The human rights of older persons: the politics and substance of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing

Abstract

ABSTRACTElder rights are the new frontier in the pluralisation of human rights yet they have been a largely neglected area of research. The United Nations (UN) has started to seriously consider establishing a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons through the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWGA). Through qualitative and quantitative analyses of documents from the OEWGA and interviews with elder rights activists, this article examines the rights claims and subgroups of older persons that have been given primacy. It also identifies forces that have shaped the rights discourse and the implications of the dominant themes for how older persons are perceived. It argues that the political divisions and the rules of the OEWGA have prevented a consistently comprehensive discussion on the rights of older persons. It also argues that there is a risk that the emphasis on economic and social rights and older persons with disabilities by states and non-state actors might subtly reinforce the notion that elderly people are a drain on resources, a burden, and objects of welfare rather than as active contributors to societies. It concludes by proposing possible ways of avoiding these pitfalls and suggestions on widening the scope of the rights discussion and future research.