisciplinary teams are available for consultation and referral. Fifth, ensure equitable access for older persons in situations of structural vulnerability, including those living in poverty, those experiencing frailty or disability, and those deprived of their liberty. Sixth, support research, education, and training in palliative care at all levels of professional development, including basic, intermediate, and specialist training and continuing education. Chair, these obligations are necessary to ensure that palliative care is not merely acknowledged in principle, but made accessible in practice. The Convention should recognize that older persons are rights holders entitled to timely, appropriate, and person-centered care, regardless of their income, health status, living arrangements, or place of residence. We urge States to include explicit provisions on palliative care and corresponding implementation obligations in the conventions. I thank you.

Thank you, Yvette, for the distinguished representative of International Longevity Centre Canada.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, Excellencies, and distinguished representatives. My name is Cecilia Mole, and I'm delivering this statement on behalf of International Longevity Centre Canada in alignment with the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older Persons. Aging is a natural and universal part of the human experience, and the responsibility of states is an important consideration for the new convention that is being developed. The proposed legally binding instrument must firmly anchored in the human rights system, emphasizing the universality and interconnectedness of all rights. While existing treaties apply to everyone, the specific rights and needs of older persons remain overlooked and inadequately protected. To enshrine the rights of older persons in a meaningful way, fundamental principles need to be properly defined at the international level and executed, maintained, and respected at national levels. Under international law, states bear the primary responsibility of respecting, protecting, and fulfilling human rights. These three pillars are not optional. They are legal obligations that states parties must implement through appropriate legislative, regulatory, and administrative measures, supported by adequate resources and accountability mechanisms. On respecting human rights, states must refrain from actions that interfere with or curtail the ability of older persons enjoying their rights. States must consider the intersecting factors that shape aging, such as socioeconomic status, culture, disability, gender, and race. The treaty must affirm that all forms of discrimination, especially ageism, are impermissible, and states must take appropriate measures to eliminate existing discriminatory laws, policies, and practices. On protecting human rights, states must prevent third parties from violating the rights of older persons. They are not just recipients of care, they should be fully recognized as full participants in society that are entitled to exercise their rights on an equal basis with others. States must recognize their personhood, and the treaty must safeguard older persons from all forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, and financial. These international rights must be codified at national levels and enforced locally, building upon existing guarantees and expanding protections. On fulfilling human rights, states must take proactive measures to ensure that older persons can fully enjoy their fundamental rights. The treaty must place the responsibility of infrastructure needs, accessible care, and supports that enable effective participation on states, not families. States must pursue meaningful and inclusive engagement with older persons when developing data-informed policies and programs to ensure that older persons have what they need to age on their own terms. We therefore urge Member States to ensure that the Convention articulates unequivocally that States bear the primary and legal responsibility of respecting, protecting, and fulfilling the human rights of older persons, including every duty that flows from these obligations. National legal and policy responses must capture and operationalize these international protections so that aspirations turn into meaningful actions. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to distinguished representative of Age World Foundation.

Thank you, Chair. This morning, we ask for words that open doors. This afternoon, we ask for duties that keep them open. Kindness is beautiful, but duty is reliable. For generations, older persons in the Global South have have lived on kindness of a son, a neighbor, a temple, a charity. It is real, but it runs out. By 2050, 80% of older persons will live in low and middle income countries, many without a pension, adequate health care, or long-term care. Only duty will reach them. We ask this section to do four things. First, Establish a minimum core, essential income security, health care, and care support that every state must guarantee, whatever its resources are. Second, pair progressive realization with accountability. States already commit under the covenant of economic, social, and cultural rights to act to the maximum of advisable resources. Progressively must never become eventually, and eventually must never become never. Third, give international assistance and cooperation substance. The Covenant already speaks of it. This instrument can make it operational through partnership, shared expertise, technical assistance, and South-South exchange, so that countries learn from one another. Many countries of the Global South are ready to contribute their experience, and with partnership, they can do far more. Fourth, address the private sector. The UN Guiding Principles already say states must protect against abuse by business. Now, a multi-trillion dollar longevity economy profits from the needs of older persons. States can ensure it shares responsibility for the care those needs and demands. In our first session intervention, we said goodwill should become obligation, and we are grateful to the core members who have carried that thought forward, and our views has not changed. Let us write duties that will stand when kindness grows tired. Can we say this one voice, that no older person should depend on kindness alone? Thank you. And I must thank Claudia for her keen observations and the thoughts that she shared with us. Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

