A/HRC/39/50 Development Goals and human rights instruments, can help to address the human rights concerns of older persons, particularly in the face of gentrification and the related social exclusion. 39. The New Urban Agenda contains a total of 27 references to ageing, older persons, intergenerational issues and age. That is significant, bearing in mind that the initial draft contained only three such references. There is a remarkable focus on the participation of older persons in decision-making and enabling them to become co-designers of urban policies and development plans (see paras. 42, 92, 148, 155 and 156). That approach creates a solid foundation for genuine citizen involvement and recognizes older persons as potential contributors to urban change. It must however be noted that the majority of the 27 provisions merely refer to age-responsive approaches to urban development. While the mainstreaming of age alongside gender responsiveness is a welcome development, it is less evident how this commitment will be applied in practice. The concept of responsiveness is likely to focus on needs, vulnerabilities and weaknesses, as opposed to promoting the full potential of older persons. In addition, it has been argued that when human rights instruments refer to age-appropriate measures they tend to reflect the requirement to take into account the needs of children and youth based on existing human rights obligations and not necessarily those of older persons. There is a risk that this may also be the case with regard to the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. 40. The notion of intergenerational exchange, mentioned twice in the New Urban Agenda (paras. 13 and 99) is noteworthy, as it provides some more guidance about the way in which to achieve inclusive cities. Paragraph 20 also contains a specific reference to nondiscrimination on the basis of age and there is a requirement to ensure that older persons are not disproportionately affected by revenue policies (para. 34). 41. The New Urban Agenda also explicitly refers to gentrification (para. 97), when addressing urban regeneration and slum upgrading, even though its implications are rather narrowly defined, failing to address issues around income security, health and access to goods and services, among others. There also is a commitment to engage in participatory approaches to urban development, “avoiding spatial and socioeconomic segregation and gentrification, while preserving cultural heritage and preventing and containing urban sprawl”. References to displacement (paras. 107 and 111) and evictions (paras. 31, 107 and 111), seek to guarantee the right to housing, whereas in paragraph 114 there is a mention of transportation as a way to minimize the impact of displacement. 42. In paragraph 57 of the New Urban Agenda, which refers to the commitment to promote work and livelihood opportunities, there is an explicit mention of several societal groups as potential beneficiaries of targeted interventions, such as women, youth, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and local communities, refugees and internally displaced persons and migrants, but no recognition of the needs of older workers. There is also no recognition of the substantial contributions older persons make to the economy through formal and informal work. Overall, some of the drivers of economic exclusion in urban regeneration programmes that put older persons at an increased risk of poverty are not addressed in the Agenda and its provisions do not adequately secure the right of older persons to work and to secure their livelihood. 43. The reference to the right to health of older persons seems limited to the need to prevent non-communicable diseases by promoting walking and cycling (para. 113). Beyond that, older persons would require a general commitment to help them age in place. While the previous framework encouraged the establishment of voluntary programmes to prevent violence against older persons, in the current text an opportunity has been missed to address an important human rights concern for older persons. 44. Nevertheless, overall the New Urban Agenda constitutes a considerable improvement over the previous framework, which also included specific references to older persons but seemed guided by the notion of older persons as a vulnerable group. Although in the New Urban Agenda such simplistic views and stereotypes seem to have been overcome, it remains deficient in some respects. Together with the Sustainable Development Goals, it is not concerned with the full and effective participation of older persons in all spheres of life (i.e. economic, social, civic, political and cultural), nor does it 10