A/HRC/45/14/Add.2 I. Introduction 1. Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 42/12, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons conducted an official country visit to New Zealand from 2 to 12 March 2020, at the invitation of the Government. 2. During her visit, the Independent Expert was privileged to meet with the Minister for Seniors, the Minister for Social Development and relevant independent Crown entity representatives, Commissioners and several Human Rights Commissioners, including the Chief Commissioner. She also met with representatives from numerous other ministries, regional and local government authorities, including representatives from civil society organizations, non-governmental social welfare organizations, representatives from academia and private companies, and social workers and volunteers working with older persons. She visited several homes for older persons, care centres and related institutions, and met with representatives of the community and local authorities and with older persons and organizations representing them in Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Timaru and Wellington. The Independent Expert wishes to convey her deep appreciation to all who took the time to meet with her and for the consistently warm welcome she experienced throughout her visit. 3. The Independent Expert expresses her sincere gratitude to the Government for the invitation and its collaboration and support in ensuring the realization of the visit. She is grateful to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and particularly grateful to the Minister and Office for Seniors, the New Zealand Human Rights Commission and the Special Procedures Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for their support in the preparation and execution of the visit, as well as for the tremendous support given to ensure the success of the visit. She looks forward to continued engagement with the Government and other stakeholders on the issue of older persons and on the implementation of her recommendations. 1 II. Background and context 4. New Zealand is undergoing unprecedented, significant age-structural changes. This necessitates a major shift in mindset, requiring increased awareness and acknowledgment of, and commitment to protecting, the rights of all older persons, and measures to address their concerns and prioritize their cause. 5. The number of people aged 65 and over doubled between March 1991 and March 2020. In March 2020, nearly 16 per cent of New Zealanders were aged 65 and above and projections indicate that the older population will reach over one million by 2027. Older persons are potentially at risk from ageist attitudes, employment discrimination, lower incomes, material hardship, poor health, abuse and neglect, isolation and loneliness. 2 6. The older persons’ group itself is ageing. The number of old-old persons (85 years and above) more than doubled between 1996 and 2019 from 39,000 to over 88,000. By 2054, a further fourfold increase is projected, meaning that the number of old-old persons is set to reach 358,000 by that year. This has direct implications for health expenditure. 7. There are also differences between the four broad ethnic groups in the rate of growth and share of the population aged 65 and above. This partly relates to the stage that each ethnic group has reached in terms of the demographic transition. The Māori and Pasifika3 continue to have higher fertility rates and higher mortality rates than the Asian and European ethnic groups, which is reflected in younger age structures for those population groups.4 1 2 3 4 See A/HRC/33/44 and A/HRC/36/48. A/HRC/WG.6/5/NZL/1, para. 50. See www.pasifika.tki.org.nz. Statistics New Zealand, “Demographic aspects of New Zealand’s ageing population”, March 2006. 3