Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the proposed United Nations Convention on the Rights of Older Persons; and what assessments they have made of the potential risks of ratifying this convention, including the risk that older people may be classified as having different human rights to other adults.

The UK is clear that human rights are universal and is committed to protecting the human rights of all persons, including older persons. The UK recognises that there can be barriers to the enjoyment of human rights associated with certain characteristics, including age, and we know that older persons often face serious human rights issues in many parts of the world. We are supportive, in principle, of a multilateral instrument dedicated to the rights of older persons, and welcome the UN Open Ended Working Group on Ageing's work to help deepen our understanding of the important issues, before we consider what might be the most appropriate solution. There is currently no draft Convention for the UK to consider ratifying. We will continue to work closely with Parliament, academia, civil society and national human rights institutions, to draw on their expertise and ensure that our approach takes account of their views.