UN Social Forum - Geneva 1Moulias & Stuckelberger

A Plea for the Active Participation of Older Persons in Development

Moulias R, ALMA (Allo Maltraitance) & Old Up

Stuckelberger A, NGO Committee on Ageing, Geneva & IAGG-ER

UN Social Forum - Geneva 2Moulias & Stuckelberger

Older Persons Rights : A Dilemna

To present all old persons as frail or dependent is an « ageist » or an act of « age discrimination »

However, science shows that with higher age• increase in frailty • an increase risk of functional incapacity that can lead to dependency, and

even limitation of decisional autonomy

The question

How to protect frail or dependent elderly, provide life long human rights and strenghten their role and autonomy in society ?

UN Social Forum - Geneva 3Moulias & Stuckelberger

Heterogeneity of Old Age

Many groups of older persons: different age groups and generations (e.g. young old, old, old old, nonagerians, centenarians)

Typologies• A majority: are fit, with full physical and mental capacities, and remain independant

throughout life unto their last year of life

• A large part of old old (80 years old and more) are «frail elderly» (isolated, depressive, disabled, malnourished) needing special care, attention and/or compensation of handicaps

• A minority of older persons are functionnally dependent persons, with special physical and mental conditions creating limitation of their autonomy in decision-making and needing special protection (i.e. at high risk of violation of their basic human rights such asabuse, neglect and mistreatement)

UN Social Forum - Geneva 4Moulias & Stuckelberger

Human Rights with Advanced Age:When do we gain or lose rights?

Nobody has defined any age at which Rights and Duties are modified

• Ageing differs from one person to the other, depending on the life course, the lifestyles and the evolution of societies or generations

• Disability or dependency does not automatically mean a decrease in autonomy and decisional abilities (e.g...it can happen suddenly or slowly over time, can depend on situations and crisis, can be reversed, it can even never happen..)

UN Social Forum - Geneva 5Moulias & Stuckelberger

Age discrimination is a factor of Ageism

To give special human rights or limit human rights in function of age does not make sense

• To limit rights (e.g. health care, bank credit, driving,

management, education, vote, etc) in function of age must remain an illegal abuse

In spite of the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA, 2002) and the EU Directives on age discrimination (2000),

such ageist discriminations are still frequent in all parts of the world

UN Social Forum - Geneva 6Moulias & Stuckelberger

Active Ageing and Participationis a Must …

Evidence Based Medicine has proven that

• keeping physically and mentally active as well as participating in society, are the main factors for « ageing well » and for preventing pathological ageing or the emergence of « age-related diseases»

• even in case of severe diseases, with a serious diagnosis, active older persons have better prognosis and rehabilitation in society.

UN Social Forum - Geneva 7Moulias & Stuckelberger

Inactivity and Isolation: the Worst Plague of Old Age

Scientific evidence also shows that the strongest risk factors for a high level of morbidity and mortality at any age, but mainly in old age, are:• Sedentary lives, with no mental stimulation • Isolated • Excessive time spent in bed, or in arm chair• Watching TV

Older Person as Active Citizens: A Need for Society

• In every country worldwide: % of older persons old old• Increase is more rapid in emergent countries with limited

resources.• Why would we exclude 20%-30% of the population from active life?

will it not be unmanageable and against their rights ?

Global Ageing is a reality worldwide with very different situations

Numerous Experiences of Active AgeingMany models of ageing well and long life active older persons exist:

• Many associations working in arts, charity, culture, development, social help, sport, worship, etc, are managed by active competent (often experts) older men and women

• Everybody knows very old artists who remains fully active. Their work need physical strength, full memory and cognitive capacities, ability to cope with stress

For example: Hans Erni, born 1909, who painted the fresk in front of the UN front gate on Place des Nations 2009 at 100 years old – he is still active and painting

ALMA : Helpline for Older Persons

A Model of Retired experts helping older persons of any age: Retired professionals are especially prepared to listen, to analyze, to counsel and to

follow up callers, victims or bystanders of misteatments on vulnerable or disabled adults or older persons. They work together with active experts and students.

ALMA France: How it is organized?• 57 proximity centres cover 75% of the national territory. 900 volunteers.• In each centres, a team of volunteers listen and advise older persons in

need and it is fully complementarity with local authorities.• The network « treats » and helps 4’000 to 5’000 cases each year: the

largest experience in the field

ALMA (allo maltraitance) is an associative national network in Francewho offers helplines devoted to address cases of mistreatement and

abuse of older or disabled persons.

Other examples• AGIR : ingeneering and management helps for young enterprises

• Voice of the Voiceless (Uganda)

• Old Up (France) octogenarians socially active

• MUCA (mutuelle des aînés du Cameroun (Care self organization of older citizen)

..and more: Care of orphans of AIDS, etc, etc

There is an urgent need to develop the specific human rights of older persons

to not only protect them from discrimination and abuse but also from exlclusion to an active and participatory life

Declaration of Bolognaon Human Rights of Older Persons

International Association of Gerontology and GeriatricsEuropean Region

[…] In order to obtain better living conditions and quality of life for older persons, we need more knowledge of human ageing and human old age, a physiological period of life, growing in length and in quality. Research on ageing and old age must become a societal, scientific and political priority.

These studies and research must answer to the same laws of protection and human rights of the person as any other research focussed on human subjects and their development across the life course. They must respect the ethical rules of autonomy, equality, informed consent, dignity, freedom, distributive justice and safety.

Key objectives for these research should be a better understanding of both the deleterious and protective mechanisms of the ageing process, while collecting data on how to intervene on these processes to improve the quality of life, functioning and well being of older persons, as well as their systematic inclusion range of activities in society in the widest possible.

