Joint letter to the UN Secretary-General from civil society organisations welcoming the Secretary General’s brief on older persons and COVID-19 and requesting a plan of action
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Dear Mr. Secretary-General,
We are writing as 103 civil society organisations from around the world to congratulate you for the UN Policy Brief on ‘The impact of COVID-19 on older persons’. This is an important and welcome intervention from the highest level of the UN at a time when the lives of older persons are at risk and their human rights are under attack. We welcome recognition of the multiple and significant risks older persons are facing at this time and the pandemic’s amplifying effects on pre-existing inequalities, ageism and discrimination, and challenges accessing health and social care and humanitarian assistance.
We are now requesting your support to ensure the action of the UN system to secure the way forward you identified in your brief. These actions recognise that older persons have long been subject to inadequate protection of their human rights and overlooked in global development and humanitarian efforts as well as in national policies and programmes. We believe there are opportunities in the recovery from this disaster to build back better and set the stage for a more inclusive and equitable society. We must all be concerned that the pandemic has exposed significant gaps in the UN system and also across sectors and disciplines, at a time when solidarity across countries and generations is needed the most. Only urgent action can fulfil the UN’s mission to leave no one behind.
As you will be aware, the UN has no system-wide policy or strategy on ageing and older persons, no lead UN agency and no formal mechanism for collaboration between UN bodies. In the COVID-19 reality, the gaps in coordination and leadership have led to disparities between the objective risks and needs of older persons, their visibility within agency response plans and their prioritisation within the overall response.
The UN has a clear mandate from member states to enhance leadership and coordination. Over the past two weeks, 146 member states have signed on to a statement in support of your policy brief and recognition of the imperative to act in solidarity and to strengthen global and national responses to address the rights of older persons. GA resolution 74/125 requests the UN to enhance collaboration with regional commissions, funds and programmes on ageing issues, to increase technical cooperation efforts, expand the role of the regional commissions on ageing issues, facilitate the coordination of national and international non-governmental organisations on ageing and enhance cooperation with all relevant stakeholders.
In light of this, we are inviting and encouraging you to share the plan to address the inclusion of older persons with actions to uphold their rights across the UN system. We hope these will include, but not be limited to, the following:
Immediate steps to mainstream older persons into COVID-19 responses Measures to strengthen UN-wide policy and coordination at all levels, including through the adoption of a system-wide strategy on older persons and ageing Commitment by the executive heads of the organisations of the UN system to analyse the gaps in the strategies and programmes of UN agencies, funds and programmes and present these at the earliest possible Chief Executive Board meeting to plan corrective action Acceleration of efforts by the General Assembly’s working group to develop proposals for an international legal instrument to promote and protect the rights and dignity of older persons Enhanced capacity to provide technical support to governments to strengthen older persons’ rights Strengthened and support the participation of older persons in UN-led intergovernmental fora As civil society organisations, we stand alongside you and are ready to play our part through constructive dialogue on the solutions available, and by supporting strengthened participation of older people directly in the work of the UN at all levels. We look forward to enhancing our partnerships with the UN to advance our common agenda to leave no one behind.
This letter is supported by:
- Action for Basic Development Initiatives, Ethiopia
- ACAMAGE, Cameroon
- Action Solidaire International, Senegal
- Active Ageing and Research Centre Bangladesh
- Africa Development Interchange Network (ADIN)
- Age Action Ireland
- Age International
- AGE Platform Europe
- AGECO, Costa Rica
- Ageing Nepal
- Alliance for Accountability Advocates Zambia
- Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Zambia
- Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation
- Amis des Étrangers au Togo
- Amnesty International
- Anavie
- Asociación Cultural Casa del Niño
- BAGSO, Germany
- Center for Studies on Aging, Lebanon
- Centre for Ageing and Rural Development, Kenya
- Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All (CSACEFA) Nigeria
- Coalition of Services of the Elderly, Inc. (COSE)
- Confluence of Rights, Nigeria
- Consejo Distrital de Sabios, Colombia
- Dave Omokaro Foundation, Nigeria
- DIS-MOI (Droits Humains Ocean Indien)
- Dobroe Delo, Russia
- Environmental Initiative for Sustainable Development Organization (EnvI), Sudan
- Family Ark Mission, Nigeria
- Focus of Disabled Persons Kasarani, Kenya
- Forum des femmes pour la gouvernance des ressources naturelles en République Démocratique du Congo (FFGRN)
- FUNDACIÓN SIDOM, Argentina
- Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP)
- Global Ageing Network
- Grandmothers Consortium, Uganda
- Gravis, India
- Gray Panthers
- Health Nest Uganda
- HelpAge Canada
- HelpAge Deutschland
- HelpAge International España
- HelpAge International
- HelpAge Korea
- HelpAge RDC
- HelpAge Sri Lanka
- HelpAge USA
- Human Life Development Initiative (HLDI)
- Human Rights Watch
- Humanitarian and Development Consortium (HDC) of South Sudan
- Humanitarian Translation for Somalia (HTS)
- IAGG
- ILC Argentina
- ILC Canada
- Inclusion Africa
- Initiative for Peace Communication Association South Sudan (IPCA)
- INPEA
- Instituto Qualivida, Brazil
- International Federation on Ageing
- Kasarani Brain Tank CBO
- Lutheran World Federation
- Magu Poverty Focus on Older People Rehabilitation Centre (MAPERECE)
- Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights
- Mauritius Family Planning Welfare Association
- Nassa Brotherhood Programs, Tanzania
- National Older Women's Network Australia
- National Senior Citizen Federation (NASCIF) Nepal
- National Senior Citizens Organization of Liberia (NASCOL)
- NGO Committee Geneva
- NGO Committee on Ageing New York
- NSINDAGIZA, Rwanda
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Initiative, Nigeria
- Pajoma, Kenya
- PCCDS, Palestine
- Peace Empowerment Foundation (Nigeria)
- Relief To Development Society (Redeso) Tanzania
- Resource Integration Center (RIC) Bangladesh
- Rift Valley Children & Women Development Organization (RCWDO)
- Saidia Wazee Karagwe (SAWAKA), Tanzania
- SGA Africa
- Sisters of Charity Federation
- Solidarité Echange Pour Le Developpement Integral, DRC
- Somaliland Help Age Organisation
- Soroptimist International
- South Sudan Older People's Organization (SSOPO)
- Sierra Leone Association for the Welfare of the Aged (SOWA)
- Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment (SWAGEN)
- SYEAC-SaveElders Tanzania
- Tanzania Association of Women Leaders in Agriculture and Environment (TAWLAE)
- Tearfund
- The Good Samaritan Social Services Trust, Tanzania
- The Rhizome Center for Migrants
- Tinker Institute on International Law and Organizations
- Triumph Uganda Mental health Support and Recovery Program
- TSDA, Ethiopia
- Turbota pro Litnih v Ukraini, Ukraine
- Uganda Reach the Aged Association (URAA)
- Unidad de Organizaciones Afrocaucanas
- Univers de solidarité et de développement (UNI.SOL.D), Togo
- Valli, Finland
- Voie éclairée des enfants démunis (ONG VED), Togo
- VSO International
- Westaid, Wajir, Kenya
- Word of Life International
Additional signatories: 104. HelpAge Cambodia