I'm not going to repeat what we have heard already, but Article 4 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a model equipped with all the tools necessary to be tailored to our Convention on Older Persons. First, because it draws on all the progress of the human rights treaty bodies in the 20th century, and it also has 193 ratifications, which has demonstrated that it is successful. that the obligations therein are successful. And then thirdly, because the Inter-American Convention for the Protection of the Human Rights of Older Persons also draws on those obligations and enshrines them. Next, I will refer to a few points as briefly as possible that could be added as States' obligations. First, the supervision or guardianship on the part of the state regarding the entities that are service providers for older persons. In other words, we don't want things to go underground. Secondly, the measures that states should adopt to eradicate any form of mistreatment, violence, abuse, negligence, or abandonment of older persons. also decreeing the need for reparation and remedy in the case of violations. It's also important, and this by the bias indicated in the Inter-American Convention, we need to ensure priority to older persons in healthcare, social protection, and other rights. That being said, it's also necessary to say that states must adopt measures for awareness raising and intergenerational dialogue, because this will bring about true change for the future. Finally, states must allocate necessary resources for the implementation of the Convention, and this also means giving resources to civil society, organizations of older persons, We've also seen this in the Latin American Network for the Rights of Older Persons. And I would conclude by saying that the non-application of regressive measures in connection with pensions and benefits and rights that have been accumulated by older persons, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are talking about rights and not favours or charities. And thanks to the interpreters, very kind.

Representative of Age Now Global Consultant.

Thank you, Chair. A transformative convention needs principles and obligations that advance rights in older age and drive systemic change. Developed through public consultations and applications, AgeNoble's Human Rights Principle Framework identified eight principles. Three affirm older persons as rights holders: dignity and equal worth, personhood and self-determination, and equality and non-discrimination. Three addresses the lived environment: participation and relational belonging, protection and security, possibility and choice. One addressed the systems, accountability and rights realization system, and the last one looks ahead, future readiness and enduring relevance. Each has a definition and three dimensions, rights realized in every day, convention and state applications, and rights enabling equal transformations. Together, these guide interpretation, practical application, and systemic transformation. On general obligations, we highlight five imperatives for states. First, confront systemic ageism, structural and intersecting discrimination, and accumulated inequalities. Second, ensure laws, policies, and institutions across government give effect to the Convention, guided by its general principles. Third, protect against violations involving non-state actors while supporting families and caregivers without transferring state obligations. Fourth, regularly review and adapt measures to address emerging human rights issues and protection gaps, strengthening existing rights or developing new ones. Fifth, distinguish immediate obligations from progressive realization, ensuring equitable, allocation and use of available resources, and uphold non-regression. Across all five, ensure older persons have a voice and meaningful influence in developing, implementing, and monitoring the Convention. Thank you.

Thank you, distinguished representative of the Platform.

I am reading this statement on behalf of PATISCA that supports GAROP's joint statement. Mr. Chairperson, States' obligations should not merely restate existing duties, but generate new, specific, and enforceable norms tailored to the realities of aging. State parties must undertake to respect, protect, and fulfill all rights in the instrument, including by regulating care providers and setting binding quality standards for care services. Combat ageism, including gendered ageism, in both public and private spheres. Prevent, investigate, punish, and remedy violence, abuse, and neglect, recognizing violence against older women as an intersectional form of violence and discrimination against women. Mainstream gender equality, including through gender-responsive budgeting and the recognition of unpaid care work. Repeal discriminatory laws, including inheritance and property laws, and adopt reasonable accommodation and temporary special measures to accelerate transformative and substantive equality for older women. Ensure that older women can obtain effective remedies from independent and impartial justice institutions. Allocate resources for guaranteeing minimum core obligations and avoiding retrogression. Collect data disaggregated by age, gender, disability, and other grounds without upper age limits. Ensure the meaningful participation of older persons and women's rights organizations in all measures. Ensure design quality so that digital technologies include older women and essential services are never exclusively digital. Include older women explicitly in crisis preparedness, response, and recovery. The disadvantages older women face are the cumulative result of lifelong inequalities. These obligations must therefore require life course policies that tackle their root causes. Rights without clear obligations remain promises. Thank you.

Thank you. The floor to a representative of Disabled Peoples International by video message.

With regard to the article on general obligations, we think that it is important that intersectionality is included as a cross-cutting aspect to all rights, not only with respect to age and disability, but also regarding gender, sexual identity, ethnic background, class, and other dimensions.

Thank you. I give the floor to distinguished representative of Japan Support Center for Activity and Research for all people.

Thank you for giving me this floor. First, one of the most important feature of human right is that state have the primary duty to guarantee them. The new convention should clearly confirm this obligation. States must not shift their obligation to family or communities. In Japan, for example, the state has failed to adequately guarantee the right to care, placing excessive burden on families and sometimes leading to tragic cases involving the killing of older persons or family suicide. Human rights must ultimately be guaranteed by the state. Second, for older persons, Economic, social and cultural rights are essential for the enjoyment of dignity, autonomy, independence and participation.

While.

