International Longevity Centre Canada at the United Nations
This chronology records ILC Canada UN-related events, side events, submissions and interventions, with particular attention to the OEWG/OEWGA on Ageing, Human Rights Council (HRC), High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), Commission on Population and Development (CPD), Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), OHCHR and related UN processes.
Institutional Chronology • 2015–August 2026
2015
2015
Founding / UN advocacy
ILC Canada established
ILC Canada was founded and made advancing the rights of older persons, domestically and internationally, a core focus.
Institutional significance: Foundation of the human-rights/UN advocacy stream.
Institutional significance: Foundation of the human-rights/UN advocacy stream.
14 December 2016
UN OEWG on Ageing — 7th session, New York
Ageism and Human Rights of Older People
ILC Canada partnered with the Government of Canada and uOttawa/LIFE Research Institute. Canadian Ambassador Marc-André Blanchard spoke; UN Independent Expert Rosa Kornfeld-Matte participated. The event examined ageism in workplaces, hospitals and long-term care and the need for a Convention.
Institutional significance: First clearly documented ILC Canada UN OEWG side event; establishes ageism + human rights + Convention as the central frame.
Institutional significance: First clearly documented ILC Canada UN OEWG side event; establishes ageism + human rights + Convention as the central frame.
2017
UN / international advocacy
Continuing Convention and older-persons-rights advocacy
Public annual material records continuing work to secure Canadian government support and engage human-rights NGOs and UN ageing stakeholders.
Institutional significance: Consolidation year; no separate major side-event title located in the public archive.
Institutional significance: Consolidation year; no separate major side-event title located in the public archive.
2018
24 July 2018
UN OEWG on Ageing — 9th session, New York
The Right to be My Older Self: A North-South Discussion on Long-Term and Palliative Care, Autonomy and Independence
ILC Canada and uOttawa LIFE Research Institute hosted the side event, with Canadian, Brazilian and Rwandan perspectives. Margaret Gillis participated; the event explicitly supported development of a Convention.
Institutional significance: Expanded the Convention argument into autonomy, independence, long-term care and palliative care.
Institutional significance: Expanded the Convention argument into autonomy, independence, long-term care and palliative care.
July 2018
UN General Assembly / SDGs
Margaret Gillis addresses the UN on Sustainable Development Goals
ILC Canada's UN history records Margaret Gillis addressing the General Assembly on the SDGs and older persons.
Institutional significance: Linked ageing/human rights advocacy to the 2030 Agenda.
Institutional significance: Linked ageing/human rights advocacy to the 2030 Agenda.
2019
15 April 2019
UN OEWG on Ageing — 10th session, New York
Live Well, Learn Well: An International, Inter-sectoral Discussion of Income Security and Lifelong Learning
Hosted by ILC Canada, ILC Global Alliance and uOttawa LIFE Research Institute. Participants included Margaret Gillis, Catherine Boucher (Canadian Mission), Chris Simpson, Fabio Duran Valverde (ILO), Julie Byles and others.
Institutional significance: Broadened Convention advocacy into income security, lifelong learning, health, business and social protection.
Institutional significance: Broadened Convention advocacy into income security, lifelong learning, health, business and social protection.
2 December 2019
UN / Convention advocacy
Mobilizing to Support the Rights of Older Persons
ILC Canada's UN history identifies this presentation as a Convention-mobilization activity.
Institutional significance: Built wider civil-society and policy support for a Convention.
Institutional significance: Built wider civil-society and policy support for a Convention.
2020
June 2020
UN Human Rights / OHCHR
Protecting Human Rights During and After COVID-19: Challenges to the Human Rights of Older People in Canada
ILC Canada submitted a report to the UN human-rights process documenting COVID-19 impacts, including health, social protection, autonomy and long-term-care concerns.
Institutional significance: COVID-19 became concrete evidence of systemic human-rights gaps affecting older persons.
Institutional significance: COVID-19 became concrete evidence of systemic human-rights gaps affecting older persons.
2021
2021
UN Independent Expert / HRC reporting
Thematic Report on the Human Rights of Older Women
ILC Canada contributed a thematic report on older women's human rights.
Institutional significance: Developed the intersection of ageism and sexism as a major strand of ILC Canada's UN work.
Institutional significance: Developed the intersection of ageism and sexism as a major strand of ILC Canada's UN work.
14 April 2021
UN Independent Expert / HRC reporting
Thematic Report on Ageism and Age Discrimination
ILC Canada and uOttawa LIFE Research Institute submitted evidence to the UN Independent Expert for the HRC report, documenting systemic ageism and calling for a legally binding instrument.
Institutional significance: Ageism became a documented international human-rights issue, not only an advocacy theme.
Institutional significance: Ageism became a documented international human-rights issue, not only an advocacy theme.
