Advocacy from GAROP

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Advocacy from GAROP
Published: Friday, May 22nd 2020

The Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP) continues to advocate on behalf of all older persons. Established in 2011, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People was born out of the need to strengthen the rights and voice of older people globally. They provided the following statement yesterday, for wide dissemination, and DAI thanks them for their work and comprehensive approach to the rights of all older persons.

146 States sign a joint statement of support for the UN Secretary-General’s policy brief

146 UN Member States have signed a new joint statement supporting the UN Secretary-General’s recent policy brief on COVID-19 and older persons. You can read the statement and see the list of supporting States here. This is an important development and useful for our advocacy.

FOR ACTION:

1. We encourage you to share this joint statement widely. You can consider using the following messages:

  • Thank your government for supporting this joint statement (or ask them why they have not supported it - it is important that governments know that civil society organisations are monitoring their actions).
  • Highlight the substantial number of supporting States from all regions of the world. This demonstrates growing international attention to older people’s rights and a clear consensus on the need to do more to protect these rights.
  • Encourage your government to support the ‘recommendations’ being negotiated remotely as part of the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) process. This joint statement and the UN policy brief add to the global momentum building around older people’s rights and it is important that your government participates actively and has a voice in the OEWG process.
  1. In addition to this, you must contact me if you would like to add your name to our Open Letter to the UN Secretary-General. The letter now has over 120 supporters and this is growing every day. [DAI has today signed on to this Open Letter]

Official response to GAROP from the Director-General of the WHO

Please find attached the response received from the WHO Director-General to our letter of 20th April (also attached again for reference).

Thank you to those of you who followed up directly in support of our letter. You can refer to this official WHO response in your advocacy around older people and COVID-19.

The letter provides a helpful summary of how older people are currently included in the various WHO existing guidelines and resources. It also mentions the upcoming specific guidelines about older people. The GAROP Steering Group is considering our next steps and further opportunities for follow-up and collaboration. Please get in touch if you have suggestions.

Further information

Ellen Graham
Secretariat Coordinator
Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People
Twitter: @GAROP_Sec


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