These rights are subject to progressive realization, state parties also have immediate obligation to prohibit discrimination, to take concrete steps towards the realization of rights, and to guarantee their core contents. State party also have a duty to non-retrogression. They must progressively realize right and should not weaken existing protections. Any retrogression measures must be strictly justified as necessary, unavoidable, and consist with the maximum use of available resources. States bear the burden of demonstrating and reasonably justifying such measures. Third, state party must correctly interpret and apply human rights treaties. Yet in Japan, court often depart from treaty body interpretations and fail to recognize human right violations. To ensure the convention's effectiveness, State should be required to establish independent national human right institutions to promote and monitor human rights. Finally, state must allocate adequate resources for the realization of human right. Fiscal constraint should not be used as general just justification for limiting the protecting of the right of older persons.

Thank you.

Thank you, Governor, for this distinguished representative of the Council of Senior Citizens Organizations of British Columbia.

Good afternoon. I am here today as president of COSCO BC, an independent seniors-led grassroots organization representing the interests of over 85,000 seniors and retirees who are members of our 78 affiliated groups. Our motto is "Plan with seniors, not for them." This statement is aligned with that provided by Garop. In October 2025, Costco hosted a conference, Human Rights and Aging: Advocating for an Equitable Future. By integrating research, lived experience, and policy analysis, the conference revealed that aging on its own is not the problem; inequality is. The conference concluded that systems shaping older adults' lives, whether health care, housing, transportation, income, environment, or social participation, cannot be improved in isolation. Thus, state obligations must include to develop and implement integrated frameworks that are centered in human rights with significant input from older adults. States are further obliged to ensure systems in our society combat structural ageism, structures which not only limit the ability of older persons to contribute to society, but also reduce the effectiveness of governments to benefit from our contributions. As most older adults now live independently, reliable data must be collected and analyzed by age groups up to at least 85 plus. We must step back from the statistical cliff that occurs when analyses end at 65 years. Older persons in their 60s have quite different demographic patterns than those in their 80s, so disaggregated data are essential to build policies relevant to the oldest persons in our communities. As pointed out by others, what you don't measure becomes invisible. To benefit from knowledge gained through lived experience, states must ensure that older persons and their representative organizations actively shape the design, implementation, and monitoring of all measures, including laws, policies, and programs. Our organizations are often dismissed as social clubs, while our extensive informal networks and ability to share information and problem solve within our communities remain unrecognized. Our organizations are often as invisible as the older adults we represent. Chair, we urge that state obligations include to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of older persons through legislation, regulations, and policies that, among others, address structural ageism, enable collection of reliable disaggregated data, and ensure the full participation of older adults. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to distinguished representative Fusako Seki.

I'm Fusa Koseki of Kanagawa University. Dignity, autonomy, equality, and the meaningful participation of older persons and their organizations are rightly emphasized. I will focus on two points here, though: a principle specific to old age and the primary obligation of the state. First, Older persons include those who have lived a long life and are approaching its final stage. From this follow three features of old age, which the general principle should require states to take into account. Temporality. Suppose a judgment takes a year. Meanwhile, an older claimant Dementia may advance until they cannot follow the case, or they may even die. Delay can amount to denial. Continuity. An older woman moving into a care home may wish to bring her well-worn handbag and family photographs. To others, they look trivial. To her, they are part of her life. Support must not require giving them up uniformly. Merit, meaning recognition of the life lived, not a reward for achievement. It recognizes a life lived long within society, including the lives of those who could not work because of illness or caring for family. These features also show what is at stake when we judge whether an age-based distinction is legitimate protection or discrimination. Second, the state bears the primary obligation. Support from family and friends enriches life, but must not replace public support. Some older persons have no family, others for good reason, do not wish to rely on them. Family cares too are right holders. Thank you.

Thank you. Give the floor to Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions.

Thank you. Regarding the right of receive care, I argue that it should be the government duty on only the prevent the role, but the receive care system, but also ensure that families are not forced to take over. And thank you. Feeling the enhanced care. Even though the care giving in. And sorry. Important in the world's most aged country in Japan. Unpaid care. The family members. As living. The. Sorry. Long, long here to know. The long time care insurance system was in introduced in 2000. Housing the socialization of care, but the reality that care is Ensuring, ah, ah, neglected that, ah, in changed.

Sorry.

Furthermore, right now, the Japanese government is screening the cost down on the elderly for use long time care, insurance service, and limited who can used them, this infringing on the right to receive care. Sorry. To fulfill their, including in the decent work and lives of care workers, who provided safe, reliable, and elderly person care, centered care, must supporting in Japan compared to the average wage for care worker significantly low. Thank you.

Thank you, distinguished representative of the democratic medical institutions, and I give the floor to CNS.

