UN high-level meeting advances bid for a treaty on older persons’ rights; member states divided on process

Delegates at a United Nations high-level meeting on aging affirmed momentum toward drafting a legally binding international instrument on the human rights of older persons, while some member states warned the process risks duplication, limited inclusivity and budget burdens if carried out only through the Human Rights Council.

The meeting, convened under General Assembly guidance to review the recommendations in decision 14/1 of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, heard widespread praise for the Human Rights Council's March adoption of resolution 58/13, which establishes an open-ended intergovernmental working group to elaborate a draft legally binding instrument. "This is a bold, concrete step," said the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, who highlighted broad cross-regional support for the council text.

The decision 14/1 produced in New York after 14 sessions of the OEWG on Ageing provided the factual basis for the next steps. Many delegations'including Argentina, Chile (speaking for…