Expert Perspectives: Do We Need an International Convention on the Rights of Older Persons?
Written by Diane Turner MNZM JP
This article is part of Eldernet’s Expert Perspectives series. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Eldernet’s position.
Diane was, until the middle of last year, the Director of The Office for Seniors, a role she had held for for nine years. The Office based in the Ministry of Social Development in Wellington focuses on actively promoting a society where people can age positively through being healthy and independent and living connected and respected lives within their communities. They support the Minister for Seniors to advocate for the interests and issues of older people. She continues to be involved in initiatives to make the future better for people as we age. Diane was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours list for services to governance, seniors and Māori. For more information on the work of the Office for Seniors go to https://www.officeforseniors.govt.nz
What gets measured matters. It tells us what a society values. Right now, as a society, can we truly say ‘we value our older people’?
Ageism is deeply woven into everyday life. It is so common that many older people absorb these attitudes themselves. Comments such as, “I’m too old for that,” or “I don’t want to be a burden,” reflect more than personal beliefs—they reveal the ingrained attitudes that we all hold about ageing.
Age discrimination also affects the way people are treated by others. In the workplace, older employees may be overlooked for promotions or training. In healthcare, legitimate concerns can be dismissed as simply “part of getting older”. Diagnosis and treatment of conditions may be delayed or denied.
The private sector is no better. Older people are likely to face age-based restrictions on financial products, and pay increasingly expensive health and travel insurance premiums. Yet at the same time they are targeted with marketing for funeral insurance. These mixed messages suggest that society sees older people more as a burden than as active contributors.
Ageism is also reflected in public policy. Whether the issue is housing, healthcare, social support or poverty, the needs and experiences of older people are too often overlooked. There remains a persistent assumption that older people are generally doing well and therefore require little policy attention.
Research by the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services illustrates this problem. In 2024 it examined key strategic documents from 35 government agencies to assess the extent of structural ageism in public policy. It reviewed Briefings to Incoming Ministers, Statements of Intent or Strategic Intentions, and major strategy or performance documents. Only four agencies made specific reference to older people, while 19 made no mention of them at all. This absence is a strong indicator that older people are not a priority in policy settings.
Despite increasing awareness that populations are ageing—not just in Aotearoa New Zealand but around the world—this demographic shift has yet to be reflected consistently in government decision-making in any meaningful way.
One reason for this may be that older people remain largely invisible within the international human rights system. Unlike women, children or persons with disabilities, older people are not recognised as a distinct rights-bearing group in any of the nine core international human rights treaties. Some governments argue that existing human rights conventions already provide adequate protection. However, the experience of organisations advocating for older people suggests that little consideration is given to this growing population group.
The idea of a dedicated international convention on the rights of older persons has been discussed for decades. A significant step came in 2010 when the United Nations established the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG). The group brought together governments, experts, civil society organisations and UN agencies to examine gaps in the protection of older people’s rights.
Although the OEWG produced valuable research and helped raise awareness, member states could not agree on whether a new treaty was needed. Some believed existing human rights instruments simply needed to be implemented more effectively. As differences between governments became increasingly entrenched, the OEWG was formally concluded in 2024 without reaching agreement.
Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva has steadily increased its attention to the human rights of older persons, including through the work of successive Independent Experts. One of these experts visited New Zealand in 2020, highlighting both progress and ongoing challenges.
The end of the OEWG created an opportunity for a fresh approach. In April 2025, the Human Rights Council established a new open-ended intergovernmental working group to begin drafting a legally binding international instrument on the human rights of older persons. The resolution was adopted by consensus and sponsored by 81 countries from every region of the world.
This marks an important turning point. For the first time, there is a formal mandate to draft a treaty specifically focused on protecting and promoting the rights of older people.
There is, however, no guarantee that a convention will ultimately be adopted. Negotiations will need to address difficult questions, including who should be considered an “older person”, what rights should be included, how governments would be held accountable, and how different legal and political traditions can be reconciled.
The credibility of this process will depend on how it is conducted. It must be inclusive, transparent and involve meaningful participation by civil society—especially older people themselves. The more robust the drafting process is, the stronger the resulting convention will be during negotiations at the UN General Assembly and, eventually, through national ratification.
Some will question whether the world really needs another human rights treaty. That is a legitimate debate. But international conventions have done much more than create legal obligations. They establish shared standards, shape national laws and public policy, strengthen advocacy, raise public awareness, and provide governments with clear accountability through regular reporting.
A convention on the rights of older persons has the potential to do the same.
As New Zealand considers its place in this international process, it is important that civil society organisations, the Human Rights Commission and, above all, older people themselves are actively involved. Government support for a future convention cannot be assumed, and that is why we need to ensure that we are involved.
Population ageing is one of the defining social changes of the twenty-first century. The question is no longer whether our societies are ageing. It is whether our laws, our policies and our attitudes will evolve to ensure that growing older does not mean fewer rights, fewer opportunities or less dignity.
For information about the UN process and opportunities to participate, visit: www.ohchr.org/en/hrc-subsidiaries/iwg-older-persons.