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2017 Seniors’ Human Rights Seminar
The Control Yuan (CY) held the 2017 Seniors’ Human Rights Seminar on 29 September, two days ahead of the United Nations International Day of Older Persons. Government officials, expert scholars and leading professionals were invited to take part for discussions on issues related to human rights for the elderly.
In her opening remarks at the gathering, CY President Chang Po-ya noted that Taiwan approved the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2014, bringing the country even more in line with international human rights. This was an important development for the elderly because as people in their later years grow older, their physical and mental functions gradually deteriorate, possibly leading to disabilities. As Taiwan’s population greys, she said, there are many important questions that must be considered and addressed in ensuring the human rights of the elderly, including how to protect their dignity, prevent their poverty, face the increasing prevalence of dementia, integrate long-term care services and build a comprehensive system, and ensure sufficient numbers of caregivers as well as funding for elderly care.
One of the Control Yuan’s responsibilities is overseeing government’s implementation of international human rights conventions, such as the CRPD. In recent years, the CY has actively investigated cases of infringement of the human rights of seniors and the effectiveness of implementation of long-term care policies and other related issues, and has issued a number of reports and studies on these topics. In addition, based on its investigation results, the CY has proposed corrective measures for several government agencies in order to spur improvement. At present, there is still room for further improvement in protection of the rights of the elderly, and it is hoped that through continued oversight by the Control Yuan and cooperation with other sectors of society, human rights protection will become even stronger.
More than 230 individuals from various sectors took part in the seminar. CY members Chen Hsiao-hung, Chiang Jane Y.W., Bau Tzong-ho, Yin Teresa J.C. and Chen Ching-tsai hosted panel discussions for members of academia, medical community representatives, social welfare professionals, and government officials, respectively. Ms. Kate Swaffer, the chair, CEO and co-founder of Dementia Alliance International, shared her personal experiences living with dementia after being diagnosed at the age of 49, while well-known television actress and entertainer Tan Ai-Chen also shared her experiences in caring for her father and mother-in-law with dementia. The audience was very moved by these touching stories.
In a speech at the conclusion of the seminar, CY Vice President Sun Ta-chuan noted that the Control Yuan set up the Committee on Human Rights Protection in 2000 and that it has held several seminars on human rights of indigenous peoples, children, and the elderly in recent years. Noting that human rights is the ultimate standard of democratic countries and that ensuring the rights of different groups is a constant and complicated undertaking, Sun stressed that the Control Yuan cares deeply about government administration and expects each government agency to do its utmost to ensure that Taiwan does the best job in protecting human rights and fulfilling its obligations under international conventions.
Source: Control Yuan, Taiwan
