Calls were raised at a United Nations meeting this week to end age-based discrimination and provide better protection for older people against what activists describe as 'hidden abuses,' as negotiations began on a treaty aimed at strengthening the rights of the elderly.

Argentina initiated and chaired week-long talks ending today Friday in Geneva, as part of efforts to combat exclusion, discrimination, and neglect amid rising life expectancy.

The United Nations expects the number of people over 65 to double within 50 years, making up 20 percent of the world's population.

Carlos Mario Foradori, Argentina's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said: 'Our goal is not only to meet present needs but also to prepare a system capable of meeting future needs.'

He added: 'The goal is to find a way to enhance the dignity, protection, and rights of millions of elderly people around the world,' as reported by Reuters news agency.

'Completely invisible'

Other main supporters of the proposed treaty are Brazil, Slovenia, the Philippines, and Gambia. Chile, South Africa, and other countries expressed support for the initiative during the talks.

Negotiators are set to meet again in Geneva in October, and it is not yet clear how long the negotiations may take, but reaching agreement on such treaties can take years.

There are human rights treaties that already include provisions banning discrimination based on race and sex, but there is no treaty addressing age-based discrimination.

Heidrun Mollenkopf, chair of the network Age Platform Europe, which includes older people, said: 'There are many cases where current laws do not provide full protection for people.'

She added to Reuters: 'What is happening is completely invisible,' referring to what she described as violations committed by care providers in nursing homes, including the use of chemical restraints to control the behavior of dementia patients.

She mentioned that there had even been cases of murder, but did not specify the nature of those incidents.

'Widespread' age discrimination

An independent expert on the rights of older people appointed by the UN recommended reforms in a 2021 report, saying age discrimination is widespread around the world and that entrenched age stereotypes affect laws and policies.

Human rights groups cite examples including mandatory retirement ages, age limits for jury members, and reduced access to cancer screenings for those above a certain age.

Bridget Sleap, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: 'There are age restrictions that no one challenges at all.' She added: 'The idea that people are forced to stop working just because they reach a certain age is arbitrary.'

The UN has held informal meetings to discuss ways to address age discrimination since 2011, but activists say the high death rate of older people from COVID-19 increased the momentum for formal negotiations.

Activists say successive heatwaves in Europe, which have killed a disproportionate number of older people and prompted some governments to provide support, have also increased pressure.

Margaret Gillis (67), founding president of the International Longevity Centre Canada, said she expects 'pushback.' She added that authoritarian states may try to dilute the treaty's provisions, and other countries may resist for fear of incurring new healthcare costs.

Heidrun Mollenkopf, 85, chair of Age Platform Europe, added: 'I hope a treaty will be concluded in my lifetime. But I fear that may not happen.'