On 27-30 September, STEP representatives attended the International Guardianship Network (IGN) World Congress 2024, which was held at Buenos Aires University School of Law in Argentina.

IGN is a non-profit, non-government organisation whose mission is to provide support, information and networking opportunities for guardians, particularly for guardianship organisations, courts and public authorities worldwide. It aims to put the legal proceedings of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into practice.

Hundreds of lawyers, notaries, judges, social workers, doctors, nurses, policy makers, economists and NGO representatives were at the conference to explore the challenges posed by the increasing ageing global population and the distinctive issues faced by different regions and countries.

The IGN kindly invited STEP to host a roundtable at Congress to discuss its Global Representative Power (GRP) proposals and progress. STEP’s GRP is a template and benchmark for a ‘best practice’ lasting power of attorney (LPA) that will be globally recognised and portable across borders. The STEP model draws from the strengths of existing LPA legislation in jurisdictions such as England and Wales, which already recognises and accepts foreign powers of attorney.

The GRP is not ‘replacement legislation’, but a tool for legislators who are yet to implement LPAs. Jurisdictions can look to the GRP when planning new legislation where it fails to exist, or reviewing existing provisions for efficiency, effectiveness and best practice. We are suggesting a universal approach to ensure the recognition of an LPA or GRP is subject to the same standards and protections in any jurisdiction.

By introducing the GRP, we are calling for a global approach that adopts a uniform template for LPAs, followed by the adoption of a consistent framework that can be applied in a global context to determine incapacity and impairment.

STEP representatives Emily Deane TEP and Yue-Eng Chong TEP updated the roundtable on the progress of the GRP, which was launched in November 2023 and very well received globally. STEP is currently liaising with governments in the Caymans Islands, Cyprus and New Zealand in relation to the adoption of some of the hallmarks, or the entirety, of the GRP model into local law. We hope to make further impact as discussions develop and will keep members apprised accordingly.

The IGN World Congress was a huge success. It tackled some critical issues in relation to the complex interplay between mental health, legal capacity, autonomy and dependency for adults. One of the main objectives was to explore how we can ensure robust and accessible adult care and support for everyone around the world. Relevant and progressive discussions took place. We are very grateful to IGN for the invitation to the event and look forward to attending the next one in Amsterdam in 2026.

Emily Deane TEP, Technical Counsel & Head of Government Affairs