On 18 November 2025, global experts, legal practitioners, and human rights leaders convened to advance the international agenda on older persons’ human rights, as momentum continues to build towards the negotiation of a new international treaty dedicated to the rights and protections of older persons.
This development follows the landmark decision of 3 April 2025, when the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution launching the multilateral process to negotiate the world’s first dedicated treaty on the rights of older persons during the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030).
As the world’s population ages at an unprecedented rate, the need for stronger legal safeguards, anti-discrimination frameworks, and inclusive policies has become increasingly urgent. Lessons from the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)—and over 14 years of deliberations by the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG)—are now guiding the next steps of this complex and historic process.
With formal treaty negotiations scheduled to begin in February 2026, this moment marks a pivotal opportunity for governments, civil society, and international institutions to forge protections that uphold dignity, autonomy, and equality for older persons worldwide.
GIA Longevity proudly supports this global effort to advance human rights and strengthen legal protections for ageing populations across all regions.