A/HRC/39/50 countries alike. Moreover, the 2030 Agenda explicitly acknowledges that human rights are essential components of sustainable development. The premise of the Goals to leave no one behind can help to promote inclusive development policies. That is particularly important because development approaches often fail to reflect the needs of older persons. 27. References to older persons in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals are, however, rare. Target 2.2 specifically mentions older persons in terms of ending malnutrition. Some targets refer to “all” or people of “all ages” in relation to health, nutrition, education and tackling poverty. The language reflects the intention in the Goals to meet the needs of all social groups, which naturally includes older persons. It is also noteworthy that for most indicators for the Goals, implementation must be disaggregated by age. That is a precondition for policies to be able to specifically target older persons. 28. Particularly relevant for older persons is Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being at all ages. It does not, however, include a specific target for older persons. Target 3.4, which aims to reduce premature mortality — defined as death before the age of 70 — from non-communicable diseases by one third, could exclude persons over the age of 70 from prevention, cure or care, even though more than half of deaths from noncommunicable diseases occur in this age group. The reference to premature rather than preventable death seems to perpetuate prejudices that devalue the lives of older persons and create room for unequal treatment. 29. Goal 11 recognizes the important role that cities play in sustainable development. It addresses the upgrading of slums in target 11.1 and also aims to achieve improvements in terms of housing, transport, public outdoor spaces, air quality, civic participation and prevention and response to disasters. Importantly, it also explicitly mentions older persons under targets 11.2 (transport) and 11.7 (public spaces). 30. Goal 11, however, does not include a target on social participation and the prevention of isolation in urban environments, which is an issue of critical importance for older persons. While the provisions of Goal 11 may facilitate the creation of accessible environments, there is no stress on the need to ensure that older persons remain engaged in their communities. The lack of opportunities for older persons to participate may contribute to their social exclusion and consequently the decline of their mental and physical health. City planning should facilitate the participation of older persons in all spheres of life, foster intergenerational exchange, help them to maintain social contacts and avoid segregation, and establish networks of support for those people who are at risk of social exclusion. 31. Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and quality education for all, is not met with targets and indicators that can effectively improve opportunities for lifelong learning. The actions foreseen are clearly targeted towards children, youth, women and persons with disabilities. Target 4.4, which seeks to increase the development of skills, is linked with jobs and employability, therefore limiting its relevance to those active in the labour market. That constitutes a missed opportunity to call for real opportunities for lifelong learning, which would enhance the inclusion of older persons and their contribution to their communities. 32. Goal 10 seeks to reduce inequalities. While it refers to age discrimination as a ground of discrimination, the focus at target level is on income inequalities, which fails to encompass the many other types of discrimination that older persons face. In addition, indicator 10.3.1 seeks to gather information about the proportion of the population reporting having felt personally discriminated against or harassed within the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law. That is deficient, as international human rights standards fail to adequately address all forms of discrimination of older persons. Age discrimination, while prohibited in several contexts, is legitimate in others. For example, mandatory retirement ages are considered acceptable in a number of countries, even though this infringes the right of older persons to work and earn a sustainable income. The lack of an internationally agreed definition of age discrimination in human rights law impedes States from a harmonized and equal application of Goal 10 for older persons. 33. Data and measurement constitute another challenge for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. National and comparative surveys often operate with age 8