The UK Government has a historic opportunity to urgently address these challenges and create a more inclusive and equitable world for older people everywhere.
Age International has outlined 5 Easy Actions the UK Government could take to improve the lives of older people globally. By taking these steps, the UK could rebuild its development reputation and create a safer, more prosperous world.
Historically, governments and international organisations have failed to protect the rights of older people, especially older women, but the tide is turning. The UK Government could lead this worldwide change, from championing a new legal framework to strengthening global healthcare for all older people, no matter where they live.
We’re calling on David Lammy MP to make history by championing the rights of older people everywhere, with a public statement in support of a UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.
We have laws talking about children and women but there is none for older people. Older people deserve to be treated better and laws that recognise their rights would help address that.
Jacinta, 69, Kenya
The five areas we've identified will have a significant impact not only on older people in low and middle-income countries, but also their families and communities, economies and societies.
State publicly that the UK Government supports the creation of a new United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.
Include an explicit focus on older women within the UK Government’s commitment to women and girls. Take this message to partners in global policy forums such as the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and the 30-year review of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2025.
Explicitly commit to tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low and middle-income countries as part of the UK Government’s global health priorities in 2025.
Renew the UK Government’s pledge and commitment to “Leave No-One Behind” as a core part of achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Commit to disaggregating data by sex, age and disability within the UK Government's work and that of its partners.
By taking these actions, the UK Government could leave a lasting global legacy that places the agency, rights and needs of older people at the heart of the UK’s international development, humanitarian and climate crisis responses.
Older women are contributing unrecognised yet critical support to their families, communities and economies through their paid and unpaid work. Our new report gives voice to older women’s experiences.
Our 2024 manifesto sets out what the UK Government could do over the next five years to improve the lives of older people globally.
Our report draws on evidence and experience from our work in areas such as access to healthcare, addressing chronic diseases and humanitarian response.
