A/HRC/23/54 participating in society were the main factors for promoting mental and physical well-being and preventing age related diseases. Astrid Stuckelberger, Chair of the NGO (nongovernmental organization) Committee on Ageing, argued that growing populations of older persons required profound and immediate attention from the United Nations. Population ageing and the human rights of older persons should be world priorities both of their own right, and in order to address the impacts of transgenerational poverty on development. She called for increased participation of older persons in development processes and the protection of their rights through the adoption of international policies on ageing, the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on ageing and the drafting of a convention on the rights of older persons. 18. Ramona Constantin, a community worker at the Big Life Company, told her story as a Roma woman from Romania who had immigrated to the United Kingdom in search of better opportunities for herself and her child. She emphasized the difficulties she had faced in adapting to a new culture, learning a new language and securing housing and employment. Given these difficulties, the training and employment opportunities offered to her by the non-profit Big Life Company had been truly life-altering as she succeeded in moving from a desperate situation to becoming a community worker who helped other Roma women in need. She highlighted the importance of empowering people through opportunity, education and participation. 19. In the interactive dialogue that followed, representatives of the International Movement ATD Fourth World and North-South XXI emphasized that participation was key to development, referring to the guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights, which identified concrete procedures for guaranteeing the participation in development of individuals living in extreme poverty. They also questioned how to balance the aspirations for greater participation of older persons with the need to ensure the participation of youth, particularly with regards to economic opportunities. 20. In concluding remarks, Robert Moulias argued that increasing the participation of older persons and youths were not competing goals because older people could benefit youth by sharing their experience and caring for them. Maria Mercedes Rossi shared the view that community participation should include all people, including the voiceless, and described the efforts undertaken by her association in this regard. Virginia Dandan emphasized the need to respect indigenous cultures, while at the same time encouraging all indigenous persons, particularly women and youth, to speak up. C. Democratic governance 21. Alfred de Zayas, the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, stressed the need for the objective and consistent application of international law to promote his mandate. The Charter of the United Nations should be seen as a global constitution that established an international legal order by which Member States were bound. Democracy at the international level was a critical element of this international legal order that depended on the meaningful participation of all peoples and States in global governance. As constituent components of the international legal order, States had to operate in compliance with principles of democratic governance and representativeness to promote a democratic and equitable international order. The Independent Expert highlighted that education, freedom of opinion and the right to information, among other things, were critical pillars of State support for a democratic and equitable international order. 22. Obiora Okafor, member of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, argued that poverty often originated with inadequate local democratic governance related to divisions between decision-makers and local stakeholders. He emphasized the potential of 7