A/HRC/33/44 119. From this synthesis of the information provided in the questionnaire responses, it can be deduced that the Madrid Plan of Action may have informed government action on older persons and that its adoption correlates with the development and adoption of national plans of action and specific laws and policies in a number of countries. It should be noted however that where legal and policy frameworks exist, they tend to focus on issues such as care, social protection, elder abuse or non-discrimination in the workplace, without addressing the full spectrum of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. Similarly, government action seems to target particular groups of older persons, such as those in need of care, without considering an age and disability perspective that takes into account the homogeneity of that particular group and encompasses the diversity of the health situation of older persons and their specific needs. The trend towards mainstreaming ageing into legal, policy, social and economic development frameworks is nevertheless welcomed. 120. The Madrid Plan of Action seems to have fostered the participation of older persons at various levels. Its contribution to raising awareness about the situation of older persons, in particular by giving visibility to age discrimination and elder abuse, has also to be recognized. That is an important step forward as the need for visibility has long been considered one of the main challenges faced by older persons. VI. Conclusions and recommendations 121. By 2050, there will be, for the first time, more older persons than children under the age of 15 worldwide. A demographic transformation of such magnitude has far-reaching implications for society at all levels. As the world population continues to age, the human rights dimension of ageing becomes an ever-growing concern. It is essential that the analytical lens is all encompassing and embraces the full set of human rights, economic, social and cultural rights, but also civil and political rights. 122. Older persons face a number of particular challenges in the enjoyment of their human rights that need to be addressed urgently. Several good or promising practices in the implementation of existing laws have been reported on issues such as the development of national strategies or action plans on ageing, and in the area of care, the right to work, social protection, equality and non-discrimination, access to justice, violence and abuse, education, training and lifelong learning, the participation of older persons, accessibility and awareness-raising. None of those areas has however been covered extensively and little or no information has been received on some crucial issues such as legal capacity, quality of care, long-term care, palliative care, assistance to victims of violence and abuse, available remedies, independence and autonomy, or the right to an adequate standard of living, particularly housing. Each of the aforementioned areas raises a set of issues and protection concerns that deserve in-depth analysis. The information provided also demonstrates the need for SouthSouth cooperation and the sharing of good practices at the regional level to guide national-level implementation taking into account regional specificities. 123. The information received appears to indicate that the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing may have positive implications for the enjoyment of some human rights by older persons. However, uneven progress with regard to the implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action and gaps between policy and practice remain major constraints. Moreover, while the Madrid Plan of Action contains a number of references to human rights, it is not a human rights instrument and it addresses ageing issues mainly from a developmental perspective. It has not been designed to comprehensively address existing protection gaps and is therefore not sufficient to ensure the full enjoyment of their human rights by older persons. 20 GE.16-11742