Protecting the rights of older persons in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies through the proposed UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons

It goes without saying that in times of risk and humanitarian emergency, such as armed conflict, forced displacement, and disasters, older persons may be in a particularly precarious situation. In April 2025, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously adopted Resolution 58/13 to commence a process for the elaboration of a legally binding international instrument on the rights of older persons. This is an important milestone since older persons face ‘relative invisibility’ in both international human rights law and during humanitarian crises. This article critically analyses the existing provisions in regional and international human rights law on the rights of older persons, and in particular on the rights of older persons in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies. To promote debate and critique, the article sets out proposed wording for a dedicated article on situations of risk in the proposed UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons