UN expert to visit Nigeria to assess human rights of older persons

GENEVA (29 August 2022) – The United Nations Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Claudia Mahler will conduct an official visit to Nigeria from 29 August to 9 September 2022.

“As the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria’s population is increasingly ageing, and older persons are projected to represent a significant portion of the society by 2050,” the expert said.

“During this visit, I look forward to learning more about Nigeria’s legal framework, policies and strategies in relation to older persons and how it addresses the human rights concerns of its ageing population. I am particularly interested in discussing the Older Persons (Rights and Privileges) Bill that aims to address current social and economic challenges faced by older persons,” she added.

The Independent Expert will assess social security and protection, care provision, elder abuse, age discrimination and ageism, and their meaningful participation in the labour force and in public space during her visit. She will focus on older persons’ rights in specific contexts including humanitarian and emergency situations related to conflict and climate change. “I will focus particularly on older persons facing multiple forms of discrimination, including older women, older refugees and internally displaced persons and older persons with disabilities,” Mahler said.

The expert, who is visiting Nigeria at the invitation of the Government, will hold discussions in Abuja, Ibadan, Lagos and Makurdi with government representatives, UN officials and civil society organisations working with older persons.

The expert will hold a press conference at the end of her visit, on Friday 9 September 2022 at 2 pm (WAT) at the Reiz Continental Hotel in Abuja, to share her preliminary observations. Access will be strictly limited to journalists.

She will present a full report of her country visit to the Human Rights Council in September 2023.

ENDS

Ms. Claudia Mahler (Austria) was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons in May 2020. She has been working for the German Institute for Human Rights as a senior researcher in the field of economic, social and cultural rights since 2010. She was also a visiting professor at the Alice Salomon Hochschule in 2020-2021. From 2001 to 2009, Ms. Mahler conducted research at the Human Rights Centre of the University of Potsdam where her main fields were in human rights education, minority rights and the law of asylum. In 2000, she received her doctoral degree and was appointed as Vice President of the Human Rights Commission for Tyrol and Vorarlberg.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, country page – Nigeria