A/HRC/14/31 that such a pension being given led to an 8 per cent increase in school attendance among those in the poorest percentile of the population.25 35. Governments must challenge the myth that social pensions are a burden to the economy and the stereotyping of older persons as a burden to development. Indeed, social protection systems may act as economic stabilizers in critical periods and can have positive repercussions on local economies. For example, studies show that in rural areas, old-age pensions have an overall positive impact on the protection of poor rural communities affected by the adverse effects of agriculture reform and encourage local economic activity.26 36. Social pensions, however, should be seen as only one component of a broad social protection system designed to tackle the multidimensional aspects of poverty. The focus on older persons should consist of setting basic, non-contributory pensions as one of the pillars of a comprehensive approach that includes measures to ensure access to basic services (especially health services) and eliminate discrimination based on sex. IV. Human rights framework 37. Human rights treaties apply to all members of society and as such older persons are clearly entitled to the full range of rights established by them.27 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights mentions the particular vulnerability of older persons in article 25, which stipulates that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including … medical care and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control”. 38. Several treaties contain specific references to old age. The Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women stipulates “the right to social security, particularly in cases of retirement, unemployment, sickness, invalidity and old age and other incapacity to work” (art. 11). It is also understood that the prohibition of discrimination included in major human rights treaties is understood as non-exhaustive; therefore, even if age is not mentioned specifically as a prohibitive ground for discrimination, it should still be accepted under “other status”. The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families specifically identifies age as a prohibited ground for discrimination. 39. In 1995, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted a general comment on the rights of older persons, in which it stressed that States needed to adapt their social and economic policies to respond to the needs of ageing populations and should give more consideration to older persons in their human rights monitoring and reporting. The general comment also sheds light on the relationship between the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Vienna International Plan of Action and the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, clearly indicating that both binding and non-binding commitments are linked. 25 26 27 GE.10-12583 See Michael Samson et. al., “The Social and Economic Impact of South Africa’s Social Security System”, commissioned by the Economics and Finance Directorate, Ministry of Social Development of South Africa, 2004. Armando Barrientos, “What is the impact of non-contributory pensions on poverty? Estimates from Brazil and South Africa”, Chronic Poverty Research Centre Working Paper, No. 33 (2003), p. 3. General comment No. 6, para. 10. 9