Abstract
In this chapter the authors seek to give gerontologists, lawyers and other interested practitioners in North America a better understanding of the global picture of ageism in the workplace as it relates to international and regional human rights agreements. The legal landscape regarding age discrimination is very different around the world. In many undeveloped countries “age discrimination” is unrecognized under local laws. Even in many developed countries, age-based employment policies, such as mandatory retirement, a maximum age limit for recruitment, and age-based workforce layoffs or redundancies are common and legal practices.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
World Population Plan of Action 1974, in Rights of Older Persons, at 27.
- 2.
Ibid, Article 12.
- 3.
See Resolutions 33/52 of 14 December 1978; 34/153 of 17 December 1979, and 36/20 of 1981 – in Rights of Older Persons, supra note 3, at 31–33.
- 4.
ECOSOC, Comm. on Econ., Soc. & Cultural Rts., 13th session, General Comment No. 6: The Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of Older Persons, Para. 5, U.N. Doc. E/C.12/1995/16/Rev.1 (1995).
- 5.
For example, see Follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing, 19 July 2006.
- 6.
In Rights of Older Persons, at 447.
- 7.
Ibid, at 449.
- 8.
Ibid, at 67.
- 9.
Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, General Recommendation 27, para. 20.
- 10.
Ibid, at 337.
- 11.
Ibid, at 445.
- 12.
Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, Nov. 17, 1988, art. 17. (Protocol of San Salvador),
- 13.
See Protocol of San Salvador, Article17.
- 14.
See in Rights of Older Persons, supra note 1, at 174.
- 15.
Ibid, at 180.
- 16.
OEA/Ser.G CP/CAJP-3017/11, Installation of the Working Group Envisaged Under ResolutionAG/RES. 2654 (XLI-O/11), 14 September 2011.
- 17.
Ibid at 239. It should be noted however that in Article 21 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, regarding “Non-discrimination” age as a specific legal category has been included.
- 18.
See in Rights of Older Persons, supra note 1, at 234.
- 19.
See also The Arab Plan of Action on Ageing to the Year 2012 (APAA). Online (last accessed: October 3, 2011) http://www.escwa.un.org/popin/docs/ArabPlanofActionAgeing2012Eng.pdf
- 20.
UN Document A/RES/65/182 Follow-Up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing.
References
African Union. (1986). African charter on human and people’s rights. Rights of Older Persons, p. 161.
APAA (n.d.). The Arab plan of action on ageing to the year 2012. http://www.escwa.un.org/popin/docs/Arabplanofactiononageing2012Eng.pdf
Arab Charter on Human Rights (1994, September 15). Reprinted in Human rights Law Journal, 18, p. 151. http:www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/arabcharter.html
Barrientos, A., Gorman, M., & Heslop, A. (2003). Old age poverty in developing countries: Contributions and dependence in later life. World Development, 31(3), 555.
Boyle, A. E. (1999). Some reflections on the relationship of treaties and soft law. International and Comparative Law quarterly, 48, 901–902.
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. (2000). Online: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf
Doron, I. (2005). From national to international elder law. International Journal on Aging, Law and Policy, 1, 45–72.
Doron, I., & Apter, I. (2010a). International rights of older persons: What difference would an international convention make on the lives of older persons? Marquette Elder’s Advisor Law Review, 11(2), 367–385.
Doron, I., & Apter, I. (2010b). The debate around the need for an international convention on the rights of older person. The Gerontologist, 50(5), 586–593.
Doron, I., & Mewhinney, K. (Eds.). (2007). The rights of older persons: A collection of international documents (Universal Declaration of Human rights 1948, pp. 443–444). Israel: International Federation of Ageing.
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. (1950). Online:http://www.echr.coe.int/NR/rdonlyres/D5CC24A7-DC13-4318-B457-5C9014916D7A/0/CONVENTION_ENG_WEB.pdf
Field, S., & Sappideen, C. (2009). Anti-discrimination – Some observations from down under, the Australian experience on age discrimination. Journal of International Aging, Law and Policy, 3, 169.
Gold, J. (1983). Strengthening the soft international law of exchange arrangements. American Journal of International Law, 77, 443.
Hathaway, O. (2005). Between power and principle: An integrated theory of international law. University of Chicago Law Review, 72, 469.
Human Rights Council (2011, July 4). Thematic study on the realization of the right to health of older persons by the special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Anand Grover, A/HRC/18/37
Kanter, A. S. (2009). The convention on the rights of people with disabilities and its implications for the rights of elderly people under international law. Georgia State University Law Review, 25, 873.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). (1966). Online: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm
Kye, T. S. (2009). Divided by a common language: Why British adoption of the American anti-discrimination model did not lead to an identical approach to age discrimination law. Journal of International Ageing, Law and Policy, 17.
Megret, F. (2011). The human rights of older persons: A growing challenge. Human rights Law Review, 11, 37.
Office of the High Commission for Human Rights. (2010). Current status of the social situation, wellbeing, participation in development and rights of older persons worldwide. Geneva: United Nations.
Pilapil, L. (2011, May 6). Supreme court panel ends Muhammad Yunus leadership of Grameen Bank. The Development Newsletter.
Rodriguez-Pinzon, D., & Martin, C. (2003). The international human rights status of elderly persons. American University of International Law Review, 18, 915–1008.
Tang, K., & Lee, J. J. (2006). Global social justice for the older people: The case for an international convention on the rights of the elderly. British Journal of Social Work, 37(7), 1135–1150.
US Census Bureau (2008, November). Reported voting and registration, by age, sex and educational attainment. http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications.p20/2008/tables.html
UN (1998). International plan of action on ageing and United Nations principles for older persons. New York: UN Department of Public Information (DPI/932/Rev.1-98-24545-September 1998-40M).
UN (2003). Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing 2002: Second world assembly on ageing. New York: United Nations Department of Public Information (DP/2271-February 2003-20M). http:www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/madrid_intlplanaction.html
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2007). World economic and social survey. New York: United Nations.
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2008). The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing guiding framework and toolkit for practitioners and policy makers. New York: United Nations. http://www.un.org/ageing/documents/building_natl_capacity/guiding.pdf
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2009). World population ageing. New York: United Nations.
UN Expert Group. (2009). The report of the expert group meeting – Rights of older persons. Bonn: United Nations.
UN Secretary General. (2009). Follow-up to the second world assembly on ageing, sixty-fourth session. New York: United Nations.
Venne, R. (n.d.). Mainstreaming the concern of older persons into the social development agenda. http/www.un.org/ageing/ducuments/mainstreaming/positionpaper.pdf
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Doron, I., Brown, B., Somers, S.B. (2013). International Protection for the Human Rights of Older People: History and Future Prospects. In: Brownell, P., Kelly, J. (eds) Ageism and Mistreatment of Older Workers. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5521-5_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5521-5_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-5520-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-5521-5
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)