From observers to architects: why gerontologists should engage in drafting the UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons

The field of gerontology finds itself at a historic moment. In April 2025, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 58/13, establishing an intergovernmental working group to elaborate a legally binding international instrument on the rights of older persons (Council, 2025). After decades of debate, the international human rights community has moved beyond discussing whether a convention is needed and has begun creating one (Doron & Perel-Levin, 2026).

This development is not just another United Nations initiative. This convention will be the first global treaty dedicated specifically to the human rights of older persons. Similar to the transformative impact of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a new convention can reshape national laws, professional practices, and public awareness (Kanter, 2009). For scholars and practitioners in gerontology, this is therefore not merely a legal development; it is a unique opportunity to influence the normative foundations that will shape aging policy and practice for generations.

The drafting process should not be left solely to lawyers and human rights experts. Gerontologists have an essential role to play because the convention depends on knowledge about aging, later life, and the lived experiences of older persons (Doron & Meenan, 2012; Kohn et al., 2019). Human rights instruments do not emerge in a vacuum. They are built upon evidence on human needs, dignity, participation, autonomy, care, and support. These are precisely the areas in which gerontology has developed extensive theoretical, empirical, and practical expertise. The prospective Convention is itself an important innovation, as it would constitute the first global human rights treaty devoted specifically to older persons, and gerontologists should actively engage with this emerging normative framework. At the same time, such engagement can itself be innovative for the field of gerontology, as gerontological theories, evidence, and data can generate new ideas and help shape the substance of the Convention as it is being developed.

First, gerontology can contribute evidence. One of the recurring challenges in the international debate on older persons’ rights has been the limited visibility of age-related inequality. Decades of gerontological research have documented ageism, elder abuse, social exclusion, poverty, barriers to healthcare, inequalities in long-term care, and the consequences of institutionalization (Ayalon & Tesch-Römer, 2018; Cabañero-García et al., 2025; Özsoy & Gürler, 2022; Yon et al., 2017). Such evidence is crucial for identifying the human rights violations that a convention should address and fill the gaps in existing legal frameworks. Without robust empirical foundations, legal provisions risk becoming either overly abstract or disconnected from the realities of older persons’ lives.

Second, gerontology can contribute theory. Contemporary gerontology has generated rich conceptual frameworks regarding active aging, life-course perspectives, social citizenship, interdependence, and the social construction of age. These frameworks can help shape the human rights principles embedded in a future convention. The challenge is not simply to protect older persons from harm, but to articulate a positive vision of aging that promotes participation, independence, equality, and inclusion (Byrnes, 2020). Gerontological theory offers a rationale for moving beyond outdated paternalistic models and toward rights-based and equitable approaches to aging (Perone et al., 2025).

Third, gerontology can help bridge the gap between social policy and human rights. Historically, aging has often been approached primarily as a welfare, healthcare, or social policy issue. Yet the emerging convention reflects the recognition that older persons are rights-holders, not merely recipients of services or care (Cox & Pardasani, 2017). Gerontologists are uniquely positioned to translate decades of knowledge from fields such as social policy, public health, psychology, social work, and sociology into normative frameworks that can inform legally binding standards (Baer et al., 2016). The drafting process requires precisely this interdisciplinary cooperation.

Moreover, gerontologists can contribute methodological expertise to questions of implementation and accountability. A convention will require indicators, monitoring mechanisms, and evidence-based evaluation. Human rights commitments are meaningful only when their realization can be realized and assessed. The field of gerontology has extensive experience developing measures of wellbeing, quality of life, functional capacity, and social inclusion. Such knowledge can assist in transforming broad legal commitments into practical tools for implementation.

The history of human rights demonstrates that conventions are strongest when they are informed by the knowledge and experiences of the communities they seek to protect. The disability rights movement famously advanced the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us” (Kanter, 2009). The same principle, alongside new ideologies (such as Ageivism), should guide the drafting of a convention on the rights of older persons (Doron, 2026). This requires the meaningful participation of older persons themselves and also the organizations that represent them and those who work with or for them, including gerontologists.

The coming years will shape the future architecture of international law on aging. Gerontologists therefore face a choice: to observe this historic process from the sidelines or to help shape it. The drafting of a new convention on the rights of older persons represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Gerontology has much to contribute, and the field should embrace this moment. The challenge before us is not only to study aging but also to learn the human rights language and ensure that the knowledge we have accumulated informs the international norms that will govern the rights and dignity of older persons in the decades to come.

Funding

None to declare.

Conflicts of interest

None to declare.

Data availability

N/A (no data).

AI use disclosure

AI (ChatGPT) was used for language editing.