A/HRC/RES/39/18 Underscoring that international human rights treaties prohibit discrimination on, inter alia, the basis of age, and that national legislation should adhere to the State’s international obligations, Recalling that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stresses the need to ensure that no one is left behind, including older persons, and in this regard recognizing the essential contribution that older men and women make to the functioning of societies and to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, Noting with appreciation the contributions of international human rights bodies and mechanisms, including the treaty bodies, and the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, such as the special procedures and the universal periodic review, in promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in accordance with States’ human rights obligations, Recognizing that older persons face a number of particular challenges in the enjoyment of their human rights that need to be addressed urgently, including in the areas of prevention of and protection against violence and abuse, social protection, food and housing, the right to work, equality and non-discrimination, access to justice, education, training, health support, long-term and palliative care, lifelong learning, participation and accessibility, and recognizing also that the discrimination older women experience is often multidimensional, with age discrimination compounding other forms of discrimination, and that technical cooperation and capacity-building, including through regional cooperation, can support and enhance States’ efforts to address these challenges and to promote active and healthy ageing, Emphasizing the importance of promoting inclusive, age-friendly communities and environments and of providing a range of support services that promote the dignity, autonomy and independence of older persons, to enable older persons to age in place, with due regard to individual preferences, Emphasizing also that consultation with and the meaningful and effective participation of older persons and their organizations are essential in the formulation and adoption of legislation and policies, in particular those relating to their specific needs and concerns, Acknowledging that States are encouraged to enhance their capacity to more effectively collect data, statistics and qualitative information, disaggregated when necessary by relevant factors, in order to improve assessment of the situation of older persons, Reiterating that one of the responsibilities of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office of the High Commissioner is to provide advisory services and technical assistance, at the request of the State concerned, with a view to supporting actions and programmes in the field of human rights, and to coordinate activities to promote and protect human rights throughout the United Nations system in accordance with the mandate of the Office, Appreciating the important role of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights, the Voluntary Trust Fund for Participation in the Universal Periodic Review, the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in the Work of the Human Rights Council and the Voluntary Trust Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the Universal Periodic Review in supporting States in developing their national capacities to promote the effective implementation of their human rights obligations and accepted universal periodic review recommendations, including those pertaining to the rights of older persons, which have contributed to tangible improvements in the situation of human rights on the ground, Noting with appreciation the contributions of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights and of the Voluntary Trust Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the Universal Periodic Review through their annual reports to the Human Rights Council, in particular on the components of technical cooperation and the identification of good practices, 2