A/77/189 Older persons 60. Older persons, particularly older persons with disabilities and older women, are among those most affected by climate-related harms, such as the increasing spread of vector-borne diseases, heat stress, pollution and the increasing freque ncy and intensity of sudden- and slow-onset disasters, which can impact their physical and mental health and well-being. 61. In emergencies, older persons with limited mobility may have difficulty reaching safety. Infrastructure and policy may be insuffic ient to ensure that they are aware of evacuation warnings, orders or services, especially if new technologies are relied on to disseminate such information, and to account for older persons ’ needs with regard to travel, adequate food, shelter, health care and services. Physical challenges that have only minor effects on day-to-day life may become serious impediments in an emergency, limiting older persons’ mobility and adaptive capacity. In such context, some face disproportionate difficulties in returning to their homes and in accessing restitution for damage, both because of physical factors and because of ageist exclusion from humanitarian aid for rebuilding purposes. When older people do move, migration in later life can be particularly traumatic, owing to severed social ties and a lack of facilities, rights and protection in unfamiliar new environments (see A/HRC/47/46). 62. The Special Rapporteur recognizes that older persons possess vast reserves of knowledge, experience and resilience, making their participation, inclusion and leadership key to human rights-based global efforts to adapt to and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. 4. Addressing international law protection gaps in the context of climate change-related migration 63. The Special Rapporteur observes that since the thematic report presented by his predecessor, in 2012, there have been few coherent policies in place regarding the rights of all migrants that take into account the motive behind their migration, including the need for human rights protection of climate change -related migration. At present, beyond the rubric of international refugee law, there seems to be a continuing gap in international law aimed at protecting persons on the move owing to climate change (A/67/299). It is well known that the impact that climate change has on migratory movement presents challenges for States and the international community. Current international law is able to meet some of these challenges and is lacking in other areas, in particular for many of the individuals who cross borders in the context of climate change. 64. Those who cross borders from areas adversely affected by climate change wi ll do so under myriad circumstances. Some may move in the context of conflict and/or persecution, and thus may be refugees entitled to protection under international and regional refugee law. Others may not qualify for protection under the refugee regime or as stateless persons. Thus, gaps in protection under international law remain. However, these gaps do not imply that international inaction is acceptable; rather, they underline the need for and the importance of international cooperation and assistance. In this regard, States should enhance the flexibility and accessibility of pathways of admission and stay by ensuring that the criteria used are clear, transparent and rights-based and that they respond to the specific needs of migrants, the situations of vulnerability they face and their sociodemographic and economic reality. This includes expanding opportunities for admission and stay based on human rights according to international standards and best practices. Moreover, regardless of the specific procedure in place, human rights grounds and other considerations relevant 22-11278 15/23