”We Need a New UN Convention on the Elderly with a Human Rights Approach to Care Policies” argues Nena Georgantzi at Bilbao event

Nena Georgantzi, a leading voice against discrimination and a key figure in defining and promoting the rights of older people at the European and global level, spoke at the “Zaintzen Zain – Who Cares” conference held in Bilbao.

Her speech, “Towards a new UN Convention: a human rights-based approach to care”, addressed the necessity to bring together care and human rights, questioning how care policies can be integrated into political, legal, and social agendas, conceiving it as a universal human right.

According to one of the central arguments of Georgantzi’s speech, care must be recognised as a right throughout the every stage of life. Current legal and policy frameworks tend to treat care as a problem, a burden, or a private family issue.

International human rights law already recognises care in specific contexts: children’s rights are protected under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the rights of persons with disabilities are addressed in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Care should not be limited to specific ages or conditions, and an international convention is needed to ensure it.

A rights-based approach to care rests on principles of autonomy, dignity, equality, and participation. All individuals are active subjects of rights, not passive beneficiaries of charity. This means that people must be heard in the design, implementation, and evaluation of care policies, and must have access to mechanisms that allow them to claim their rights. Recognising care as a right also opens space for social and economic development.

Georgantzi emphasised the importance of using human rights language when talking about care. Governments often avoid human rights terminology precisely because it has consequences: it creates obligations, standards, and expectations.

Framing care as a human right could bring public auhorities to stop shifting responsibility entirely onto families, especially women, through informal, unpaid care arrangements. Has been in fact highlighted how, in many countries, care for the elderly is implicitly transferred to families through inadequate funding and weak public services. A rights-based framework would give the public sector the duty to bear and prevent care from being treated as an invisible or optional issue.

A second key pillar of Georgantzi’s speech was the principle that human dignity is equal for all, regardless of age. Human rights matter simply because a person exists, not because of their productivity, economic contribution, or perceived usefulness to society.

She warned that during times of crisis, the most dangerous form of discrimination is ageism. Welfare systems and care services are increasingly linked to productivity, leading to a distorted logic: care for children is seen as an investment in the future, while care for older people is considered a cost. As a result, care for older prople is often considered less deserving, particularly when it is associated with loss of personal autonomy.

This logic directly affects the quality of services. Across the European Union, care services vary significantly based on age, with older people frequently receiving lower quality, underfunded, or less personalised care.

Another powerful concept introduced by Georgantzi was the idea of old age care as a pathway, rather than as a final waiting stage. Too often, care is understood as risk management at the end of life; instead, Georgantzi argued that care should enable participation, recovery, and autonomy. When care is properly funded and designed to support people’s capabilities, it can prevent dependencies and reduce long-term costs. Understanding it as a continuous process allows individuals to remain active members of society, challenging at the same time the idea that care marks the end of meaningful life.

The final part of Georgantzi’s speech focused on the role of a new UN Convention on the Rights of Older People as a practical and symbolic tool for change. International treaties create legal obligations for states, requiring them to respect, protect, and fulfil rights. Conventions do not merely declare values; they transform them into enforceable standards.

Such a convention would clarify state’s responsibilities regarding care and establish global standards. It would also change how societies understand ageing, sending a clear message that growing older does not mean that rights become secondary or conditional.

Recognising care as a right would reshape public attitudes and political priorities. Care would be acknowledged as a public good, essential to social cohesion, equality, and well-being at all ages. The current moment represents a historic opportunity to build a shared vision of the society we want to live in.

. . .

This event is a joint initiative between Alkartasuna Fundazioa and Coppieters Foundation.

. . .

This event is financially supported by the European Parliament. The European Parliament is not liable for the content of the event nor for the opinions of the speakers.

. . .

Thank you for following our activities over the past few years. We hope our updates have been useful to you. We would like to keep informing you about upcoming events, new publications, summer schools, and job vacancies. Subscribe to our newsletter to hear from us in your inbox.