NHRCK Chairperson welcomes the adoption of a resolution for the protection and promotion of the human rights of older persons at the 58th UN Human Rights Council
□ NHRCK Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho welcomes the adoption of a resolution for the protection and promotion of the human rights of older persons at the 58th UN Human Rights Council on 3 April.
○ This resolution is particularly meaningful for Korea, where the proportion of the population aged 65 and over has exceeded 20%, marking its entry into a super-ageing society.
○ The resolution's primary aim is to establish a working group* tasked with drafting international standards to protect and promote the human rights of older persons.
* Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group: A working group formed at the United Nations to facilitate intergovernmental discussion and build consensus.
○ The working group will be responsible for drafting an international convention and submitting it to the UN Human Rights Council. According to the resolution, the working group will report on the progress of its activities at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, scheduled for September next year.
○ The resolution includes provisions calling on national human rights institutions, relevant UN bodies, civil society, and especially older persons themselves to actively participate in the work of the working group. As a result, cooperation among various stakeholders and the active engagement of national human rights institutions will become even more essential.
○ The resolution was co-sponsored by 69 countries, including the Republic of Korea, and was adopted by consensus without a vote. It follows 14 years of discussion on the need for an international convention by the UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, which was established in 2010. This resolution represents the first step by the UN Human Rights Council towards guaranteeing the rights of older persons through international legal norms.
□ The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has taken a leading role in advancing the rights of older persons both internationally and among national human rights institutions. Since 2016, it has chaired the Working Group on Ageing of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI).
○ At the meeting of the UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing held in New York in May last year, the NHRCK proposed a draft Convention on the Rights of Older Persons and highlighted the need for its enactment before the international community. At the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, the NHRCK also expressed strong support for the Convention during discussions on the resolution, on behalf of national human rights institutions worldwide.
* The NHRCK held a conference titled “National Human Rights Institutions at the Forefront: Strengthening Cooperation with Governments and Civil Society to Advance the Convention on the Rights of Older Persons” during the Annual Meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on 10 March. Approximately 120 participants—including representatives of national human rights institutions, the permanent missions of various countries to the UN in Geneva, and civil society organisations—gathered to explore avenues for cooperation.
○ Furthermore, the NHRCK has led global discussions on the human rights of older persons through a series of international conferences and GANHRI Working Group meetings. It has also developed the GANHRI Guidelines on the Human Rights of Older Persons, which outline the roles that national human rights institutions should play in protecting the rights of older persons.
□ Protecting and promoting the human rights of older persons is a vital task in our society, where the ageing population is growing at an unprecedented pace. Moreover, since ageing is a global trend, ensuring the rights of older persons is a shared responsibility for all.
○ In this context, we wholeheartedly welcome this tangible progress resulting from international efforts to establish a convention to protect the rights of older persons. The NHRCK will continue to collaborate closely to further protect and promote the human rights of older persons.
8 April 2025
Ahn Chang-ho
Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of Korea
