It is important that any content developed for a future UN convention advances the promotion and protection of the human rights of older people. GAROP supports its members in various ways to make substantive and normative inputs to the UN process and to influence Member States to do the same. NGOs that register delegates and are represented at the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) session are likely to have the opportunity to make oral statements during the OEWG session. It is best to start researching and preparing your oral statements in plenty of time to ensure that it has maximum impact.
Whilst we are still waiting for official confirmation of the nature of NGO participation in the 12th OEWG session, we anticipate that there will be a number of ways in which NGOs can make their voices heard at or around the session and we urge all to participate in one or more of the following ways and to start drafting your key messages now:
- New! Written statements: Accredited NGOs can also submit written inputs on the different topics for this year. More information is available on the official website for the 12th session.
- Oral statements: Accredited NGOs can apply for speaking slots during the various panels of the virtual UN session itself. Visit this page for more information about how this was organised for the 11th session.
- Video messages: Separately to the above, GAROP also invites its members (whether accredited or not) to record short videos of their key messages or statements that we will compile on our website and promote and share around the session as a way of increasing civil society voice. Watch out for our email updates about this or contact our Secretariat for more information on info@rightsofolderpeople.org.
Links and resources:
(GAROP members can log in to access further resources)
- GAROP guidelines on preparing oral statements: English, French, Russian, Spanish and Arabic
- COVID-19 Guide with messaging and resources to support your advocacy around a UN convention and COVID-19: English, French, Spanish
- Paper prepared by GAROP Technical Group: suggested normative elements for education, capacity-building, training and lifelong learning
- Paper prepared by GAROP Technical Group: suggested normative elements for social security and social protection, including social protection floors
- Access to Justice: Webinar summary, slides and recording
- Right to work and access to the labour market: Webinar summary, slides and recording
- ‘Developing normative content for a new UN convention on the rights of older people’: Webinar summary, slides and recording
- UN working documents and Government and other stakeholder written submissions on the 11th session topics on the OEWG official website
- NGO Committee on Ageing New York talking points for OEWG11
- Also consult the FAIR guidelines section 1.4: ‘Set your goals’. The FAIR guidelines are also available in Arabic, Spanish and Russian here.