The Executive Director (ED) of Modern Thinkers Foundation, Mengisto Opoku Akowuah, has called on the government to ratify the International Convention for Older Persons as a matter of human rights, social equity, and strategic national development.
According to Mr Akowuah, Ghana’s aging population, coupled with existing policy gaps and socio-economic challenges faced by older persons, made a comprehensive, legally binding international framework highly significant and beneficial.
Addressing stakeholders in Agogo on the occasion of the 2025 International Day of Older Persons, Mr Akowuah stated that the adoption of a UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons would provide a crucial human rights-based approach to aging.
“A UN convention would establish a clear, universally recognised set of rights for older persons, addressing the gaps in existing human rights treaties where age is often not explicitly covered”, he said.
Mr Akowuah noted that adopting the convention would align Ghana with international best practices, helping the government prioritise, review, and strengthen its domestic policies, such as the National Ageing Policy.
“The international convention is not a replacement for national efforts but an essential legal accelerator and framework for accountability that Ghana can use to ensure its growing older population ages with dignity, security, and full enjoyment of their human rights,” he added.
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