Older Persons’ Rights Take Center Stage in Geneva as Ojukwu Pushes for UN Convention
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN), has advocated for swift action towards an internationally binding instrument on the rights of older persons.
This was contained in a statement signed by Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, NHRC’s Director of Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Speaking in Geneva, Switzerland, at the February 2026 meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the rights of older persons, the NHRC Chief Executive Officer expressed concerns about discrimination, negligence, and violence faced by older persons in society. The forum was organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) during the Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.
Dr. Ojukwu aligned with stakeholders in calling for conceptual clarity on ageism and diversified national consultations. He opined that collaboration with National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), older persons, and youth is critical to realizing the proposed convention.
The Chief Human Rights Officer of Nigeria stressed building ownership, sidestepping abstract debates, and securing a globally acclaimed convention for today and tomorrow. Dr. Ojukwu reassured the forum of Nigeria’s human rights commitment to its citizens and the international community.
He proposed that the IGWG’s Rules of Procedure draw from the Open-Ended Working Group, with clear modifications for delegates to follow. The Executive Secretary further suggested tasking friendly states or experts with proposing a draft text of the instrument to form the basis of consultations and negotiations by stakeholders before the July 2026 meeting of the IGWG on the rights of older persons.
Dr. Ojukwu emphasized that NHRIs and civil society must remain mainstreamed as society’s “conscience,” while hybrid meetings should be adopted as part of the working methodology of the IGWG in order to prioritize the participation of older persons and relevant stakeholders.
He emphasized the need to always honor the mantra, “leave no one behind” and “nothing about us without us,” in the spirit of human rights promotion of the rights of older persons.
