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BJSW Advance Access published online on November 17, 2005
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bch395
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

Article

Global Social Justice for Older People: The Case for an International Convention on the Rights of Older People

Kwong-Leung Tang 1 * and Jik-Joen Lee 2

1 Chair and Professor of Social Work at the Department of Social Work, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
2 Associate Professor and member of the Research and Practice Centre at the Department of Social Work, the Chinese University of Hong Kong

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Kwong-Leung Tang, E-mail: kltang{at}cuhk.edu.hk


  Abstract

Older people are beginning to represent a large proportion of the general population and have become a major area for social programming in many parts of the world. However, neglect or violation of older people’s rights is common. Until recently, there has been a surprising lack of advocacy on the part of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and human rights activists for a legally effective international convention on the rights of older people, as compared with other vulnerable groups such as children and women. This paper argues that the introduction of an international convention on the rights of older people is long overdue. Such an international convention should contain comprehensive and legally binding provisions which would require ratifying states to promote older people’s rights. It should be reinforced by a strong monitoring system that would involve key members of the international community. This paper outlines the arguments in favor of the creation of a transnational human rights agreement for older people and proposes that international NGOs and human rights advocates should work toward creating such a convention.

Keywords: social justice, older people, human rights, aging rights, elderly, social policy.
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