National Summit for Older Persons 2023
International Day of Older Persons is celebrated annually on October first. But today at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City, members of the community, as well as representatives from public and private sector organizations, met to discuss issues affecting older persons and to increase their visibility. Belize is also in the process of ratifying a treaty to further protect the rights of this vulnerable group. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
“Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations” – it’s the theme for the first national summit for older persons being held in Belize. The meeting seeks to bring to the table this vulnerable population, as well as those agencies, including the Government of Belize, that work to protect older persons.
Marconi Leal Jr.
Marconi Leal Jr., C.E.O., Ministry of Human Development
“We invited older persons, leadership in communities that are older persons, senior citizens because we want to get their feedback in terms of the next steps going forward in terms of the framework, the strategy that is being developed because we want to move to legislation, we want to enhance what it is that we currently have in place for the benefit of older persons. So it is a summit today, it’s all about older persons. It is about where we are today; some of the things that we have initiated, some of the activities that we have ongoing and what is the next step going forward.”
We have been reporting on the neglect and in some cases, the loss of life of older persons. There are even reports of older persons being held hostage for their finances. These are but a glimpse of the challenges affecting this group. The summit provides a space for them to know what their rights are and to engage in the discourse.
Ixchel Poot
Ixchel Poot, Executive Director, Council of Ageing (Belize)
“Sometimes we have these national meetings and it is policymakers, it’s representatives of government but today we have older people. And we are really focusing on sensitizing the older people on what their rights are, how they can protect and advocate for these rights and where there is room and growth for networking.”
In Belize, there is no law that speaks specifically to older persons and so their protection falls under the general constitution, just like every other member of society. The Chairman of the People’s Constitution Commission Anthony Chanona was also in attendance to discuss how they, too, can impact changes to the constitution. There is an international convention that safeguards the rights of older persons who have rich intangible cultural heritage and can contribute to national development. That treaty was adopted by the O.A.S. in 2015, entered into power in 2017, and goes beyond just basic human rights. Suriname was the first Caribbean country to ratify the convention this year and O.A.S. Representative Luis Coimbra says that Belize is expected to do the same.
Luis Octavio Coimbra
Luis Octavio Coimbra, Representative, O.A.S. (Belize)
“Older persons are not only vulnerable, they are able to produce, to be good citizens, to produce for the society, to contribute to the development of Belize and the development of any country. One of the important issues of the convention that the O.A.S., the international law that the O.A.S. is putting for the countries to sign and follow is that the elders are part of the society; they are good citizens but they need to have their rights recognised. Not only the old rights – we always note that they need pension, that they have a healthy environment, but more than that, they have right to sports, they have right to have a healthy life. They have rights that go more deeper and modern rights – more rights for more people is the motto of the Organization of American States.”
Executive Director of the Council of Ageing Ixchel Poot says that in its strategic plan cycle, it is important to raise the visibility of older persons so that they are seen and heard within their communities.
Ixchel Poot
“When we talk about older persons’ rights we’re talking about universal rights. It doesn’t matter where you’re born, it doesn’t matter your economic status, it really doesn’t really matter where you live, ageing is a universal process – we all experience ageing. And so when we are talking about older persons’ rights, we are really talking about universal rights. It is also looking at how do we create voices? About thirty percent of our older person population is connected to organizations which means that seventy percent of them are still invisible; they are not seen, they are not heard from. And so that is one of the mandates that we have for these organizations represented today. How can we help you increase your membership? What do you need to be ale to reach other older persons in your community?”
Duane Moody for News Five.
