Advancing a “Society for All Ages”: Aligning Human Rights of Older Persons with SDGs in India

This paper examines the scope for a synthesis of SDGs with the International Plans of Action on Ageing and how that would constructively contribute towards attainment of a “Society for all ages”—the theme of the UN International Year for Older Persons in 1999. The United Nations General Assembly had then noted that the concept has “four interlocking dimensions” encompassing the conditions of older persons, their continuing personal development, multigenerational relationship, and the correlation between population ageing and development.[1] Part I of the paper highlights the concepts related to ageing such as ageism, population ageing, dependency ratio, and the need for governments to adapt their legal and administrative regimes to meet the ensuing demographic shift. Part II surveys the international human rights regime related to older persons. Part III discusses the specific international initiatives for older persons. Part IV examines the SDGs linking Older Persons. Part V is an evaluation of the efforts by India to protect the human rights of older persons, and Part VI contains the conclusions and suggestions.