Ombudsman invites UN expert to study problems faced by elderly
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Wednesday, February 24
Public Defender of Georgia Ucha Nanuashvili has invited a United Nation’s expert to Georgia to study issues related to the ongoing problem of the country’s elderly population.
The Ombudsman invited Rosa Kornfeld-Matte to Georgia for examining individual cases of generational prejudice, as well as broader, systemic violations of the rights of elderly people, evaluating them from a legal perspective and identifying meaningful response mechanisms.
The statement released by the Ombudsman’s Office reads that the letter highlights the unfavorable environment for elderly people in the country, including low income and the risk of falling into poverty, limited access to healthcare, age discrimination, buildings and transportation not adapted to meet the specific needs of older people, and inefficient social programs.
According to the statement, the letter also provides a number of problems identified by the Office of the Public Defender following the monitoring of facilities that provide services for the elderly, including improper treatment of beneficiaries, documentation errors, poorly qualified personnel, lack of personnel, adaptability issues and more.
“Visits of independent experts are an important instrument for assessing the human rights situation in general and/or a specific institutional, legal, judicial or administrative situation in the country within the mandate of Special Procedures,” reads the statement.
According to the Ombudsman’s Office, during a country visit, meetings with government, NGO and civil society representatives, as well as with the victims of human rights violations, members of UN country offices, academia and diplomatic corps and media representatives are held to help independent experts prepare recommendations that will be published as a report.
According to the Ombudsman’s statement, successful cooperation will improve the human rights situation for elderly people who are under state care, in order to create dignified living conditions for the elderly in the country.