For older persons, urges the member states to recognize and uphold right to health and gender equality, both of which are inseparable and fundamental human rights. We cannot deliver on health for all older persons unless we address the non-medical social determinants of health, such as income, education, neighborhood, and social support in which people are born, grow, work, and age. We urge Member States to also pay urgent attention to the commercial determinants of health. States should safeguard this treaty process and its implementation from undue corporate influence, including through conflict of interest safeguards and transparency requirements. The WHO FCTC offers a useful precedent. Article 5.3 of that treaty protects public health policymaking from tobacco industry interference, while Article 19 addresses liability and compensation. Tobacco and nicotine industry, junk food industry, or oil industry must not be able to interfere in the LBI process, and no civil society observers or delegations must include any representative of such industries. This LBI must fully support other treaties and agreements Member States have negotiated or are negotiating on food sovereignty, health security, and climate justice. We also urge the Member States to ensure that LBI does not support market-based solutions. Rather, it engages older persons to find effective, systemic, structural, and sustainable solutions which are socially just and ecologically sustainable. For example, we need our right to clean air and not marketing campaigns targeted at us to buy air purifiers. Likewise, we need age-friendly, accessible, affordable, and comfortable public transport, and not industry marketing campaigns or bank loans for private ownership of vehicles. Also, we urge the States to address education, particularly digital education gap faced by aging populations in all their diversities. This should also include protection from online scams and digital violence and abuse. States are urged to recognize, draft, and implement the LBI so that the first ones to get benefited and served are those who are most underserved or invisible or excluded. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, and I give you the floor to the World Psychiatric Association by video message.

Thank you, Chair Rapporteur. On behalf of the World Psychiatric Association, and building on Professor Danuta Wasserman's contribution at the first session, we support a legally binding instrument that makes older persons' rights real in everyday life. Neither age nor diagnosis should diminish dignity, voice, freedom, or access to care. We urge six commitments. First, protect autonomy and legal capacity through accessible communication and supported decision making. Respect each person's rights, will, and preferences with safeguards against abuse and undue influence. Second, protect liberty and freedom from abuse, neglect, and coercion. Restraint or sedation must never replace adequate staffing and compassionate care. Third, explicitly protect mental and brain health across prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, long-term support, and palliative care. Fourth, ensure older persons including those with cognitive and psychosocial disabilities, meaningfully shape laws, services, and decisions affecting them. Address intersecting discrimination involving age, disability, mental health, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation.

Fifth, support family caregivers and care partners.

While respecting older persons' choices. Digital technologies and artificial intelligence must strengthen human care, protect privacy, and prevent exclusion. Sixth, establish clear state responsibilities, dedicated resources, workforce education, independent monitoring, and accessible remedies. International cooperation should support locally led innovation and reciprocal learning across countries and resource settings. Our section of old age psychiatry and partners are developing a voluntary multidisciplinary network with older persons shaping its priorities to contribute evidence and practical expertise to this member state led process. Success must be measured in older persons' lives: greater choice, meaningful participation, appropriate care and support, and effective redress. Thank you very much.

Thank you. This was my last speaker in my list, and I give the floor to Claudia for final remarks very shortly, please.

Thank you, Chair, for including all the mandate holders to have an input as the only human rights mechanism on older persons. The long list of speakers showed the huge importance of the topic and the statements reflect already on a lot of significant obligations for the future LBI. I will not manage to highlight all the important arguments in my two minutes. Many key stakeholders in this afternoon's discussion referred to the universality of human rights, invisibility, interrelatedness, and independence of human rights. One of the agreed obligations is respect, protect, and fulfill all human rights and underlying principles. The core human rights treaties provide an established legal architecture and common language for general principles and state obligations. LBI must build on existing international human rights frameworks and not undermine. any agreed standards. Therefore, the core human rights treaties were seen as a basis, and especially CRPD was mentioned a couple of times, even though, and highlighted Article 4. We also heard about the regional instruments. Non-discrimination on equal treatment was seen as another core obligation, taking into account the intersectional discrimination. It was also mentioned that obligations of States must include new developments like digitalization, and that it's also the State duties to provide structures which make the digital service accessible. States are the primary duty bearers for guaranteeing human rights and must also strengthen the structure of families and communities and uphold that all the persons are rights And a couple of provisions have been mentioned several times, like access to justice, non-discrimination, access to health care, right to adequate housing, should also be recognized. The principle of meaningful participation of older persons was firmly mentioned in several times, and the coordination and information is needed to fulfill state obligations. The LBI must also be flexible enough to provide future-proof protection, and we also need to have allocated resources to this. which also means a budget. I thank you for today's discussion.

Thank you, Mrs. Claudia Mahler. And this brings us to the end of this meeting. Tomorrow we will resume our session at 10:00 AM for a discussion on the catalog of rights to be included in a legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons. This is very important information. Tomorrow, the limit will be two minutes for all, because I want to accommodate everybody, as we managed to do today. Tomorrow, this item is very popular, so that's why I repeat, it's going to be two minutes for all tomorrow. I hereby declare this meeting closed.