United Nations Open-ended Working Group on Ageing
Bill Mitchell
July 2024
Background
In May 2024, Community Legal Centres Australia attended the Fourteenth Session of the United Nations Open-ended Working Group on strengthening the protection of the human rights of older persons. Community Legal Centres Australia is in ECOSOC special consultative status with the United Nations, and the work towards a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons has been a significant advocacy piece for many years.
Our contribution
Bill Mitchell, Townsville Community Law, has been our delegate to this New York-based General Assembly process since the Fourth Session in 2013, participating in eleven sessions of the Working Group. Other community legal centres, including Caxton Legal Centre and Seniors’ Rights Service have also engaged with the Working Group at times. Our advocacy has included many hours of UN engagement and advocacy at Working Group sessions, but also through parallel UN processes, meetings and related fora. Community Legal Centres Australia staff have supported Bill’s and other’s engagement with the Working Group, occupying many hours assisting with edits on written inputs and organising attendance at sessions. Community Legal Centres Australia, the Older Persons Legal Services Network and Townsville Community Law have been fabulous supporters of the sector’s ongoing engagement with the movement towards a dedicated convention.
Our contribution to the Working Group has been comprehensive. Community Legal Centres Australia has provided detailed written inputs on thematic rights issues including equality and non-discrimination, violence, neglect and abuse, autonomy and independence, long-term and palliative care, social protection and social security, education, training, lifelong learning and capacity-building, access to justice, right to work, access to the labour market, economic security, contribution to sustainable development, right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and access to health services, social inclusion, accessibility, infrastructure and habitat (transport, housing and access) and participation in public life and in decision-making processes.
Bill has made more than thirty oral interventions over time, was a panellist on the issue of access to justice and was honoured to moderate at the fourteenth session on the issue of ‘Participation in public life and decision-making processes’. He estimates that he has spent more than 50 days in the UN over his time as our delegate.
A historic decision
A historic decision was reached after more than a decade of advocacy efforts by Community Legal Centres Australia and other non-governmental organisations, supportive member states and national human rights institutions. The Working Group recommended (A/AC.278/2024/2) that the General Assembly consider a number of options, including an international legally-binding instrument to promote, protect and ensure the recognition and the realization, on an equal basis, of all human rights of older persons. This option and others contained in the Chair’s report will now be considered by the General Assembly.
Next steps
The General Assembly will now consider the Working Group’s report and recommendations during its current 78th Session. Outcomes sought by Community Legal Centres Australia and others include the General Assembly’s acceptance that an international legally binding instrument should be established and take steps to ensure drafting begins. Additionally, Community Legal Centres Australia encourages the engagement of the Human Rights Council in Geneva to support the General Assembly in furthering the recommended courses of action. The Human Rights Council has been actively engaging in the debate through its own meeting reports and resolutions, as have the speeches of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and statements and reports of the Independent Expert on the Human Rights of all Older Personsc
