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Speech by Special Secretary of Human Rights Minister Paulo Vannuchi, Brazil
By Minister Paulo Vannuchi, Special Secretary of Human Rights
October 2, 2008
Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, thank you for the invitation to participate as one of the speakers of the celebration for the International Day of Older Persons. It is the first time that I have participated in an event at the UN Headquarters and I am pleased to talk about a topic of such importance.
Scientific advancement and progress in the social organization of most countries reveals an extremely important human advance: the world population is ageing.
For those of us living in Latin America and the Caribbean countries, this achievement has come only recently. According to ECLAC data, in 1950, 10 million people over 60-years were living in this region. In 2007, this number increased to 53 million. By 2025, there will be an additional 48 million people.
And, in 2050, the number of elderly people will reach 188 million in our region.
The current discussion about the possibility of a specific convention on elder rights began in 1973 when the UN General Assembly brought to the world’s attention the need to protect the rights and well-being of elders. Nine years later, in 1982, the first International Assembly of Ageing took place in Vienna, which approved the Vienna International Action Plan. In 1991, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on the Principles of the United Nations for Older Person, highlighting independence, participation, care, self-realization and dignity. In 2002, governments attending the Second International Assembly on Ageing adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.
In the work in our region, governments met in the First Regional Intergovernmental Conference on Ageing in Chile in 2003. In 2007, the Second Regional Intergovernmental Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean (Madrid + 5), drew up and approved the Brasilia Declaration which urged governments to start working toward a new UN Convention, focused on protecting the rights of older people. In September of this year our government organized a follow up meeting to the Brasilia Declaration in Rio de Janeiro, with the participation of 13 countries. We agreed that the Governments should ask the Commission for Legal Matters of the Organization of American States’ Permanent Counsel for an extraordinary session to discuss this subject.
Yesterday in Brazil we celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Elderly Statute, a Federal law that significantly increased the protection of the rights of seniors citizens over 65 years old, assuring them preferential service at the Social Security Agency, the right to free public transportation, discounts in cultural, sports and leisure activities, with laws giving severe penalties to those who disrespect or abandon elder citizens. Of equal importance was the creation not only of the First National Conference of the Elderly in May 2006, with the participation of the President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, but also the current process of State Conferences that have already been held in 27 federal units, in preparation for the Second National Conference of the Elderly.
The deep, general and lasting consequences of population aging opens broad opportunities to all societies, but it also brings huge challenges. This great challenge reminds us of the works of the well-known Italian, Norberto Bobbio, one of the major political thinkers of the 20th century, who just before turning 90 years old, wrote a beautiful book about ageing, De Senectute, repeating a well-known title of Cicero. Bobbio says in “The Time of Rights” that “the serious problem of today, related to human rights, is no longer to establish them, but to protect them.” This analysis should illuminate all arguments related to the need to move forward, at the United Nations, in our conversations about an expected Convention to protect the Elderly People.
The United Nations has already created nine main treaties on Human Rights. The first one, the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination was approved in 1965, before the two biggest documents that organize the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Almost 50 years later, the United Nations approved the two most recent universal instruments: the rights of people with disabilities and another about forced disappearances.
A couple of years ago, the first initiatives directed toward creating these two most recent instruments faced the same questions that exist today regarding to the creation of a Convention on Elderly Rights on an universal scale. However, the present hesitations will be overcome, certainly, through open dialogue, without prejudices and pre-established requirements, and by the international diplomatic ability that has already been demonstrated many other times in the human history.
The truth is that this humanity does not stop growing. The community of nations, at the same time, acts as a vector for that evolution with the concrete result that progress is achieved. Changes provoke reactions. The inertia force always rises as an obstacle to be overcome by those who believe in creating something new.
In this context, we will never accept the idea that the list of great treaties on Human Rights is already exhausted. Denying that is denying the historical dynamics of society.
I am not a diplomat, but I know the huge effort that will be used in negotiations for this convention. I also know that the prior work required to win approval of a convention can be long, demand patience and persuasive abilities. I cannot yet speak officially in the name of Brazil, since it is up to the chancellery of our countries to coordinate the decisions regarding UN bodies, and in consultation with other ministries, and, over all, obeying the determination of the President. However, I can predict that Brazil will be very interested to broaden, enrich, and deepen this debate, emphasizing always the need to reach a great consensus.
As Minister of the Special Secretariat of Human Rights of the Republic Presidency, I reaffirm my commitment to keep calling my government colleagues and all friendly nations to address this honored challenge without fear. In March 2009, during the High Level Segment of the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Brazil will invite the 47 country members on that Council to sponsor this international treaty. In the 14th Meeting of the High Level Authorities in Human Rights and Mercosul Chancelleries and Associated Members, which will take place on November 11-12, 2008, I will suggest we express solidarity with this project, and if possible, we will ask the Brazilian Mission in Geneva to do the same.
What many years ago seemed impossible, today it is seen as a pressing need. I believe that it is time, once again, for the international community to unite to make history. Let’s not be discouraged by excuses saying that we do not need one more convention, or that already there are too many monitoring bodies.
Monitoring the enforcement of commitments will never be too numerous when the matter is one of securing human rights.
President Lula once said: “… a country that does not take care of its children and elderly is a country without soul.” The Convention on the Rights of the Child will reach its 20th birthday in 2009. So far the rights of older persons cannot count on proper international protection. It is good to take advantage of this year, 2008, as the year we celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Human Rights Universal Declaration and call on UN Member States to join in working toward a Convention that will finally protect all men and women of the planet who already reached those same 60 years of life.
Thank you very much.
Translation by Fernanda Félix
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