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
Moulias & Stuckelberger
UN Social Forum - Geneva
1
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 ?
Moulias & Stuckelberger
UN Social Forum - Geneva
2
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)
Moulias & Stuckelberger
UN Social Forum - Geneva
3
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..)
Moulias & Stuckelberger
UN Social Forum - Geneva
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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
Moulias & Stuckelberger
UN Social Forum - Geneva
5
Active Ageing and Participation
is 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.
Moulias & Stuckelberger
UN Social Forum - Geneva
6
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 ?
Moulias & Stuckelberger
UN Social Forum - Geneva
7
Global Ageing is a reality worldwide
with very different situations
Numerous Experiences of Active Ageing
Many 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
ALMA (allo maltraitance) is an associative national network in France
who offers helplines devoted to address cases of mistreatement and
abuse of older or disabled 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
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 Bologna
on Human Rights of Older Persons
International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics
European 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
Declaration of Bologna
International 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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Right to an active life
Disability does not alter Human Dignity
In case of deficiencies
In case of dependence
In case of limitation of decisional autonomy
« Natural » Caregiver
Professional Caregivers
Research on ageing and old Age
Moulias & Stuckelberger
UN Social Forum - Geneva
13
So, it follows that :
Declaration of Bologna
International Association of Gerontology and
Geriatrics
European Region
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
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.
Declaration of Bologna
International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics - European Region
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 » Caregiver
The 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 Caregivers
Professionals 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.
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 policymaking 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
At the United Nations: The Paradox
of ignoring an irreversible social global transformation
 Ageing in the World  (N+%)
 emergence
of 2-3 generations of older persons
 more 60+ than 15 years old and under (double in 2050)
vs
UN has no specific human rights of older persons
+
UN agencies and specialized programmes
no fixed budget for ageing nor mainstreamed older persons
only 2 positions with very little staff working on ageing
+
NGOs
very few take into considering older persons
or a life course perspective
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 on
the Rights of Older Persons
2009: NGO Statement on the Rights
of Older Women
(Geneva, UN Commision HR)
signed by 25 NGOs
Engl(French
( Geneva, UN Council HR)
signed by a record nr of 34 NGOs
Engl/Fren/Spanish
Request for a Convention on Older Persons since 1999
UN Chronicle in 2002: Danielle Bridelle, Chair of the NGO committee on Ageing
at the United Nations in Geneva
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!
Human Rights of Older Persons - work in progress….
OHCHR
Resolution on
Consultation GE
29 Sept 2012
OHCHR
General
comments
2002: UN
Assembly on
Aging, Madrid:
MIIPA
2007
MIIPA+5
Oct. 20010
CEDAW
GR 27
Nov. 20010
OEWG
UN-NY
Annual
Report
OHCHR
OP and
social
protection
Aug.- 2011
SpecRapp
Health OP
2012
MIPAA+10
NGO
Forum
Participation
of scientists and NGOs
IAGG
Valencia Forum
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 II
Political and structural recommandations
addressing systematically the missing components of older women and men
in the UN agenda and UN agencies
Empowerment in UN agencies
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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


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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!