A/HRC/39/50 latest scientific evidence and covered a broad range of issues of relevance to older persons and ageing, including the need to shift from an assistance model to a human rights-based approach towards older persons; the right to health; autonomy and independence; social inclusion for a better ageing process; the social and economic security of older persons; human rights, ageing and well-being; and regional visions of the human rights of older persons. Thirdly, participants explored the way forward and avenues for global institutional strengthening. The Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility also made a special presentation entitled “Human rights instrument: from proposal to application — the international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”. 6. The Independent Expert welcomes the appointment of María Soledad Cisternas Reyes as the Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility. The consultation exemplified the important contribution of this new mandate for the promotion of the rights of older persons with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on accessibility for all. The Independent Expert wishes to recall in this regard that older persons constitute the most heterogeneous of all age groups and that many of them continue to face significant protection gaps. While some older persons will become increasingly dependent on the help of others in old age for several reasons — such as illness, impairments or loss of mobility — and may require varying degrees of specific care, others may be in good health and may be able to live independently or autonomously throughout their lives, particularly if adequate attention is paid to their specific needs. 7. In discussing the way forward, participants in the consultation facilitated a dialogue between both Groups of Friends and existing mechanisms, namely the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, the Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility and the Independent Expert. That also allowed a discussion of next steps, in recognition of the progress achieved so far, including that the cross-regional consensus had been consolidated and that the discussions in New York had gained new impetus and direction through the cross-fertilization of the various mechanisms and the findings in the comprehensive thematic report of the Independent Expert in 2016. 8. On 25 and 26 October 2017, the Independent Expert, together with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, hosted the first expert group meeting on supporting the autonomy and independency of older persons with disabilities in New York, drawing on the report of the Independent Expert on the autonomy and care of older persons (A/HRC/30/43) and the findings in her comprehensive thematic report, which marked a shift in the discussion on older persons. Participants in the expert meeting discussed the intersectionality between disability and ageing in the exercise of autonomy and independence, and explored the potential of international and regional human rights instruments, in particular the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to ensure accessible, appropriate and affordable community-based support services. 9. The expert meeting identified a number of gaps, such as the lack of standards on the rights of older persons with disabilities, the lack of a disability perspective in ageing (or ageing with disability) in public policies, legislation with arbitrary age provisions, the negative image of ageing, the lack of disaggregated data on older persons and the insufficient participation of older persons with disabilities in discussions on those issues. The experts agreed that closer cooperation between communities of older persons and persons with disabilities was fundamental, including in the area of advocacy, where the latter had more experience. That could result in increased awareness of and references to the rights of older persons with disabilities in the United Nations human rights machinery and its instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In that regard, experts noted that only 0.3 per cent of all recommendations made in the universal periodic review process of the Human Rights Council were focused on the rights of older persons. 10. In relation to the previous annual report of the Independent Expert on the impact of automation on the human rights of older persons (A/HRC/36/48), the mandate participated in a conference on human rights in a digital age in Geneva on 24 May 2018. The objective was to identify the opportunities provided by big data, artificial intelligence and associated technologies and their potential human rights implications, including and beyond privacy. 4