Bologna European IAGG-ER Congress, April 2011

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Declaration of BolognaInternational Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics

European Region

A unique article :

Growing elder should in no way affect either the rights, the duties or the freedom of any person, or modify in any way the foundation of those principles which is embedded in Human Dignity

1. Right to an active life

2. Disability does not alter Human Dignity

3. In case of deficiencies

4. In case of dependence

5. In case of limitation of decisional autonomy

6. « Natural » Caregiver

7. Professional Caregivers

8. Research on ageing and old Age

So, it follows that :

1. Right to an active life• Someone ’s active contribution to society does not stop with the end of their

professional life.• Everyone should be able to continue to lead a socially active life….

2. Disability does not alter Human Dignity • Regardless of age, no deficiency alters human dignity, nor the human

qualities as beholder of rights, duties ans freedom

3. In case of deficiencies • Regardless of age, when a deficiency affects the capacity to carry out one ’s

daily life, the compensation of this deficiency should be ensured…..• …to maintain or restore, as far as possible with the current scientific

knowledge, an independent life with dignity

Declaration of BolognaInternational Association of Gerontology and

GeriatricsEuropean Region

4. In case of dependence• Regardless of Age, when somoeone’s deficiencies make them dependent of

the support of another person….the society must enable the persons …. to access their rights… with the aim of allowing them to live a dignified life.

5. In case of limitation of decisional autonomy• Regardless of Age, when a deficiency limits a person‘s decision making capacity,the

provided protection aims to preserve the rights and freedom of this person and to respect their choices and wishes…..

• The person designated to represent the person must know this person …..

6. « Natural » CaregiverThe caregiver of an individual - dependent or limited in decision making - is entrusted with an added responsibility. The « natural » caregiver must be recognized so as to enable her/him to carry out the various aspects of their task...

7. Professional CaregiversProfessionals assisting individual who are physically dependent or limited in making decisions autonomously should be clearly considered as a distinct group - from service delivery.Differences exist at levels of recruitment, education, training, etc – Codes of ethics are needed, including the way in which these sevices are financed.

Declaration of BolognaInternational Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics - European Region

8. Research on ageing and old Age• For obtaining better living conditions for older persons, we need a better knowledge on

human ageing and Old Age• Ageing is a complex multi -factorial process: pluridisciplinarity in research and policy-

making has to be strongly encouraged as a rule.

Conclusion I Message to take away

1. Maintaining retired persons in active social life, will be a health, economic and social priority for the XXIst Century.

It will increase well being and self esteem of all old populations

2. Deficiencies and dependence are not age specific. Disabled and dependent persons need an universal protection without illegitimate age linked barriers

Ageing in the World (N+%) emergence of 2-3 generations of older persons

more 60+ than 15 years old and under (double in 2050)

vsUN has no specific human rights of older persons

+ UN agencies and specialized programmes

no fixed budget for ageing nor mainstreamed older personsonly 2 positions with very little staff working on ageing

+NGOs

very few take into considering older persons or a life course perspective

At the United Nations: The Paradoxof ignoring an irreversible social global transformation

Population Ageing is a world priority vs their absence in UN Agencies, budget and

no participation and inclusion in the UN system

2006: NGO Statement onthe Rights of Older Persons

(Geneva, UN Commision HR)signed by 25 NGOs

Engl(French

2009: NGO Statement on the Rights of Older Women

( Geneva, UN Council HR)signed by a record nr of 34 NGOs

Engl/Fren/Spanish

Call for a Convention on Human Rights & Elimination of Discrimination against Older Persons

…in 1999….then in 2002. ... And now the movement is growing…

more and more countries and NGOs support the idea!

Request for a Convention on Older Persons since 1999UN Chronicle in 2002: Danielle Bridelle, Chair of the NGO committee on Ageing

at the United Nations in Geneva

Human Rights of Older Persons - work in progress….

2002: UN Assembly on

Aging, Madrid:MIIPA

2007MIIPA+5

2012MIPAA+10

Oct. 20010CEDAWGR 27

Participation of scientists and NGOs

IAGGValencia Forum

NGOForum

Nov. 20010OEWG UN-NY

Annual Report OHCHROP and social

protection

Aug.- 2011 SpecRapp Health OP

OHCHRGeneral

comments

OHCHRResolution on

Consultation GE29 Sept 2012

Missing voice: Older Persons are still chronically excluded!• Specific binding law for the Human Rights and protection of older persons,: i.e. older women (UN Women), older refugees (UNHCR), older migrants (IOM)• Right to Development for Older Persons• UN global agenda (MDGs, ICPD, etc) • UN agencies and specialized programmes (i.e.ITU/WSIS, UNESCO, etc)

Conclusion IIPolitical and structural recommandations addressing systematically the missing components of older women and men

in the UN agenda and UN agencies

Empowerment in UN agencies Human Rights = LL include old age ILO = work – LL older worker – no social security UNHCR = older refugee and displace person IOM = older migrant UNESCO = science & tehnology & ethics of OW OCHA & al= humanitarian aid, emergency OW WHO = ageing, LL reproductive rights, chronic D UNAIDS = older persons and AIDS prevention World Bank = poverty in older men and women, etc

Recommendations

Revisiting the UN agenda with OP and a LL perspective Political, socio-economic, cultural and technological dimensions Require UN to include higher age and gender equality in all statistics Require an institutional structure like UNAGE to reach age equity

(as UNICEF for children, UN-Women for women)

Participatory Development

more dynamic more efficient more sexy

… until 80, 90 and even100 years old Including older persons is a must

and we better get ready to be one!