NHRCK initiates a Consultation Tour for the Rights of the Senior Citizen
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) held a consultation tour from 10:00 to 14:00 on 17 October 2012 at the Seoul Welfare Center of the Senior Citizen for the elderly in relation to their human rights, family affairs, legal problems and welfare.
The NHRCK has set “the promotion of rights of the senior citizen” as a core strategic plan of the Human Rights Promotion Action Plan since 2009 in order to address aggravating human rights problems of the elderly. In addition, the NHRCK appointed the “Human Rights Guardians for the Senior Citizen” consisting of the elderly people and monitored leisure activity status of senior citizens, the installation of a petition submission box at a protective facility, human rights situation of the elderly who lives alone, and employment status of the senior. In addition, in February 2012, the “Policy Planning Group on the Promotion and Protection of Rights of the Senior Citizen” was launched with the participation of experts from the academia and civil society. The Group held a policy open debate at the National Assembly in June and September in order to seek policy alternatives. This consultation tour is designed to identify human rights problems of the elderly and to come up with countermeasures in line with the aforementioned NHRCK’s endeavor.
At the consultation tour, counseling on legal problems, welfare, and family affairs was provided with the aim to offer a variety of useful information on human rights violations, age discrimination and everyday life. To this end, lawyers, family affair counseling experts, officials from the Jongrogu Office, and investigators from the NHRCK participated in the tour. Also, the Human Rights Guardians for the Senior Citizen provided assistance to the management of the tour.
