For information only - not an official document
UNIS/MA/86
18 November 2014
VIENNA/GENEVA, 18 November (UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) - United Nations Independent Expert Rosa Kornfeld-Matte will carry out her first official visit to Slovenia from 17 to 21 November 2014 to assess the human rights situation of older persons in the country.
"Older persons in Slovenia represent a significant and rapidly growing segment of society," Ms. Kornfeld-Matte said. "This visit will allow me to discuss the policies adopted by the Slovenian authorities to ensure the active and effective participation of older persons in the fullest spectrum of social life."
"I am particularly interested to learn more about the new strategy Solidarity, Good Intergenerational Relations and Quality Active Aging, which is currently being devised," she added.
The Independent Expert noted that the upcoming visit will be an opportunity to identify both, best practices and gaps in the implementation of existing law related to the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons.
Ms. Kornfeld-Matte, who is visiting the country at the invitation of the Government, will travel to Ljubljana and will visit Gorenjska and Primorska regions, among others, to hold discussions with government representatives, non-governmental organizations and others working with and on the issue of older persons.
A press conference will be held in Ljubljana at the conclusion of the Independent Expert's visit, on Friday, 21 November 2014 at 2 p.m. (tbc) at the Grand Hotel Union, to share preliminary findings with the media.
The Independent Expert will present her findings and recommendations of her country visit in a comprehensive report to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2015.
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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 at the Pontificia Unversidad Católica de 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:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/OlderPersons/Pages/OlderPersonsIndex.aspx
UN Human Rights, Country Page - Slovenia:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/ENACARegion/Pages/SIIndex.aspx
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For further information and media requests, please contact:
Mr. Khaled
Hassine
Telephone: (+41) 22 917 93 67
during the visit
Telephone: (+41) 79 201 01 22
Email:
khassine@ohchr.org)
or write to
Email: olderpersons@ohchr.org
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier
Celaya
UN Human Rights - Media Unit
Telephone: (+ 41) 22 917 9383
Email: xcelaya@ohchr.org
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