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	Respond urgently to climate change by setting a renewable energy target of 100% by 2050 by Archbishop Desmond Tutu South Africa   Today, the human family faces one of its greatest moral challenges – climate change.   If we stay on our current course, our world can expect to suffer more deadly storms, heat waves, droughts, crop failures, water shortages, mass migration, and new threats to our health and security.   This will hurt all of us -- especially the hungry, the sick, the poor, and the excluded. The people who benefited least from the burning of fossil fuels are already paying a steep price.   Yet I know that, working together, we can change the world for the better.   Today, we have a grave moral obligation to turn back the tide of climate change. We are called to care for the earth, which shelters all life, and to protect it from further harm.   For this reason, I am joining with so many other men and women of good will to most strongly urge the world’s political leaders to take immediate action on the climate.   Let the strength of our voices be heard all across the world, in all centers of power and especially in the upcoming climate talks in Paris, when leaders have one last chance to reach a global agreement on reducing carbon emissions before it is too late.   Climate change threatens the health of our planet and people; especially the poorest and most vulnerable. It threatens our children’s future and everything we hold dear. It is time for all of us to wake up and take action together — in our local communities, nationally and globally, as well as in our daily lives.   As citizens we recognize that there is a grave obligation to act on climate change.   We call on you as national leaders to respond urgently to the threats of climate change and set a renewable energy target of 100% by 2050.   We need bold action to keep global temperature rise below the unacceptably dangerous tipping point of two degrees, to phase out carbon pollution to zero, and to invest our resources in sustainable development pathways to build a more inclusive and balanced world.   Let us act now, boldly and together, to build a better life for all! Visit the related web page
	A global treaty to protect the rights of older people is long overdue by HelpAge International, UN News, agencies   The number of people over 60 is expected to more than double globally from 900 million people in 2015 to more than 2 billion in 2050.   Population ageing constitutes one of the most significant demographic transformations of the 21st century. For the first time in history, humankind will reach a point at which there are fewer children than older persons in the world.   “It is time to rethink ageing and to move towards rights-based solutions,” the United Nations Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Rosa Kornfeld-Matte Independent Expert says urging all governments to fulfil their obligations to ensure that older persons can enjoy the full spectrum of their human rights and age with dignity.   Marking World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today emphasized that ending neglect, abuse and violence against older people is crucial as the international community continues to work together towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and fulfil their underlying pledge to leave no one behind.   “Abuse and violence directed at older people take many forms, including partner and stranger violence, psychological and emotional abuse and financial exploitation,” Mr. Ban said in his message to mark the Day.   “On this Day, I call upon Member States and civil society to strengthen their resolve and redouble their efforts to eliminate all forms of violence and abuse against older people,” he added, highlighting that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to end poverty and build a more sustainable world for all.   World Elder Abuse Awareness Day – observed annually on 15 June since it was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2011 – aims to spotlight the global social issues affecting elderly people. The commemoration also brings the attention of the international community on the safeguarding of older human beings from mistreatment and suffering.   Elder abuse can be defined as “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.” Such abuse can take various forms, including physical, psychological or emotional, sexual and financial abuse, and can also be the result of intentional or unintentional neglect.   Empowering Older Women - The forgotten half-billion   Noting that older women suffer from age and gender discrimination and are more vulnerable than men, Mr. Ban pointed out that World Health Organization (WHO) estimates show that up to 10 per cent of older people may be affected in some countries.   “Abuse of older women often follows a lifetime of discrimination, violence and oppression. I am particularly alarmed by growing reports of older women who are accused of witchcraft, making them targets of abuse from their own families and communities,” Mr. Ban said.   The UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Rosa Kornfeld-Matte, warned that insufficient action is being taken to stop elder abuse around the world, and called on anyone who suspects such a case to immediately report it.   “One in ten older persons experience abuse every month. So, tomorrow it may well be you,” Ms. Kornfeld-Matte said in a statement released by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).   The Independent Expert noted that elder abuse occurs anywhere in institutional settings, but often also at home, and it affects older persons across all socio-economic groups. Manifestations include physical violence, sexual or emotional abuse, abandonment, and neglect, as well as financial or material exploitation.   “One of the reasons for lack of action is that most people would rather not think of themselves as frail and dependent and, therefore, do not feel concerned. For others, it may be inconceivable that those who are closest to them today – their beloved ones – may be the perpetrators of tomorrow,” she said.   “Those concerned – the older persons who are physically restrained, left in soiled clothes, overmedicated or emotionally neglected – may not speak up for fear of reprisals or to protect relatives from criminal prosecution,” she added.   Ms. Kornfeld-Matte emphasized that most cases of elder abuse go undetected and prevalence rates are likely to be underestimated. It is therefore essential to continue to raise awareness to help prevent some abuse cases and to ensure that those that take place are immediately reported, she said.   Warning signs can include unexplained bruises, lack of medical care, malnutrition or dehydration, unexplained changes of alertness and sudden changes in finances and accounts.   What is elder abuse? (HelpAge International)   Elder abuse is any act that causes harm or risk of harm to an older person, whether or not this is intended, and often occurs within a relationship of trust. This abuse can be physical, psychological, sexual, material, or of general neglect.   Abuse is especially harmful for older people. Physical injuries affect older people more because their bones are often brittle and wounds take longer to heal. Even minor injuries can result in life-changing disabilities, or death.   Psychological abuse has also been linked to premature death in older people, with some studies suggesting a loss of up to five years of life.   Invisible abuse   Elder abuse can be dangerously invisible. It is often taboo to talk about; victims are unlikely to report any abuse they experience; and some may not even be aware that they are being abused.   Chris Roles, Managing Director of Age International, says, “It is estimated that only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is reported, due to fear of consequences if reported.”   Although most elder abuse remains undetected, studies show a wide range prevalence: 10%-47.3% in North America & South America; 2.2% in Ireland to 61.1% in Croatia; in Europe 14.0% in India to 36.2%; in China in Asia 30% in Nigeria to 43.9% in Egypt in Africa.   Current partners are the most common perpetrators of emotional, physical and sexual violence, while neglect and financial abuse is most commonly perpetrated by children or by someone else they closely know, such as an ex-partner, friends or acquaintances.   One particularly insidious form of elder abuse is financial abuse, particularly against older widows.   Land-grabbing in Tanzania   In rural Tanzania, older widows are frequently victims of land-grabbing and property-stealing by family members. Poor and vulnerable, often isolated and sometimes physically weak, older widows can lose their property when their husband dies.   The problem is compounded by the fact that many older women are not even aware that they are entitled to inherit property or pass it on. In Tanzania, 62 year old Paskazia says “I didn’t know we had a right to own property. All of the property was registered in the name of the men. If the husband dies, the property is then registered in the name of the son and not the widow.”   Through our partner HelpAge, we are helping older women to write wills to protect them from land-grabbing. Paskazia says “I have written a will in which I have written how I want my property to be distributed when I die.”   Paskazia and other women like her also receive training on human rights which empowers both older men and women in the community. “We know our rights and if anyone tries to abuse us, we stand together.”   Will-writing ensures older people can decide what happens to their property when they die, and for many older women it helps secure their assets if their husband dies. This is having a positive impact at a local level, but national strategies need to be put in place to tackle elder abuse.   Government inaction   Rates of elder abuse prevalence are underestimated and government responses remain inadequate. Less than one third of governments worldwide have implemented any sort of strategy to combat elder abuse.   Chris Roles says “The obligation of governments to protect older people from abuse is not clearly stated in existing international human rights laws.”   The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) do include a commitment to tackling abuse, but up until now, data has only been collected on women up to the age of 49. Roles says “Not enough is being done to record instances of elder abuse, let alone tackle it.”   Although the SDGs have now removed the original, discriminatory upper age-cap on measuring violence against women, much needs to be done to ensure data is collected and used. Through better evidence and understanding of the problem, governments will be better placed to address it.   http://www.ageinternational.org.uk/what-we-do/Policy-where-we-stand-/elder-abuse/ http://www.helpage.org/ http://www.helpage.org/newsroom/latest-news/ http://www.helpage.org/blogs/   May 2016   A treaty to protect the rights of older people is long overdue, write Gordon DiGiacomo, Martine Lagace, Caroline Andrew.   As the world’s population ages, now is the time to begin work on a treaty to give explicit protection to the rights of the elderly.   Rosa Kornfeld-Matte''s report on her work as the UN Independent Expert on the rights of older persons was informative, if also bloodless. The harsh reality is that older people rank among the poorest people in the poorest countries in the world.   Indeed, the UN Secretary-General has written:   “Homelessness, malnutrition, unattended chronic diseases, lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, unaffordable medicines and treatments and income insecurity are just a few of the most critical human rights issues that a large number of older persons confront on a daily basis.”   The former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, decried “the limited and fragmented response” of states to the plight of older people. Striking a note of urgency, she argued that dedicated measures to strengthen the international protection regime for older persons are called for “without further delay.”   