The second meeting of the UN’s Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on Ageing will take place 1 – 4 August in New York. This is a unique opportunity for UN member states to discuss how older people’s rights can be strengthened and for the voices of older people to be heard and listened to in this important discourse. The participation of civil society in this process is vital. The Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People is calling on all NGOs with an interest in older people’s rights to be present in New York.

NGOs with consultative status to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) must register by the 25 July to attend the August meeting. The deadline for all other NGOs has closed, but there will be opportunities to apply for accreditation for future meetings.

Established in December 2010 by the UN General Assembly, the OEWG focuses much needed attention on how the existing international rights system works for older people, whether there are any normative and implementation gaps and the role and value of new human rights instruments, such as a convention.

In order for any discussion of older people’s rights to be meaningful, older people themselves must be heard; hence our call for action by civil society globally.

The success of the OEWG also depends on a global discussion with the full participation of UN member states from all regions. The first meeting of the OEWG in April 2011 only benefitted from limited input from African member states, and very little from Asia. Member states from all regions must be encouraged to attend the second meeting of the OEWG to share their experience and learn about what more can be done.


ECOSOC Consultative NGOs can register for the OEWG here

Further information about the Open-ended Working Group is available here