Philippines Leads Push for Treaty on the Rights of Older Persons at UN Human Rights Council   

GENEVA 08 April 2025 — The Philippines, together with a core group of countries, led the push in securing the adoption of a consensus resolution to initiate the drafting of a new international treaty on the rights of older persons at the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC58). 

This milestone marks the beginning of a formal intergovernmental process to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by older persons globally.

The resolution bears the result of years of sustained advocacy by the Philippines, alongside Argentina, Brazil, the Gambia, and Slovenia, to strengthen human rights protections across all life stages. The Philippines has long been a staunch proponent of a legally binding instrument (LBI) for older persons, playing an active role in the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) at the UN Headquarters in New York, together with partner-states and civil society organizations.

“This is multilateralism in action, working for human rights, and for a future without age discrimination,” affirmed Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo in an online statement.

The Philippines recognizes the challenges faced by the older population, including violence and discrimination based on age and exclusion from access to social security and decision-making processes.

Domestically, the Philippines has long championed the rights of older persons, through landmark legislation such as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act and the Anti-Age Discrimination Act of 2016, to uphold their dignity and well-being.

The resolution mandates the first meeting of the intergovernmental working group to take place before the end of 2025 to establish the foundations for future substantive negotiations.  In this light, Secretary Manalo assured that the Philippines “will push further until we have a substantive UN treaty honoring the rights and dignity of older persons worldwide.”

The 58th Session of the Human Rights Council runs from 24 February to 4 April 2025 and remains the UN’s primary intergovernmental body mandated to promote and protect human rights globally. END