Europe is currently undergoing an enormous demographic change. Growing life-expectancy and reduced birth rates have increased both the absolute number of older persons and their relative share within society. This changing demography poses big challenges for the health care, social security and pension systems of European States. Moreover, the increasing number of older persons augments the need to address the specific challenges to their human rights that such development may bring with it.

 According to a report by the World Health Organisation (“World Health Organisation, European report on preventing elder maltreatment” 2011), at least 4 million elderly people in Europe are estimated to experience ill-treatment and 2500 are estimated to die each year from such treatment. Moreover, the elderly may particularly suffer from poverty, lack adequate care or be discriminated against because of their age.

It is only recently that States and international organisations have started to look at the protection of older persons from a human rights perspective. At the European level, the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) of the Council of Europe has decided in February 2012 to create a new drafting group (CDDH-AGE) in view of elaborating, under the CDDH’s authority, a non-binding Council of Europe instrument on the promotion of the human rights of the elderly. The group will held its first meeting on 21-23 March 2012. Expert representatives from other international organisations, from civil society and representatives of other Council of Europe intergovernmental Committees will be invited to participate in the meeting.

The meeting report is available here