Intervention of the Holy See to the UN – Protect the rights of the elderly

New York, 16 July
2015

Mr. Chair,

The Holy See is pleased to
participate in the 6th Session of the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing and
would like to applaud your leadership and thank you for your unwavering
commitment as the Chair of this Open-Ended Working Group since its first
session in 2011.

I wish to assure you that my
delegation remains committed to the promotion and protection of the human
rights and inherent dignity of the elderly, and to the elimination of all forms
of discrimination based on age. This discussion is especially pertinent in a
time when the elderly are abandoned, not only in material instability, but are
also made to feel a burden to society. As Pope Francis affirmed, “it’s brutal
to see how the elderly are thrown away… No one dares to say it openly, but it’s
done!” (Pope Francis. “The Family, 6. The Elderly.” General Audience.
Saint Peter’s Square, Rome. March 4th, 2015).

In the West, data tell us that
the current century is the aging century: children are diminishing, the elderly
are increasing. Currently 700 million people, or 10 per cent of the world’s
population, are above 60 years of age. By 2050, it is estimated that this
number will double, reaching 20 per cent of the global population (Report of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/2012/51), 2012 ). This
increasing imbalance is a great challenge for contemporary society. For
example, this puts increased pressure on healthcare and social protection
systems. Given these figures, my delegation would like to draw particular
attention to the needs of elderly women who are often excluded or neglected.

Therefore, as the number of older
people increases along with the rise in average life expectancy, it will become
increasingly important to promote an attitude of acceptance and appreciation of
the elderly and to integrate them better in society. My delegation would like
to reiterate that the ideal is still for the elderly to remain within the
family, with the guarantee of effective social assistance for the greater needs
which age or illness entail.

Mr. Chair,

Reflecting on previous sessions,
it is evident that there are concerns about the serious gaps that exist in
protecting the rights of the elderly, and that there is no agreement yet on how
to address them. Some have spoken of establishing new mechanisms similar to the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; others have underlined
the need to make good on the commitments that States have already made on this
matter; still others think that the Madrid International Plan for Action on
Ageing already contains the measures we have to adopt to protect the rights of
the elderly.

In order to guarantee that the
human rights system is effective and commitments are fulfilled, we must
recognize that an approach based only on respect for human rights will not be
sufficient unless it is complimented by policies and programs that address the
underlying causes of the violations it wishes to prevent.

In this regard, it is crucial
that we promote policies and systems of education that propose an alternative
approach to the dominant “throw-away culture” that judges human beings simply
by what they produce. So often, the elderly feel useless and alone because they
have lost their proper place in society.

Though it is important to
reaffirm the right of the elderly to work or to receive relevant skills
training, we must be careful that the policies we promote do not play into the
same tired narrative that reduces our value as human beings to what we produce,
while ignoring our inherent dignity and the countless other ways in which the
most vulnerable among us contribute to society’s greater good. The elderly are
a resource and essential point of reference in an age when many struggle to
find their identity and have lost hope. Their collective memory and wealth of
experience support and guide society, providing direction and especially hope
to future generations that must not face the struggles of life alone.

This understanding of the value
of ageing and contribution of the elderly to our society is one of the most
important antidotes to the tendency to reduce the elderly to purely utilitarian
terms. This is the only way to work toward a world that freely and fully
respects the rights of its elders.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.