Kinshasa, October 1st, 2026 (CPA).- The adoption of a specific law on the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons was urged Thursday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), before the National Assembly and the Senate by an international network, during the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons.
“We urge the National Assembly and the Senate to urgently consider and adopt the bill on the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons,” said Aisée Atum Kassuniin, national coordinator of the International Network for the Rights to Social Protection (INSPIR-DRC). “This law is a moral debt owed by the Republic to those who built it. Without a binding legal framework, the rights of older persons to healthcare, social security, protection and inclusion will remain a dead letter,” she added. Ms. Kassuniin noted that the DRC is facing an unacceptable delay. To date, there is no specific law on the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons.
“To all elderly mothers and fathers throughout the DRC, we say: ‘You have not been forgotten. Your wisdom is our compass,’” she said. INSPIR-DRC reaffirmed its commitment to combating all forms of abuse, neglect, accusations of witchcraft and abandonment suffered by older persons. “Growing old is not a burden; it is a grace that deserves respect and dignity,” Kassuniin said.
Government urged to save homes for the elderly and assist homeless older persons
Ms. Kassuniin said there was an urgent need to ensure effective and dignified care for existing homes for the elderly, which are often neglected, and to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to destitute and homeless older persons living on the streets in Kinshasa and elsewhere.
“We call on the Government of the Republic, through the Ministry of Social Affairs. A state is measured by the way it treats its most vulnerable people,” she stressed. She also called on technical and financial partners to maintain and strengthen their support for the implementation of social protection programs, access to geriatric care and solidarity income schemes for older persons. “On this October 1st, International Day of Older Persons, INSPIR-DRC respectfully and gratefully pays tribute to our elders, the living libraries of our nation, the pillars of our families and the guardians of our values,” said the national coordinator of INSPIR-DRC.