What:  Human Rights Day—celebrated each Dec. 10—marks the anniversary of the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by United Nations member states. This year, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) observed Human Rights Day with a panel discussion on the health and human rights of older persons, followed by an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding leaders in the field of health and human rights.

Panelists:

• Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, PAHO/WHO Director
  
• Dr. Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging and Administrator, Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Dr. Socorro Gross, PAHO/WHO Assistant Director
• Dr. Isabel Noguer, Senior Advisor on Gender, Diversity and Human Rights, PAHO/WHO
• Mrs. Ana Pastorino, President of the Organization of American States (OAS) Working Group on the Human Rights of Older Persons and Alternate Representative of Argentina to the OAS
• Mr. Mario López, Human Rights Law Specialist, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IAHCR)
• Mrs. Rosemary Lane, Senior Social Affairs Officer, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
• Mr. Javier Vásquez, PAHO Human Rights Law Advisor
• Dr. Enrique Vega, PAHO Advisor on Active and Healthy Aging

Special recognition

Dr. Alicia Kirchner, Minister of Social Development of Argentina, for her role in the OAS Draft Convention on the Human Rights of Older Persons.

Context:  
Special working groups have been established by the United Nations and the Organization of American States to study the situation of human rights of older persons. These groups are discussing strategies and legal instruments to protect the human rights of older persons in such areas as legal capacity, palliative care, procedures for admission to long-term care facilities, prohibitions on inhumane treatment in such facilities, informed consent, the right to live with dignity and autonomy, and the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, among others. Panelists will discuss progress in developing human rights protections in these areas.        

Links:

• PAHO Human Rights and Health
• Healthy aging in the Americas -- 2012 World Health Day campaign
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Normative standards in international human rights law in relation to older persons
• OAS Working Group on Protection of the Human Rights of Older Persons
• Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
• U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human rights of older persons
• www.paho.org/paho110/
• www.paho.org
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Media Contacts:   
Leticia Linn, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel. + 202 974 3440, Mobile +1 202 701 4005, Donna Eberwine-Villagran, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel. +1 202 974 3122, Mobile +1 202 316 5469, Sebastián Oliel, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Phone +1 202 974 3459, Mobile 202 316 5679, Knowledge Management and Communications, PAHO/WHO–www.paho.org