What is clearly needed is a legally binding UN human rights treaty on the rights of older persons. They would thus join other groups whose rights are explicitly protected in international law.   A rights treaty is not a magic bullet but it would be another tool to bring about a better future for older people.   At the base of much of the struggle of many older people is ageism. The American scholar, Robert Butler, defined ageism as negative beliefs and prejudicial attitudes toward older persons as well as the aging process. It relies on the social criterion of age to legitimize discrimination.   The manifestations of ageism range from inaccurate and insulting portrayals of ageing and of older persons, to patronizing behaviour toward older people, to unequal treatment of older people in the labour force, to grossly inadequate pensions, to elder abuse in private homes and care facilities, and so on.   A report compiled by HelpAge International, a leading older persons advocacy group, provided numerous examples of what flows from ageism.   For instance: a 2008 study found that 1 in 9 older Americans were at risk of hunger; in Peru, older people are frequently prevented from even applying for jobs, regardless of their skills and qualifications; in India, a 2010 study found that 36 per cent of older people interviewed had experienced some type of abuse; in Kyrgyzstan, ambulance services routinely discriminate against people over 50.   A survey of 1,265 older people in 32 countries found that 76% of those in rural areas and 67% in urban areas could not pay for basic services like water, electricity, health care, adequate food, and decent housing.   In addition, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), half of the world''s older people receive no pensions at all.   International human rights law has been of negligible help to older persons because explicit references to age in the core human rights conventions are scarce.   As the UN Secretary-General has written, “Existing human rights mechanisms have lacked a systematic and comprehensive approach to the specific circumstances of older men and women.”   Of the three foundational human rights instruments—the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights nor the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights—none explicitly identifies age as a prohibited ground of discrimination.   The latter two treaties do list race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, and birth, and then refer to “other status.” However, “other status” can be interpreted in ways that could exclude age.   Support for a new treaty comes mostly from developing countries, particularly those in Latin America.   The former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, also indicated her support for a convention.   Most developed states are presently opposed to a new treaty on the rights of older persons. Their opposition is based on 2 grounds. First, they argue that existing treaties and “soft laws” already protect the rights of older persons and that the task is to promote the fuller implementation of those existing conventions and other, non-binding standards. Secondly, they refer to the problem of what is called treaty fatigue.   Treaty fatigue refers to the fatigue that states are experiencing as a result of having to repeatedly report to the UN on their compliance with many UN human rights treaties.   The burden of reporting, states argue, means they are late with their reports, submit reports with inaccuracies, or do not report at all.   There are also concerns about the costs of treaty-making and treaty-implementing, and the worry of a never-ending list of subjects for new human rights treaties.   Of course, these are the same arguments used by the opponents in previous efforts to develop new human rights treaties, including those for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).   Indeed, one Canadian disability rights activist who was involved in the negotiations for the CRPD confirmed to us that most developed states were initially opposed to it for the above reasons.   But these conventions have proven to be effective human rights tools and it is fair to say that there is now virtually universal acceptance of their value. Furthermore, there is solid academic research showing that UN human rights treaties work. They do have an impact.   Further, the contention that existing conventions already protect the rights of older persons is not quite accurate. There is a hugely vital set of rights that are not protected, beginning with explicit protection against discrimination.   The Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons, approved last June by the Organization of American States, includes articles on equality and non-discrimination for reasons of age; the right to independence and autonomy; the right to give free and informed consent on health matters; the rights of older persons receiving long-term care; the right to housing and appropriate, age-sensitive accommodation and housing policy; and the right to work.   A draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Older Persons calls on states to combat negative attitudes against older persons; adopt measures to enable older persons to access credit facilities; and enact legislation making it an offence for family members, the community, institutions or other persons to abuse older persons.   With respect to the treaty fatigue argument, even though many states have been consistently late in their reporting on their implementation of rights, this hasn’t stopped implementation efforts.   For example, UNICEF reports that the CRC has made a significant difference for the children of the world, and data from the ILO show a substantial reduction in the extent of child labour.   The time has come for progressive states to step up and use their influence to bring an older persons rights treaty to fruition.   http://www.helpage.org/ http://www.un.org/development/desa/ageing/ http://bit.ly/1rqXDaW http://bit.ly/2cqJ4yk http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/OlderPersons/IE/Pages/IEOlderPersons.aspx Visit the related web page
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