“The vulnerable of the vulnerable” – UN expert urges Slovenia to focus the ostracized older persons
“Slovenia has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the rights of older persons at the international level,” Ms. Kornfeld-Matte said at the end of a five-day official visit to the country. “It has a good normative framework, but there is still room for improvements in practice.”
The Independent Expert noted that poverty among older persons in Slovenia is an area of concern, notably among older women living in single households and older persons belonging to minorities and other marginalized groups, which are disproportionally affected by it.
Important adjustments have been made in recent years, including the implementation of the reform of the social transfers system in 2012. The pension reform, which was adopted by the National Assembly in 2011, was however later rejected in a referendum, and Slovenia still lacks an integrated system for long-term care.
“There is further need to adapt the existing social protection systems to population ageing,” the expert said, while acknowledging the Government’s efforts. “Priority should be given to pension system reform as well as long-term care, notably the introduction of an insurance-based residential and home care system.”
Ms. Kornfeld-Matte also highlighted the issue of abuse of older persons: “As is often the case, older persons suffer in silence, with only few cases officially reported and complained against, notably in rural areas and small villages,” she said. “Many older persons fear reprisals from family members when launching official complaints and having to testify in a judicial process.”
The lack of knowledge and awareness about their rights is another reason for the low turnout of complaints. “The particular vulnerability of older persons needs to be taken into account when designing complaint mechanisms,” the Independent Expert stated, while calling for awareness raising campaigns targeting not only older persons themselves, but family members in particular and sensitizing broader communities.
“I commend the Government for its commitment to support families that provide care for older persons and promote intergenerational and intra-generational solidarity among their members,” Ms. Kornfeld-Matte said.
She noted that, while there is strong evidence in favour of moving from institutional care to community-based alternatives, it requires sufficient and well-trained staff with skills appropriate for community-based care as well as adequate support to families.
“I encourage the Government to continue the process of deinstitutionalization and to prepare a deinstitutionalization action plan, including the parallel development of community based services in consultations with civil society, local communities and older persons themselves,” the human rights expert said.
Ms. Kornfeld-Matte drew special attention to the situation of country’s Roma population: “Slovenia is among the European countries with the most pronounced ageing of population,” she said. “This does not seem to be the case alas, when it comes to the Roma population: out of the 3,246 self-declared Roma in 2002, only 73 were older than 65 years of age according to official statistics.
“You need not be an expert to draw conclusions when looking at these figures, and while I acknowledge the efforts undertaken by the Government, immediate steps are needed to end the segregation affecting Roma across the board,” Ms. Kornfeld-Matte stressed.
The expert commended the measures taken by Slovenia towards full enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, such as the promotion of inter-generational cooperation and initiatives, the community care project ‘elderly for elderly’ or the Third Age University. She also welcomed the preparations for the new Strategy for Quality Ageing, Solidarity and Coexistence of Generations in Slovenia by 2020.
During her five-day visit, Ms. Kornfeld-Matte met with various Government authorities, non-governmental organizations, others working on the rights of older persons and the elderly themselves.
A report on the Independent Expert’s findings and recommendations of her visit will be presented at a forthcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2015.
ENDS
Ms. Rosa Kornfeld-Matte (Chile) was appointed by Human Rights Council as the first Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons in May 2014. Ms. Kornfeld-Matte served as the National Director of the Chilean National Service of Ageing where she designed and implemented the National Policy of Ageing. She has a long career as an academic and is the founder of the programme for older persons atthe Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. . Learn more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/OlderPersons/IE/Pages/IEOlderPersons.aspx
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
Human rights of older persons: “The vulnerable of the vulnerable” – UN expert urges Slovenia to focus the ostracized older persons
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/ENACARegion/Pages/SIIndex.aspx
For further information and media requests, please contact Mr. Khaled Hassine (+41 22 917 93 67, during the visit +41 79 201 01 22 / khassine@ohchr.org) or write to olderpersons@ohchr.org
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MEDIA SVETOVALNIM
„Najranljivejši med ranljivimi“ – strokovnjakinja ZN poziva Slovenijo, naj se osredotoči na izključene starejše osebe
LJUBLJANA/ŽENEVA (21. november 2014) –Rosa Kornfeld-Matte, neodvisna strokovnjakinja Združenih narodov za človekove pravice, je danes pozdravila prizadevanja slovenske vlade, da starejši lahko uživajo vse človekove pravice, vendar je organe oblasti pozvala, „naj se osredotočijo na izključene starejše osebe, ki so najranljivejše med ranljivimi“.
„Slovenija je na mednarodni ravni vedno podpirala spoštovanje pravic starejših oseb,“ je po 5-dnevnem obisku v Sloveniji dejala ga. Kornfeld-Matte. „Slovenija ima dober normativni okvir, v praksi pa bi se dalo še kaj izboljšati.“
Po mnenju neodvisne strokovnjakinje je revščina starejših oseb, zlasti starejših žensk v enočlanskem gospodinjstvu ter starejših pripadnikov manjšin in drugih marginaliziranih skupin, ki jih revščina bolj prizadene kot druge, razlog za zaskrbljenost.
V zadnjih letih so bile uvedene pomembne spremembe, vključno z izvajanjem reforme socialnih transferjev leta 2012. Pokojninska reforma, ki je bila leta 2011 sprejeta v Državnem zboru, je bila kasneje zavrnjena na referendumu, tako da Slovenija še vedno nima celovitega sistema dolgotrajne oskrbe.
