OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
RAHM EMANUEL
MAYOR
July 30, 2014
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith a resolution in support of The Chicago Declaration on the Rights of Older Persons.
Mayor
Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Legal scholars and human rights advocates on July 11, 2014, at the conclusion of the 2014 International Elder Law and Policy Conference held at the John Marshall Law School, adopted a model for a proposed international convention to provide legal protections to older persons under international human rights law, known as The Chicago Declaration on the Rights of Older Persons; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago Declaration on the Rights of Older Persons will be presented before the United Nations on August 1, 2014, to promote the establishment of a U.N. Convention on the Rights of Older Persons; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago Declaration has been crafted and edited over several months by scholars, advocates and policymakers from more than a dozen countries, including China, Ireland, Israel and the United States; and
WHEREAS, It is vital that the world's aging citizens receive comprehensive legal protections and support from domestic and international institutions; and
WHEREAS, We recognize that the wisdom, contributions, and vision derived from the sacrifice and experience of older persons has had a tremendously beneficial effect on life and culture around the world; and that the great increase in life expectancy over the past century should not be perceived as a burden for society, but as a positive trend; and
WHEREAS, We recognize that older persons are not a homogeneous group of people, but are instead as diverse and unique as any segment of society; and
WHEREAS, We recognize that discrimination against any person on the basis of age is a violation of the inherent dignity and value of the human person, and ageism and the social construction of old age, including bias, stereotypes, prejudices, and stigma of older persons, are forms of discrimination that hinder the full realization of a person's human rights, and participation as an equal member of society; and
WHEREAS, We are concerned about the difficult situation experienced by older persons who may face multiple or aggravated forms of discrimination based on the interaction between their age and other factors such as race, color, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability, or other status; and
WHEREAS, We recognize the importance of an older person's individual autonomy and independence, including the freedom to make their own choices; and we recognize that older persons should have the opportunity to be actively involved in decisions about policies and programs, especially those directly concerning them; and
WHEREAS, We recognize that older persons often live in poverty, and thus it is essential to promote access to health, education, and communication, to enable older persons to fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms; and
WHEREAS, We recall the human rights principles proclaimed in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as other international and regional human rights treaties and instruments; and
WHEREAS, Passage by the U.N. of a comprehensive international convention to protect and promote the rights of older persons will contribute to redressing the profound social disadvantage of older persons and promote their equal participation in civil, political, economic, social, and cultural life, both in developing and developed countries; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this thirtieth day of July, 2014, do hereby express our support for the presentation of The Chicago Declaration on the Rights of Older Persons at the United Nations, and we urge that body to advance the creation of an International Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.