Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic participates in the international expert conference on human rights of older persons, dedicated to new challenges and opportunities due to technological development, which is held in Vienna 12-13 November.

Main conference topics are questions and solutions related to “Robotics & Automation – Implications for Human Rights” and “A lifelong learning process – Digitalization & Education”, as well as possibilities for greater social and economy inclusion of older persons.  Austrian Minister for Labor, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, Beate Hartinger-Klein opened the conference.

Participating at the panel about legal frame, Commissioner stressed that dominant attitude towards ageing as a problem, instead of the biggest achievement of civilization must be changed and that promotion of older people’s rights is emphasized in the Republic of Serbia, in partnership with civil society organizations. Advantages of modern communication channels should be used to promote and understand the rights of older persons to dignified life and full equality, especially among young people who should be more included in this issue, said Jankovic. Commissioner for the Protection of Equality is particularly dedicated to this and has been organizing a great number of activities for promoting intergenerational solidarity in the last three years, together with our Youth Panel – Discrimination Busters.

Jankovic added that contemporary technology may significantly improve the quality of life of older persons and that is therefore necessary to create trainings for using of computer and mobile devices, as well as to develop online services and applications suitable for older persons and their needs, concluded Commissioner.

The conference is organized by Austrian Ministry for Labor, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection and gathered around hundred participants from all over the world. Among them are Rose Kornfeld Matte, independent UN expert for human rights of older persons and Maria Luz Melon from Argentina, representatives of international and national organizations, politics, administration, civil society and science. Along with Commissioner Jankovic, representatives of Red Cross in Serbia, Natasa Todorovic and Milutin Vracevic, also attended this conference.