ESU adopts Position Paper calling for a UN Convention on the Human Rights of Older Persons

Nicosia, Cyprus – 24 September 2026

The European Seniors’ Union (ESU) has adopted a comprehensive Position Paper on a United Nations Convention on the Human Rights of Older Persons, reaffirming its strong support for a legally binding international instrument dedicated to protecting and promoting the human rights of older people.

The Position Paper was adopted by the ESU Joint Presidency and Executive Committee in Nicosia, Cyprus, on 24 September 2026.

The adoption comes at an important moment in the international debate on the rights of older persons. The ESU welcomes the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council to advance work towards a UN Convention and calls for a strong, ambitious and future-oriented instrument that ensures that older persons can enjoy their human rights fully and equally.

Closing a gap in the international human rights framework

Older persons are already protected by existing international human rights instruments. However, as the ESU Position Paper points out, there is currently no dedicated, legally binding United Nations convention specifically addressing the human rights of older persons. Existing UN instruments, including the United Nations Principles for Older Persons and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, provide important guidance but do not have the same legal status as a human rights treaty.

For the ESU, a dedicated Convention would help close this protection gap, make the rights of older persons more visible and actionable, strengthen protection against age discrimination, abuse and neglect, and provide clearer standards concerning dignity, autonomy, participation, health and care, social protection and access to justice.

The ESU stresses a fundamental principle: growing older must never mean losing one’s human rights.

“Nothing about us without us”

A central message of the Position Paper is that older persons and their representative organisations must have a meaningful role throughout the entire UN Convention process.

The ESU calls for the principle of “nothing about us without us” to guide negotiations, drafting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Older people’s organisations should have effective and adequately supported opportunities to participate at international, national, regional and local levels. The ESU also encourages States to include representatives of older persons in relevant delegations and consultative and monitoring bodies.

This participatory approach reflects the ESU’s recognition that older persons are a diverse population and that vulnerability is not an inherent characteristic of older age. The Convention should address discrimination, exclusion, dependency, abuse and other barriers while recognising the capacities, contributions and responsibilities of older people as full members of society.

Rights across the whole life course

The ESU calls for the future Convention to be rooted in a life-course approach. Ageing is not a separate stage detached from society, but part of the continuous human experience.

The Position Paper therefore emphasises dignity, equality, autonomy and participation throughout life. It calls for older persons to be recognised not simply as recipients of care or support, but as citizens, volunteers, workers, family members, consumers, voters and community leaders with the right to participate fully in society and democratic life.

The ESU also stresses that intergenerational solidarity must be understood as a shared responsibility across generations, recognising the reciprocal contributions of people of all ages.

Key priorities for the future Convention

The Position Paper sets out a broad range of priorities that the ESU believes should be reflected in the substance of the Convention.

These include:

• Dignity, equality and participation, including a clear prohibition of age discrimination and action against ageism.
• Autonomy and independent living, including equal legal capacity, supported decision-making where needed, adequate housing and access to age-friendly communities.
• Health, care and long-term care, with a focus on person-centred, affordable and rights-based services, support for carers and respect for dignity and informed consent.
• Digital inclusion and digital citizenship, ensuring that digitalisation does not exclude older persons from essential public, health, financial or commercial services.
• Economic security and adequate income, including social protection, adequate pensions and protection from financial exploitation.
• Protection from abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect, together with accessible reporting mechanisms and effective remedies.
• Access to justice, including age-friendly procedures, legal assistance and effective remedies against discrimination.
• Protection in emergencies and humanitarian crises, ensuring that older persons are included in preparedness, response and recovery planning.
• Education and lifelong learning, including access to universities, adult education, vocational training and digital and financial literacy.
• Volunteering and active citizenship, recognising the contribution of older persons to communities and democratic life.
• Employment, including protection against age discrimination and equal opportunities for those who wish to continue working.
• Intergenerational solidarity and positive ageing, recognising the social, economic, cultural and civic contributions of older persons.
• Freedom of thought, religion, belief and cultural identity.
• Dignity and rights at the end of life, including palliative care, informed consent and respect for personal wishes.

Digitalisation and artificial intelligence must serve human dignity

Among the Position Paper’s priorities is the recognition that digital participation is increasingly important for exercising fundamental rights.

The ESU calls for digital inclusion, digital literacy and accessible, age-friendly digital design. At the same time, it stresses that digitalisation must never result in older persons being excluded from essential services. Where necessary to guarantee dignity, accessibility and inclusion, meaningful human interaction must remain available.

The ESU also recognises the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence in areas such as healthcare, mobility, communication, independent living and public services, while calling for appropriate safeguards against algorithmic discrimination, surveillance, manipulation and the loss of meaningful human oversight.

From international commitments to practical improvements

For the ESU, adopting a Convention is not an end in itself. Effective implementation and monitoring will be essential to ensuring that international commitments translate into improvements in the everyday lives of older persons.

The Position Paper therefore calls for robust implementation, reporting and monitoring mechanisms, accessible complaint and redress procedures, clear responsibilities and measurable progress. At the same time, reporting should be coordinated with existing international human rights mechanisms to avoid unnecessary administrative burdens.

The ESU also emphasises the importance of global cooperation. The future Convention should be developed with contributions from all regions and States, drawing on diverse legal systems, cultures, experiences and good practices. European organisations can contribute experience and leadership while ensuring that the Convention remains a genuinely universal instrument.

A call for active engagement

With the adoption of its Position Paper in Nicosia, the ESU is calling on its member associations to actively promote the development of a UN Convention, support national delegations in the negotiation and drafting process and contribute constructively to the international debate.

The ESU also calls on governments, regional and international organisations and civil society to ensure the full and meaningful participation of older persons and their representative organisations throughout the process.

As the Position Paper concludes, a comprehensive and legally binding UN Convention can help close existing protection gaps, combat ageism, strengthen participation and ensure that people can age with dignity, autonomy, security and full enjoyment of their human rights. The ESU stands ready to contribute to the negotiation, implementation and monitoring of such a Convention, including through its active engagement within AGE Platform Europe.

The adoption in Nicosia marks a clear reaffirmation of the European Seniors’ Union’s commitment to ensuring that the rights of older persons are fully recognised, protected and respected — at every stage of life.