A/HRC/42/43 social exclusion of older persons, an issue that she considers of crucial importance if existing protection gaps are to be addressed effectively. She shared her main findings and made recommendations on the issue aimed at assisting States in designing and implementing appropriate and effective frameworks to ensure the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons. 7. On 12 and 13 November 2018, Austria hosted, in Vienna, the third International Conference on the Human Rights of Older Persons (the previous conferences had been organized by Slovenia and the Independent Expert). The Independent Expert welcomed the initiative of the Government of Austria, and in particular, the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection, and expressed her support and that of the Group of Friends of the Human Rights of Older Persons in Geneva (see A/HRC/36/48 para. 6). 8. The International Conference was preceded, on 11 November 2018, by a preparatory meeting entitled “Vienna NGOs and Civil Society Forum”, attended by representatives of civil society organizations, national human rights institutions and others, organized by the NGO Committees on Ageing in New York, Geneva and Vienna. The Independent Expert delivered a keynote speech and engaged in a preparatory discussion aimed at facilitating the various thematic discussions to be held at the conference. She recalled the findings of her report on autonomy and care (A/HRC/30/43), her comprehensive report on the status of human rights of older persons (A/HRC/33/44), and her report on robotics and rights, and the impact of automation on the human rights of older persons (A/HRC/36/48). In particular, she highlighted examples of substantive shortcomings in current human rights protection and areas where guidance was required to ensure, for instance, equality in old age, and how emerging robotics and assistive technology had an impact on care services. She also discussed elements of how the contribution made by civil society could ensure a human rights-based approach, such as how to establish a global platform for dialogue and the sharing of good practices, and how to improve the mainstreaming of the rights of older persons. 9. Austria invited the Independent Expert on an official country visit soon after her appointment. She conducted her visit from 22 to 30 January 2015 (see A/HRC/30/43/Add.2). The conference was a topic of discussion in the context of her visit, and was also a follow-up activity to contribute to the implementation of the recommendations made by the Independent Expert in her comprehensive report (A/HRC/33/44). By organizing the Vienna Conference, the Government of Austria made an active contribution to the ongoing strengthening of efforts for the international protection of the human rights of older persons, and engaged concretely by facilitating the adoption in Vienna of the declaration on the human rights of older persons, annexed to the present report (see also A/HRC/33/44, para. 13 and A/HRC/39/50, para. 3). In accordance with the organizer’s declared intent, the outcome of the conference also informed the discussion on normative inputs for a dedicated instrument on the rights of older persons. 10. The Independent Expert also participated in the ninth and tenth sessions of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing in New York, in July 2018 and April 2019 respectively. She contributed to the focus area discussions on autonomy and independence, long-term and palliative care, education, training, lifelong learning and capacity-building, as well as social protection and social security (including social protection floors). She welcomes the fact that the Working Group has begun to focus its discussions on normative inputs in specific areas where the enjoyment of human rights by older persons might be affected and require further protection, and that delegations expressed their support to continue this practice. The Independent Expert was pleased to contribute, including by drawing on the findings of her thematic reports, to the discussion on the issues of equality and non-discrimination, violence, neglect and abuse, autonomy and independence, and long-term and palliative care. 11. In her statement to the press on the occasion of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June, the Independent Expert focused on the sexual abuse and the rape of older persons, which remains a taboo and largely unreported and undetected, and thus mostly invisible. The mandate also organized, on 13 June, a session at RightsCon 2019, held in Tunis, on “Granny and the robots: sex, violence and care. Why human rights matter”. Also 4