At work, in healthcare, in stations and on the street, at the bank: in many places older people feel excluded, unprotected and discriminated against because of their age. This has an impact on their well-being, their health and their existence to all. And that affects the entire society.
“The problem is becoming increasingly urgent, because there are more and more elderly people,” the Flemish Human Rights Institute indicated today in an advice on its website, addressed to the Flemish government. It asks that Belgium, in its role as President of the European Union, work towards a UN treaty for the human rights of the elderly.
One in five Flemish people
Dozens of civil society organizations today addressed the same question in an open letter to the federal government. According to these organizations, human rights legislation is insufficiently adapted to the reality of the elderly.
According to Nathalie Van Leuven, vice-chairman of the board of directors of the Flemish Human Rights Institute, an international legal instrument, such as a UN treaty, can be an incentive. “Such a treaty has given people with disabilities much more say and visibility. In this way, real participation for the elderly can be achieved.”
By 2030, approximately one and a half million Flemish people will be older than 67 years old – that is 268,000 more than in 2020. More than one in five Flemish people will be older than 67. In Flanders there is an elderly policy, but it has its limitations. This will only last until 2025. The demand for other measures, such as a special commissioner for the rights of the elderly, is increasing.
More pressure
The mobilization around elderly rights has been going on for some time. The World Health Organization (WHO) in particular has been putting themes on the agenda since 2002, such as “active aging” and “aging in place” – growing old in your familiar environment. The situation of the elderly during the corona pandemic prompted many associations to put elderly rights higher on the agenda.
Most governments in Europe are not in favor of such a UN treaty for the time being, but in recent years international pressure has increased considerably. This demand was supported by, among others, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (Garop), which has branches worldwide.
