Ambassador Mai Phan Dung (center) at the dialogue. (Photo: Anh Hien/VNA)

On September 29, on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, hosted a dialogue entitled “Promoting older persons’ right to health: Towards a comprehensive framework to ensure the human rights of older persons.”

The event was held in a hybrid format at the United Nations Office in Geneva, with nearly 100 delegates attending in person.

The event was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of the Philippines and Slovenia in Geneva. Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations Office in Geneva, chaired the dialogue.

According to VNA correspondents in Geneva, speakers participating in the discussion included Professor and Doctor Zvezdan Pirtošek, the United Nations independent expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; Dr. Ritu Sadana, representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and WHO focal point for the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing; Björn Gillsater, Managing Director for Donor Relations, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Dorothea Schmidt-Klau, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s Labour and Employment Department; Ambassador Carlos D. Sorreta, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations Office in Geneva; and Nguyen Thi Yen, Head of Division at the Department of Social Assistance under the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam.

The event took place against the backdrop of population ageing emerging as one of the world’s prominent global issues.

According to the United Nations, the global population aged 60 and above is projected to exceed 2 billion by 2050.

Older persons are increasingly facing barriers to accessing healthcare services, including inequalities in access to medical services, vaccination and long-term care, as well as the support needed to maintain their functional ability, health and dignity.

Against this backdrop, the Human Rights Council, through United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 58/13, established an open-ended intergovernmental working group to develop a new legally binding instrument on the rights of older persons, particularly amid growing recognition of gaps in the existing international framework, including in access to healthcare services.

Speaking at the event, participants focused their discussions on ways to strengthen the protection of older persons’ right to health through specific policies and actions at the national, regional and international levels.

The discussions covered addressing the specific needs and vulnerabilities of older persons within the framework of the right to health, including access to healthcare services through digital means; the role of universal health coverage, primary healthcare, prevention and vaccination, as well as long-term care, in promoting healthy ageing.

Delegates attend the dialogue at the United Nations Office in Geneva. (Photo: Anh Hien/VNA)

Delegates also discussed policy and institutional measures to reduce inequalities in access to healthcare services and shared national experiences in responding to the rapid ageing of populations.

Through the event, Viet Nam continued to demonstrate its proactive and responsible engagement as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 term, contributing to the shaping of new frameworks while helping create an additional forum for countries, international organisations, experts and stakeholders to exchange experiences and strengthen coordination between human rights and public health approaches. This, in turn, contributes to advancing the concrete implementation of older persons’ right to health.

The outcomes of the discussions are expected to contribute to further exchanges in the process of developing a new international instrument on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons.

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