Thank you Madam President,
The United Kingdom thanks the Independent Expert for her report.
We remain committed to protecting the rights of all persons, including older persons. We are deeply concerned about the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 crisis on older persons and persons with disabilities, as well as the deeply entrenched ageism and age-discrimination the pandemic has exposed and encouraged.
Older persons have been stigmatised, blamed, and perceived by many as a burden during this pandemic. Measures intended to protect older persons have often led to isolation, reduced status in families and communities, and reduced participation in the collective responses to the pandemic which directly affect them.
The UK is working to ensure that our COVID-19 responses include older persons, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups in order to leave no one behind. We urge those shaping policy and practice to recognise the critical role that older persons and their representative organisations must play in COVID-19 response and recovery.
We are grateful to the Independent Expert for highlighting the critical nexus of ageism and ableism, and that older persons with disabilities still face significant barriers to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Ms Mahler, How can state agencies best work with older persons and their representative organisations to ensure their work is consultative?
Thank you.
