As the population of the OSCE region is ageing, the absolute number of older persons deprived of liberty is increasing. Often facing discrimination, forced to navigate systems and infrastructures that are not made for them or at least adapted to their needs, older persons deprived of liberty are in a situation of vulnerability. This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated this reality and given rise to new risks and challenges for older persons deprived of liberty.
This report summarizes the deliberations at the fourth regional meeting of NPMs and CSOs from the OSCE region, jointly organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), aimed at providing a platform for exchange on protecting older persons deprived of their liberty in the OSCE region, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
