UN appoints Slovenian neurologist as expert on elderly rights

A Slovenian neurologist internationally renowned for his work on dementia and brain ageing will soon take on a global human-rights mandate after being appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as its new independent expert on the rights of older persons.

The council has selected Zvezdan Pirtošek to monitor how the rights of elderly people are respected worldwide and to advise governments on policies that support dignified ageing.

His three-year term begins on 1 May, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

Pirtošek, one of Slovenia's leading and most well-known neurologists, has spent decades studying neurodegenerative diseases and the ageing brain.

The 69-year-old chairs the neurology department at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana and has long headed the clinical department of nervous system diseases at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana.

Pirtošek said the role was both an honour and a responsibility. While he approaches the mandate as a physician, he stressed that the issue extends far beyond healthcare.

"I am a doctor, but I see this mandate broadly: not only as a medical question but as one of human rights in the deepest sense," he told the Slovenian Press Agency, adding that the rights of older people must become more visible and more firmly embedded in the global understanding of human dignity.

During his term, Pirtošek will assess how older people's rights are upheld around the world and present regular reports to UN bodies. The work will include country visits to examine access to healthcare, social protection and long-term care, followed by recommendations to governments on how to improve policies for ageing populations.

He has signalled that particular attention will be given to situations where elderly people face heightened vulnerability, including pandemics, armed conflicts, displacement and humanitarian crises.

Recognising that old age frequently intersects with other forms of vulnerability, such as poverty, disability, ethnic background, sexual orientation, racism, migrant status, and social isolation, Pirtošek plans to work closely with other UN experts and rapporteurs, and collaborate with UN mechanisms for children's rights.

Senior Slovenian officials have hailed the appointment, which came at the proposal of UN Human Rights Council chair Reza Suryodipuro, as a recognition not just of Pirtošek's work but also of Slovenia's standing in the UN system.

President Nataša Pirc Musar described the selection as an important step toward improving the protection and exercise of elderly people's rights worldwide.

Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon noted that Slovenia has spent more than a decade advocating internationally for a convention that would set global standards for the rights of older persons.

Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA