United Nations
General Assembly
A/HRC/RES/21/23
Distr.: General
17 October 2012
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Twenty-first session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
21/23.
The human rights of older persons
The Human Rights Council,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 65/182 of 21 December 2010 on the followup to the Second World Assembly on Ageing, in which the Assembly established an openended working group for the purpose of strengthening the protection of the human rights of
older persons by considering the existing international framework of the human rights of
older persons and identifying possible gaps and how best to address them, including by
considering, as appropriate, the feasibility of further instruments and measures,
Recognizing that older persons face specific vulnerabilities and challenges in the
enjoyment of all human rights, that current international initiatives on the matter have been
insufficient and that enhanced measures are needed without delay,
Bearing in mind the Political Declaration and the Madrid International Plan of
Action on Ageing of 2002 and relevant General Assembly resolutions,
Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the followup to the Second World Assembly on Ageing1 and of the report of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights of older persons,2
Recalling general comment No. 6 of the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights on the economic, social and cultural rights of older persons, as well as other
relevant documents by treaty bodies,
Conscious that older persons represent a large and growing segment of the
population and that greater attention is needed to the specific human rights challenges
affecting them,
1
2
GE.12-17657
The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of
the Council on its twenty-first session (A/HRC/21/2), chap. I.
A/67/188.
E/2012/51.