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of States parties representing all the regions of the world and having
different political, socio-economic and cultural systems. The reports
examined to date have not provided any information in a systematic way on the
situation of older persons as regards compliance with the Covenant, apart from
information, of varying completeness, on the implementation of article 9
relating to the right to social security.
15.
In 1993, the Committee devoted a day of general discussion to this issue
to assist it in formulating its views. Moreover, it has, at recent sessions,
begun to attach substantially more importance to information on the rights of
older persons and its questioning has elicited some very valuable information
in some instances. Nevertheless, the Committee notes that the great majority
of States parties’ reports continue to make little reference to this important
issue. It therefore wishes to indicate that, in future, it will insist that
the situation of older persons in relation to each of the rights recognized in
the Covenant should be adequately addressed in all reports. The remainder of
this General Comment identifies the specific issues which are relevant in this
regard.
4.
General obligations of States parties
16.
Older persons as a group are as heterogeneous and varied as the rest of
the population and their situation depends on a country’s economic and social
situation, on demographic, environmental, cultural and employment factors and,
at the individual level, on the family situation, the level of education, the
urban or rural environment, and the occupation of workers and retirees.
17.
Side by side with older persons who are in good health and whose
financial situation is acceptable, there are many who do not have adequate
means of support, even in developed countries, and who feature prominently
among the most vulnerable, marginal and unprotected groups. In times of
recession and of restructuring of the economy, older persons are particularly
at risk. As the Committee has previously stressed (General Comment No. 3
(1990), para. 12), even in times of severe resource constraints, States
parties have the duty to protect the vulnerable members of society.
18.
The methods that States parties use to fulfil the obligations they
have assumed under the Covenant in respect of older persons will be basically
the same as those for the fulfilment of other obligations (see General
Comment No. 1 (1989)). They include the need to determine the nature and
scope of problems within a State through regular monitoring, the need to adopt
properly designed policies and programmes to meet requirements, the need to
enact legislation when necessary and to eliminate any discriminatory
legislation, and the need to ensure the relevant budget support or, as
appropriate, to request international cooperation. In the latter connection,
international cooperation in accordance with articles 22 and 23 of the
Covenant may be a particularly important way of enabling some developing
countries to fulfil their obligations under the Covenant.
19.
In this context, attention may be drawn to Global target No. 1, adopted
by the General Assembly in 1992, which calls for the establishment of national
support infrastructures to promote policies and programmes on ageing in
national and international development plans and programmes. In this regard,
the Committee notes that one of the United Nations Principles for Older