Theoretical, Legal and Practical Issues on the Rights of Older Persons

Abstract

Population Aging encompasses both challenges and opportunities for every country; the elderly are basically not a burden but a resource of families and communities. To ensure “a sucessful Population Aging”, the rights of the elderly need to be guaranteed. While an international treat on the rights of the elderly has not yet been adopted, states should abide by the principles of the United Nations and ILO conventions relating to older persons. National legislation on the elderly must be built based on thehuman rights-based approach, and the elderly need to be considered as one of the most vulnerable groups in society where the state must protect their human rights in any circumstances, even when the country’s resources are exhausted.

Keywords: The elderly, older persons, rights of older persons, population aging, human rights.