„Obstoječi sistem socialnega varstva je treba prilagoditi staranju prebivalstva,“ je povedala strokovnjakinja in obenem poudarila prizadevanja vlade na tem področju. „Pri tem mora imeti prednost reforma pokojninskega sistema in dolgotrajne oskrbe, zlasti uvedba zavarovanja za nastanitev v domu za starejše in nego na domu.“
Ga. Kornfeld-Matte je poudarila tudi vprašanje zlorabe starejših in povedala: „Starejši pogosto molče prenašajo trpljenje, tako da je uradnih prijav in pritožb, zlasti na podeželju in v manjših vaseh, zelo malo.“ „Številni starejši se bojijo, kaj bodo naredili družinski člani, če bodo vložili uradno pritožbo ali če bi morali pričati na sodišču.“
Vzrok za nizko število pritožb starejših oseb sta tudi neobveščenost in nepoznavanje pravic. „To, da so starejši še toliko bolj ranljivi, je treba upoštevati pri oblikovanju pritožbenih mehanizmov,“ je ugotovila neodvisna strokovnjakinja in pozvala k pripravi kampanj za ozaveščanje, ki ne bodo namenjene samo starejšim, temveč tudi njihovim družinskim članom in širši skupnosti.
„Vlado bi rada bi pohvalila za podporo družinam, ki skrbijo za starejše, in za spodbujanje medgeneracijske in znotraj-generacijske solidarnosti,“ je povedala ga. Kornfeld-Matte.
Ugotovila je, da obstaja močna podpora za premik od institucionalnega skrbstva k skupnostnim alternativnim oblikam oskrbe, vendar to zahteva dovolj usposobljenega osebja za zagotavljanje skupnostne oskrbe in podpore družinam.
„Vlado spodbujam, naj nadaljuje proces deinstitucionalizacije, tako da zanjo pripravi akcijski načrt ter v sodelovanju s civilno družbo, lokalno skupnostjo in starejšimi razvija skupnostne storitve,“ je povedala strokovnjakinja za človekove pravice.
Ga. Kornfeld-Matte je opozorila na položaj Romov v Sloveniji: „Slovenija je med tistimi evropskimi državami, kjer se prebivalstvo najhitreje stara,“ je povedala. „Žal tega ni mogoče reči za romske prebivalce: v skladu z uradnimi statističnimi podatki je bilo od 3 246 oseb, ki so se leta 2002 opredelile kot Romi, samo 73 oseb starejših od 65 let.“
„Ni treba biti strokovnjak, da vidiš, kam vodijo te številke. Čeprav pozdravljam vladna prizadevanja, menim, da je treba ukrepati brez odlašanja in odpraviti segregacijo Romov,“ je poudarila ga. Kornfeld-Matte.
Strokovnjakinja je pohvalila ukrepe, ki jih je Slovenija uvedla, da lahko starejši polno uživajo vse človekove pravice, kot so spodbujanje medgeneracijskega sodelovanja, pobuda Starejši za starejše ali Univerza za tretje življenjsko obdobje. Pozdravila je tudi pripravo nove Strategije za solidarnost, sožitje in kakovostno staranje prebivalstva v Sloveniji do leta 2020.
Ga. Kornfeld-Matte se je med 5-dnevnim obiskom sestala z različnimi vladnimi organi, nevladnimi organizacijami in drugimi, ki delajo na področju pravic starejših oseb, ter s starejšimi.
Poročilo neodvisne strokovnjakinje, ki bo vsebovalo ugotovitve in priporočila s tega obiska, bo predstavljeno na zasedanju Sveta ZN za človekove pravice septembra 2015.
KONEC
Go. Rosa Kornfeld-Matte (Čile) je Svet za človekove pravice maja 2014 imenoval za prvo neodvisno strokovnjakinjo za uveljavljanje vseh človekovih pravic starejših. Ga. Kornfeld-Matte je bila nacionalna direktorica čilske nacionalne službe za staranje, kjer je oblikovala in izvajala nacionalno politiko staranja. Ima dolgo akademsko kariero in je ustanoviteljica programa za starejše na Katoliški univerzi v Čilu. Več o tem: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/OlderPersons/IE/Pages/IEOlderPersons.aspx
Posebni poročevalci so del tako imenovanih Posebnih postopkov Sveta za človekove pravice. Posebni postopki, to je največji organ neodvisnih strokovnjakov za človekove pravice pri OZN, je splošno ime za neodvisne mehanizme pridobivanja informacij in spremljanja pri Svetu za človekove pravice, ki se uporabljajo bodisi za posamične države bodisi za cel svet. Strokovnjaki v okviru posebnih postopkov delajo prostovoljno; niso osebje ZN in za svoje delo ne prejmejo plačila. So neodvisni od vlad in organizacij in delujejo v svoji individualni pristojnosti.
Èlovekove pravice starejših: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/OlderPersons/Pages/OlderPersonsIndex.aspx
OZN, Èlovekove pravice, spletna stran Slovenije: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/ENACARegion/Pages/SIIndex.aspx
Za veè informacij in novinarska vprašanja: g. Khaled Hassine (+41(0) 79 201 01 22 ali med obiskom +41 22 917 93 67 / khassine@ohchr.org) ali olderpersons@ohchr.org
Za novinarska vprašanja o neodvisnih strokovnjakih ZN:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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