Human Rights Watch Madam Chair, Distinguished Delegates, First let me thank you for the opportunity to address you on behalf of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of Poland and on behalf of group of 51 stakeholders, including 14 national human rights institutions and 37 civil society organizations from many different parts of the globe. Our institutions and organizations are of the firm view that a comprehensive, binding international instrument would provide the strongest protection for the rights of older persons. Following discussions at the previous sessions of the UN OEWGA, the decision to invite relevant stakeholders to submit normative content on the thematic areas discussed, has increased understanding of how human rights apply in older age. However, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on older persons worldwide has made it clear that we need to accelerate our efforts to strengthen the international framework for the protection of human rights in older age. We endorse the UN Secretary General’s call to