Justice Shri Cyriac Joseph, Acting Chairperson, NHRC accompanied by Shri J.S. Kochher, Joint Secretary (T&R) attended the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) Special Session and ASEM Conference on Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons at Seoul, South Korea from the 26th to 28th October, 2015. Mr. Hwang Kyo-ahn, Prime Minister of South Korea inaugurated the Conference.
Presenting a paper in the Special Session on "Human Rights of Older Persons and NHRIs' Role" on the 26th October, 2015, Justice Shri Cyriac Joseph said that every human being, irrespective of his age, was entitled to a life with dignity and enjoyment of all human rights. In view of the special circumstances and problems connected with old age, elderly people deserved special consideration and protection to empower and enable them to enjoy their human rights, which is a major challenge. He observed that the obligation towards the older persons was primarily not of the State but that of their children. He also highlighted different constitutional and legal provisions as well as Government policies and schemes in India for the welfare of older persons.
Justice Cyriac Joseph said that the NHRC, India has organized several workshops and seminars on the problems and issues related to older persons and made several recommendations to the Government to address them. It has also constituted a Core Group on Protection and Welfare of Older Persons. This Group has to review existing Government policies, laws, rules, orders etc. from a human rights perspective and make an assessment of the current status of enforcement of the rights of the elderly in different States/UTs of India. It will, among other aspects, also identify gaps in the policy framework and implementation thereof with suggestions to overcome them.