International standards: strengthening human rights for older people at the national level

Professor John Williams

Department of Law and Criminology

Aberystwyth University

jow@aber.ac.uk

Twitter @legalolder

There is a lot of it!

Human rights

What can we say about Human Rights?

o Belong to everybody – whatever their age

o Are based on fairness, equality, dignity and respect

o The State must not unlawfully interfere with our rights, for example by treating us in an inhuman or degrading way

o They require the State to act to protect our rights, for example to protect our life

What do human rights mean for people in later life?

o I want to be safe from harm and abuseo I want to be warm and well fedo I want somewhere decent to liveo I want to be independento I want to contribute to societyo I want to be able to take riskso I want good medical careo I want people to talk to me and not about meo I want to decide how I liveo I want to do unwise thingso I want to be heardo I want to be treated as me and not as a client, patient,

bed blocker or whatevero I want to learn new thingso I want justiceo I want to live at homeo I want to be in my communityo I want an intimate relationship

Human rights standards must be used to improve older people’s lives

o “witch” killingso Elder abuse and neglecto Skipped generation

householdso Povertyo Lack of social protectiono Health and social careo Older people during and

post conflicto Older people in times of

disaster

Human rights standards must be used to improve older people’s lives

o Operation Jasmineo Staffordo Fuel povertyo Elder abuseo Social careo Health careo Ageism in provision of

services and in employmento Older prisonerso Negative attitudes

International human rights standards protecting rights at a national level

An international convention on the rights of older peopleoWhat?oWhen?oWho?

“There is no old age. There is, as there always was, just

you.”Carol Matthau

O Magazine 2003