Statement of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons Rosa Kornfeld-Matte at the Displacement solutions expert roundtable discussion

11 June 2015
Geneva

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me first of all to express my sincere gratitude to Displacement Solutions for inviting me to this Expert Roundtable Discussion. It is an honour to be part of such a distinguished panel of experts from different backgrounds in order to discuss climate displacement and human rights. It is also a great pleasure to share, once again, a panel with Tom Corsellis, who so successfully moderated the side-event that I attended, in March of this year, on “ Building Climate Resilience: the rights of groups in focus”, organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Displacement Solutions and the Applied Research Association.

Climate change and population ageing are two major phenomena of the XXI century. The combination of both issues is unfortunately not discussed enough. Therefore, this roundtable gives me the opportunity to share with you some thoughts about the particular situation of older persons in climate displacement.

As the first Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, I have been mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council to assess the implementation of existing international instruments with regard to older persons in order to ensure that older persons enjoy all their human rights in any circumstances.
From the beginning of my mandate, I made the situation of older persons in emergency situations one of my priorities. Older persons make up a large proportion of refugees and internally displaced persons, and they are often left behind during conflict, emergency or disaster situations.

As older persons are not a homogenous group, therefore particular attention needs to be given to their differences, especially their gender, age and disabilities. That is why, I have been mandated to pay particular attention to different groups, such as older women, those with disabilities, older persons of African descent, those belonging to indigenous peoples, to national or ethnic groups, religious, linguistic minorities, rural persons, persons living on the streets, refugees and internally displaced persons.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There are few references to older persons in the context of climate change or the climate displacement framework.

The UN Principles for Older Persons that address the rights of older persons in any circumstance does not make any explicit reference to emergency situations, although principle 7 states that: “Older persons should remain integrated in society, participate actively in the formulation and implementation of policies that directly affect their well-being and share their knowledge and skills with younger generations”.

The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, which offers a comprehensive action plan for governments for building a society for all ages, includes a section on emergency situations with detailed actions to be undertaken. It recommends States to take concrete measures to provide equal access by older persons to food, shelter and medical care and other services during and after natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies. It also recommends enhancing the contributions of older persons to the re-establishment and reconstruction of communities, and the rebuilding of the social fabric following emergencies.

There are other positive initiatives, such as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Operational Guidelines on the Protection of Persons in Situations of Natural Disasters that recommend the inclusion of the needs of older persons in humanitarian responses and related-activities. The Peninsula Principles on climate displacement within States also clearly mention the importance of including older persons in the national implementation process. For instance, Principle 7 of the Peninsula Principles states that “States should ensure the right of all individuals […] to adequate, timely and effective participation in all stages of policy development and implementation […], ensuring in particular such participation by indigenous peoples, women, the elderly, minorities, persons with disabilities, children, those living in poverty, and marginalized groups and people”.

More recently, the Sendai framework, adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan, has been guided by the principle that disaster risk reduction requires an all-of-society engagement and partnership, as well as empowerment and inclusive, accessible and non-discriminatory participation. In this sense, it includes a broader and a more people-centred preventive approach to disaster risk management, requesting States to engage with relevant stakeholders, such as older persons in the design and implementation of policies, plans and standards. In addition, it clearly includes the role of older persons as enablers in providing support to States.

From the above, we can conclude that older persons should be seen from two main perspectives: as a group that is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change, but also as a group that has invaluable assets and can make positive contributions.

From the first approach, while older persons face similar difficulties as other groups in emergency situations, they often have to deal with particular challenges due to their age.

For instance, they are sometimes not physically capable to escape with their families and could be seen as a burden that will slow things down and put the family in danger in the evacuation process. Older persons who have their autonomy reduced, depending on caregivers or living in institutional care settings, are the ones that are most at risk, who are often isolated, abandoned or left during the journey. Older persons are also those who are less able to find food and shelter and to access care facilities. In this displacement cycle, they are also the ones who are more subject to abuse and violence in all of its forms.

Therefore, States should elaborate and implement comprehensive capacity-building programmes that identify the root causes of vulnerability of older persons in order to address their particular needs in all stages of the displacement cycle. This includes their access to emergency information, disaster preparedness, appropriate care and relief effort. To do so, States should gather information and collect up-to-date sex and age disaggregated data that will be helpful in the design and preparation of strategies, policies and programmes. This should also include the development of training programmes for relief agency personnel and health professionals that will consider the needs of older persons in this particular context.

From the second approach, the contribution and participation of older persons must be included in any displacement strategy, policy and programme. They have a unique role to play in preparing for building climate resilience in their communities. States should therefore implement policies that strengthen the autonomy of older persons and empower them through introducing a sustainable community risk management system, and reinforcing their skills during natural disaster emergency response, recovery and rehabilitation. These programs should include, but not be limited to, team building and decision making, personal safety and self-defence, environmental awareness, first aid, and community-based disaster risk assessment. The elaboration and adoption of a checklist could guide States to consider the needs of older persons in all stages of the displacement cycle.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Much more should and must be done to effectively integrate an age perspective in climate change and climate displacement policies, strategies and programmes. I urge States gathered here today in Bonn, Germany, to ensure that the future climate agreement that will be adopted this December in Paris expressly recognizes human rights obligations that apply in the context of climate change, with particular focus on the needs and rights of groups.

Before I conclude, I would like to reiterate the importance of cooperation including between the public and private sectors, civil society, scientific institutions, academia as well as organizations of the United Nations system and regional organizations. Only through partnership and cooperation will we be able to address the challenges posed by the effects of climate change on our societies and our response to displacement.

I thank you very much for your attention.