9 July 2021
UN HLPF
Vision and Priorities of Civil Society, the Private Sector and Other Major Groups and Stakeholders: Realizing the SDGs during the COVID-19 recovery
ILC Canada Board Chair Dr. Kiran Rabheru spoke for the Stakeholder Group on Ageing, addressing threats to older persons during COVID-19 recovery.
Institutional significance: Established ILC Canada's visible HLPF/SDG role.
Institutional significance: Established ILC Canada's visible HLPF/SDG role.
2022
12 April 2022
UN OEWG on Ageing — 12th session
Older Women Rock the World: The Right to Participation and Those Who Make It Happen
ILC Canada and the International Federation on Ageing presented the side event. Opening remarks were by Minister for Seniors Kamal Khera; Adrienne Clarkson delivered the keynote.
Institutional significance: Made participation, older women, ageism and sexism central Convention themes.
Institutional significance: Made participation, older women, ageism and sexism central Convention themes.
29–30 August 2022
UN OHCHR Multi-Stakeholder Meeting on Human Rights of Older Persons
ILC Canada interventions and panel participation
Dr. Kiran Rabheru served a key panel role; Margaret Gillis questioned the panel on Ontario Bill 7 and intervened on human rights of older persons; Rabheru also intervened in a later session.
Institutional significance: Demonstrated ILC Canada's direct engagement in the Geneva/OHCHR human-rights process.
Institutional significance: Demonstrated ILC Canada's direct engagement in the Geneva/OHCHR human-rights process.
2023
2023
UN HRC / Independent Expert
Violence, abuse and neglect of older persons
ILC Canada, CNPEA and EAPO produced input for the UN Independent Expert/HRC process on violence, abuse and neglect of older persons.
Institutional significance: Connected ageism to structural violence, abuse and neglect.
Institutional significance: Connected ageism to structural violence, abuse and neglect.
4 April 2023
UN OEWG on Ageing — 13th session
Health Care for All or Just for Some? A Discussion on the Right to Health for Older Persons
ILC Canada hosted the side event. Canada's Minister of Seniors Kamal Khera participated and discussed the right to health, ageism in health care and inclusion.
Institutional significance: Strengthened the right-to-health pillar of Convention advocacy.
Institutional significance: Strengthened the right-to-health pillar of Convention advocacy.
10 July 2023
UN HLPF, New York
Townhall: Overcoming the crisis, driving transformation for the SDGs, and leaving no one behind
ILC Canada Ambassador Ovide Mercredi addressed the HLPF Townhall, speaking as an older Cree man and connecting ageing, Indigenous rights, COVID-19 recovery and the SDGs.
Institutional significance: Added a strong Indigenous and older-person perspective to ILC Canada's HLPF engagement.
Institutional significance: Added a strong Indigenous and older-person perspective to ILC Canada's HLPF engagement.
2024
21 May 2024
UN OEWG on Ageing — 14th/final session, New York
The Right to Participation in Public Life and the Right to Decision-Making: A Discussion of the Rights and Contributions of Older Persons
ILC Canada hosted the side event with the Mission of Canada. Margaret Gillis moderated; Ambassador Bob Rae gave welcoming remarks; speakers included Kathleen Ross and Alex Kalache. Margaret Gillis also addressed the OEWG.
Institutional significance: Final ILC Canada OEWG side event; participation and decision-making became core rights arguments.
Institutional significance: Final ILC Canada OEWG side event; participation and decision-making became core rights arguments.
13–14 June 2024
UN OHCHR / HRC Resolution 54/13
Expert meeting on human-rights obligations regarding violence, abuse and neglect of older persons
ILC Canada's related work addressed ageism as a root cause, structural violence, social inclusion, data gaps and intersectionality.
Institutional significance: Expanded ILC Canada's Geneva human-rights engagement immediately before the OEWG concluded.
Institutional significance: Expanded ILC Canada's Geneva human-rights engagement immediately before the OEWG concluded.
13 August 2024
UN General Assembly
Resolution A/RES/78/324 — conclusion of OEWG mandate
The General Assembly formally concluded the OEWG's mandate following 14 sessions and its Decision 14/1.
Institutional significance: Closed the New York OEWG chapter and created the opening for the Geneva/HRC phase.
Institutional significance: Closed the New York OEWG chapter and created the opening for the Geneva/HRC phase.
2025
2025
UN HLPF / Canadian delegation
Margaret Gillis on Canadian Ministerial Delegation
ILC Canada records Margaret Gillis as part of the Canadian Ministerial Delegation to the HLPF.
Institutional significance: Significant elevation of ILC Canada's role in Canada's SDG diplomacy.
Institutional significance: Significant elevation of ILC Canada's role in Canada's SDG diplomacy.
