Geneva, March 13, 2025 – The Provedor for Human Rights and Justice of Timor-Leste, Virgílio da Silva Guterres ‘Lamukan’, and Deputy Ombudsman for Human Rights, Maria Marília da Costa, participated in the first Biannual Meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) Working Group on Ageing and the Human Rights of Older Persons (WG-HROP). The meeting focused on strategies for engaging the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in advancing the rights of older persons, particularly in developing a legally binding international convention to strengthen global protections.
During the meeting, Provedor Virgílio Guterres expressed his full support for the initiative, committing to advocate for the recognition and prioritization of older persons’ rights.
As part of this global effort, the Provedoria for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ) of Timor-Leste previously joined 15 other NHRIs in signing a joint written statement submitted to the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (February 24 – April 4, 2025). Led by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, the statement calls for the drafting of a new legally binding international instrument to protect the human rights of older persons. This follows key UN developments, including Decision 14/1 by the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing and Resolution 78/324 by the UN General Assembly, both of which highlight critical gaps in the global protection framework.
Through this engagement, PDHJ continues to uphold Timor-Leste’s national commitment to advancing international human rights standards and advocating for stronger legal protections for older persons, ensuring their dignity and well-being are safeguarded within national and global frameworks.
This post is also available in: Tetun