WASHINGTON, CMC -The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)has welcomed Belize’s accession to the Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country became the 12th State Party to the treaty after depositing its instrument of accession on December 16.
The Convention was adopted by the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) in 2015 and is the first legally binding treaty seeking to promote, protect, and guarantee the full recognition and exercise of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of older people. It aims to foster their inclusion, integration, and participation in society under conditions of equality.
In October 2024, during its most recent technical cooperation visit to Belize, the IACHR stressed the importance of ratifying inter-American instruments, including the Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons, to the country’s authorities.
Belize joins Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay as a State Party to the Convention.
The IACHR, a principal and autonomous body of the OAS, said these countries have already pledged to implement legislative, administrative, and other measures to eradicate discrimination and violence against older persons and ensure their right to a full, independent, and autonomous life.
It said this includes guaranteeing access to health, security, and opportunities for active participation in economic, social, cultural, and political life.
The IACHR said it is again calling on OAS member states that have not yet ratified the Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons to do so and expressing “its readiness to provide technical assistance to States in implementing the convention and to continue working together on initiatives that underscore the value of older people and their role and contributions to society.”
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