Kinshasa, October 1st, 2026 (CPA).- A call for the strengthening and restructuring of mechanisms to protect older persons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was issued Thursday by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, according to a video viewed by CPA. “These words particularly resonate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where mechanisms for the protection of older persons still need to be further strengthened and structured,” said Reverend Véronique Ngongo, National Commissioner in charge of the rights of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable persons at the CNDH. She made the statement on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, observed every October 1. Commissioner Ngongo also joined her voice with those of communities around the world in celebrating older persons and reaffirming the CNDH’s commitment to promoting and protecting their rights.
“The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives” is the theme chosen for 2026. For her, the theme is particularly meaningful. (United Nations Organization)
“It invites us to reflect on how our societies must adapt so that increased life expectancy can be accompanied by dignity, protection, care, security and the full enjoyment of fundamental rights,” she stressed. Thus, according to the National Human Rights Commissioner, it is not enough to live longer; people must also be able to grow old with their rights protected.
She said that the DRC does not yet have a sufficiently developed specific legal framework dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of older persons. “We therefore welcome the major progress represented by the examination by the National Assembly of the bill on the protection and promotion of the rights of older persons, and we hope that this initiative will receive careful consideration and lead to the adoption of a strong legal framework adapted to the realities and needs of older persons in the DRC,” she said. Beyond the national framework, the CNDH, according to the National Commissioner, is also calling for the DRC to ratify the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa. “This ratification would strengthen our country’s commitment to older persons at the regional level,” she added. “Rethinking our systems for longer lives therefore means ensuring that everyone can live in dignity, without discrimination or exclusion, and with the opportunity to participate fully in society. Older persons are our seniors, those who have contributed to building our society,” she concluded.