Les personnes âgées sont trop souvent privées de l'ensemble des droits de l'homme

Particulièrement vulnérables, les personnes âgées sont souvent ignorées et ne jouissent pas de l’ensemble des droits de l’homme, selon le commissaire aux Droits de l’homme du Conseil de l’Europe, Thomas Hammarberg, écrivant sur le site Internet du Conseil le 28 avril.

The author calls for the human dignity of the « lost generation » to be respected and their rights restored, as they do not enjoy an adequate standard of living and many of them are poor. 

Given their frailty, aged people should get « special protection », Hammarberg argues, explaining that this is why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulated they have the right to security.

In our society, the elderly tend to be discriminated against on several levels and may be considered as worthless or non-productive, the human rights commissioner states.

Hammarberg highlights the labour market as a good example of an area where discrimination frequently occurs – many retired people who wish to continue their professional activity do not have the opportunity to do so as their age prevents them from accessing the market. 

The author suggests leaders should make retirement ages more flexible as « older persons should have the opportunity to work as long as they wish and are able to, in satisfying and productive work ». 

Modern society has not adequately addressed disabilities caused by ageing like reduced vision, reduced hearing or reduced mobility, Hammarberg states, highlighting the necessity of designing policies and programmes that would adapt to their situation. 

Institutionally, he says some countries should better control the way in which aged people are treated, as they are « less able to defend themselves against abuse ». 

He also calls for the conditions in which they are hosted to be more thoroughly monitored. 

Faced with ageing populations, the elderly are bound to be « a strain on the social and health care system, » therefore the commissioner urges European leaders to re-examine their social protection systems, health care and housing policies, which are not « suited » to the elderly.