WUNRN
OLDER PERSONS – AGE CONSIDERATIONS VITAL FOR DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT, POLICIES, & PREVENTION – OLDER WOMEN
Photo Credit: Andy Campbell/SurfAid International
Website of UN Independent Expert on the Human Rights of Older Persons: Ms. Rosa Kornfeld-Matte
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/OlderPersons/IE/Pages/IEOlderPersons.aspx
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15744&LangID=E
Statement by the UN Independent Expert on the Human
Rights of Older Persons
CLIMATE CHANGE – NATURAL DISASTERS – VULNERABILITIES
& RESILIENCE OF THE ELDERLY – OLDER WOMEN
AN AGE PERSPECTIVE MUST BE INCLUDED IN ALL STAGES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT &
POLICIES
18 March 2015 - Climate change is one of the greatest challenges
of our times, and it adversely impacts the livelihoods of many people. In
particular, climate change has a disproportionate effect on certain groups, due
to their age, their mobility, dependence, physical, emotional or mental
condition.
These are often aggravated by poverty and location, such as remote
rural areas or coastal areas.
As the first Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human
rights by older persons, I have been mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to
assess the implementation of existing international instruments with regard to
older persons in order to ensure that older persons enjoy all their human
rights.
In the exercise of my mandate, I have been requested to pay
particular attention to different groups, such as older women, those with
disabilities, persons of African descent, those belonging to indigenous
peoples, to national or ethnic groups, religious, linguistic minorities, rural
persons, persons living on the streets and refugees.
Some of these groups are also of particular concern to my fellow
mandate-holders. This event is therefore a great opportunity to share
information in order to embrace the complexity of climate resilience and assess
the needs of each group in a holistic manner.
Nearly two thirds of the victims of the Tsunami that hit Japan in
2011 were aged 60 or above. This exhibits that older persons are particularly
vulnerable in disaster situations.
Difficulties in hearing or seeing may limit access to emergency
information and awareness of the gravity of the situation. Chronic health
issues or special needs of older persons may delay or prevent escape and
evacuation. Older persons may also be reluctant to reach out or seek shelter.
While the particular vulnerability of older persons in disaster
situations is receiving increasing attention, more needs to be done to
mitigate and reduce the impact of disasters on older persons and to
ensure that their rights are protected at all times.
At the same time, it is essential to recognize that older persons
have unique capacities and contributions to make in preparing for and
responding to disasters.
Older persons must be the subject of, and the actor in disaster
risk reduction management and resilience policies. Firstly, disaster management
and climate policies, strategies and practices must specifically target older
persons.
An age perspective has to be included in all stages of disaster
management and policies, from their elaboration to their execution. This encompasses
the elaboration and implementation of comprehensive capacity-building programs
that address the root causes of vulnerability of targeted groups, such as older
persons. These programs should also include, but not be limited to, team
building and decision making, personal safety and self-defense, environmental
awareness, first aid, and community-based disaster risk assessment. The
elaboration and adoption of a checklist could be a good starting point to guide
States to consider the needs and requirements of targeted groups, such as older
persons, in all phases of the disaster risk reduction strategy.
Positive initiatives exist, such as the Inter-Agency Standing
Committee (IASC) Operational Guidelines on the Protection of Persons in
Situations of Natural Disasters that recommend the inclusion of the needs of
older persons in humanitarian responses and related-activities. Secondly, older
persons can have an important role to play in disaster relief activities. Their
contribution must be taken into consideration by policy-makers when addressing
disaster risk reduction.
Older persons should be able to participate in disaster
preparedness planning in their communities and in the reconstruction process
after disasters. They have much to contribute to building climate resilience,
in all phases of the strategy, from mapping exercises to implementing solutions
at the local level. Their experience and support must be part of any disaster
risk reduction strategy.
Particular attention should be given to older women. As they are
often caregivers and head-households, States should implement policies that
empower them through introducing a sustainable community risk management
system, and reinforcing their skills during disaster emergency response and
disaster recovery and rehabilitation.
Only by empowering older persons, will States turn their
vulnerability into resilience. Older persons will then be able to better
protect their lives and livelihoods.
A participatory and bottom-up approach is definitely needed to
make older persons part of a long-term solution and to improve resilience. In
general terms, the UN principles for older persons address the rights of older
persons in any circumstance. For instance, principle 7 states that: “Older
persons should remain integrated in society, participate actively in the
formulation and implementation of policies that directly affect their
well-being and share their knowledge and skills with younger generations”.
More specifically, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Operational
Guidelines on the Protection of Persons in Situations of Natural Disasters and
the Peninsula Principles on climate displacement within States, clearly mention
the importance of including older persons in the national implementation
process. For instance, Principle 7 of the Peninsula Principles states that
“States should ensure the right of all individuals […] to adequate, timely and
effective participation in all stages of policy development and implementation
[…], ensuring in particular such participation by indigenous peoples, women,
the elderly, minorities, persons with disabilities, children, those living in
poverty, and marginalized groups and people”. Although there are several
positive initiatives, much more can and should be done. Risk sharing
mechanisms, monitoring, disaggregated data collection and research on the needs
of older persons are insufficient. The Disaster Risk and Age Index could be a
useful tool in the elaboration of national strategies and plans for disaster
risk reduction.
Special consideration of the vulnerabilities and the potential
role of older persons in disaster risk management and building resilience must
be included in the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. I also call
on all States to renew their efforts and adopt, today, an inclusive disaster
risk reduction framework at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk
Reduction in Sendai, Japan.
I also urge States to build on the legacy of the Cancun Agreements
and to ensure that the future climate agreement to be adopted this year in
Paris expressly recognizes human rights obligations that apply in the context
of climate change. I would like to reiterate the importance of cooperation
including between the public and private sector, civil society, scientific
institutions, as well as organizations of the United Nations system and
regional organizations. Only through partnership and cooperation will we be
able to address the challenges posed by the effects of climate change on our
societies and our response to disasters.