A/HRC/27/46 III. Foundations of the mandate A. Background 6. The world is undergoing an unprecedented demographic transformation towards an ageing population. Estimates indicate that the number of elderly persons will increase from 600 million to 1.2 billion by 2025. By 2050, this age group is expected to reach 2 billion, approximately equivalent to the global population youth. 7. In the light of these projections, several international organizations have stressed the need to address the significant challenges posed by global ageing. In this context, the different situations imposed by the heterogeneity of ageing and specific problems in different cultures of the world should be borne in mind, including those associated with healthy, ill, terminal, non-disabled and elderly persons with disabilities, whether physical or cognitive, as well as the care needs and ethical issues posed for each of these groups. In addition, this sociodemographic scenario demands the protection of the rights of older persons at the national, regional and global levels, the development of public institutions, the visibility of the issue of old age and ageing, the inclusion of seniors, their health care, and strengthening social services, among others. B. Scope of the mandate 8. In its resolution 24/20, the Human Rights Council established the mandate of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, to assess the implementation of existing international instruments with regard to older persons while identifying both best practices in the implementation of existing law related to the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons and gaps in the implementation of existing law. 9. As part of the mandate, the Independent Expert has also been tasked to assess the human rights implications of the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. 10. Operationally, in its resolution 24/20, the Human Rights Council specified that the Independent Expert should discharge the mandate by taking into account the views of stakeholders, including States, relevant regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and academic institutions, and by integrating a gender and disability perspective into her work, and to pay particular attention to older women, persons with disabilities, persons of African descent, individuals belonging to indigenous peoples, persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, rural persons, persons living on the streets, and refugees, among other groups. 11. The Council also requested the Independent Expert to raise awareness of the challenges faced in the realization of all human rights by older persons, and to ensure that older persons receive information about those rights, as well as to work in cooperation with States in order to foster the implementation of measures that contribute to the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons. The Council also called upon the Independent Expert to work in close coordination, while avoiding unnecessary duplication, with the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, other special procedures and subsidiary organs of the Council, relevant United Nations bodies and the treaty bodies. 12. The Human Rights Council further requested the Independent Expert to report annually to the Council with a view to presenting a comprehensive report at its thirty-third session. 4