24 February – 4 April 2025
UN Human Rights Council — 58th session, Geneva
ILC Canada Convention advocacy
ILC Canada submitted a formal Call for a UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons and addressed HRC 58 on the need for a Convention.
Institutional significance: Strategic shift from the OEWG in New York to the HRC in Geneva.
Institutional significance: Strategic shift from the OEWG in New York to the HRC in Geneva.
3 April 2025
UN Human Rights Council — 58th session
Resolution 58/13: Open-ended intergovernmental working group for a legally binding instrument on older persons
The HRC adopted Resolution 58/13 without a vote, establishing an intergovernmental working group to elaborate a legally binding instrument on older persons' human rights.
Institutional significance: Historic transition from discussion of gaps to treaty drafting.
Institutional significance: Historic transition from discussion of gaps to treaty drafting.
7 April 2025
UN Commission on Population and Development — 58th session, New York
Ensuring Healthy Ageing for All: Challenges and Opportunities in an Ageing World
UN DESA, ESCWA and the Global Coalition on Ageing organized the side event; Canada and Spain sponsored it with partners including ILC Canada. The event addressed health access, economic security, social inclusion and supportive environments.
Institutional significance: Expanded ILC Canada's UN role across ageing, population, development and human rights.
Institutional significance: Expanded ILC Canada's UN role across ageing, population, development and human rights.
June 2025
UN, New York
PBS documentary on caregiving — UN screening and conversation
ILC Canada President Margaret Gillis attended the UN screening and discussion of the PBS caregiving documentary produced by Bradley Cooper.
Institutional significance: Extended ILC Canada's UN visibility into caregiving and long-term-care policy.
Institutional significance: Extended ILC Canada's UN visibility into caregiving and long-term-care policy.
16 July 2025
UN HLPF, New York
The Intersectionality of Ageism & Sexism: Harnessing the Power of Older Women
Hosted by ILC Canada and HelpAge Canada. Margaret Gillis and Kahir Lalji moderated; speakers included Ambassador Bob Rae, Ambassador Paula Narváez, Amal Abou Rafeh, Rosy Pereyra, Marta Hajek and Cherian Mathews.
Institutional significance: Major HLPF event linking older women, ageism, sexism, poverty, caregiving, data and the Convention.
Institutional significance: Major HLPF event linking older women, ageism, sexism, poverty, caregiving, data and the Convention.
1 October 2025
UN International Day of Older Persons, New York
Older People Driving Change Through Local Action
ILC Canada and HelpAge Canada planned to sponsor a UN International Day of Older Persons event on this theme.
Institutional significance: Reinforced older persons as agents of change rather than passive beneficiaries.
Institutional significance: Reinforced older persons as agents of change rather than passive beneficiaries.
2026
2026
UN HRC / Geneva
Continued human-rights and Convention engagement
ILC Canada's 2026 calendar identifies participation in the 62nd HRC session and continued Geneva engagement.
Institutional significance: Continues the post-OEWG, treaty-drafting phase.
Institutional significance: Continues the post-OEWG, treaty-drafting phase.
9 July 2026
UN HLPF
Treasure What You Measure: Older Persons and Data
Official HLPF side event presented by the Stakeholder Group on Ageing and UN DESA; focused on age-disaggregated data, SDG 17 and leaving no one behind.
Institutional significance: Moves ILC Canada's SDG work toward measurement, evidence and accountability.
Institutional significance: Moves ILC Canada's SDG work toward measurement, evidence and accountability.
13–17 July 2026
UN IGWG on Human Rights of Older Persons — 1st session, Geneva
First substantive treaty-drafting working group session
The new HRC-created IGWG met at the Palais des Nations to begin work on a legally binding instrument. ILC Canada's broader Geneva strategy is now situated in this treaty-drafting process.
Institutional significance: The Convention campaign enters the drafting phase.
Institutional significance: The Convention campaign enters the drafting phase.
ILC Canada's UN Strategy — Institutional Evolution
2015–2018: Establishment and framing: ILC Canada established itself as a human-rights organization at the UN. The early OEWG work framed ageism as a human-rights problem and argued that a dedicated Convention was needed.
2019–2021: Broadening the rights case: The agenda expanded from ageism to income security, lifelong learning, COVID-19, health, social protection, older women and discrimination. ILC Canada's submissions to the UN Independent Expert supplied evidence for the international human-rights case.
2022–2024: Building substantive Convention pillars: Participation, older women, health, autonomy, decision-making, violence, abuse and neglect became increasingly prominent. The 14th OEWG in 2024 was the final New York chapter.
2025–2026: Geneva and treaty drafting: After the OEWG ended, ILC Canada shifted its advocacy to the Human Rights Council. HRC Resolution 58/13 established the new IGWG to draft a legally binding instrument. The first IGWG session took place in Geneva in July 2026.