Rights of the elderly under vietnamese current laws and directions for improvement

Abstract

On the basis of international human rights documentation and Vietnamese laws on the rights of the elderly, this article analyzes the rights of the elderly according to six fundamental rights which are right to health security; right to equality and against discrimination; right to decide whether to live with family members or to live alone; rights to participate in cultural, social and sport activities; employment-related rights; right to escape from poverty and social security. A legal system regulating the rights of the elderly has already been published in Vietnam, including the specific law which is the Law on the Elderly 2009. However, after more than 10 years of enforcement, the Law on the Elderly has shown a number of limitations. In order to protect the rights of older people more effectively and actively respond to population ageing, the legal system of Vietnam is in need of continuous improvement. This article proposes some solutions to improve the laws, in order to better guarantee the rights of the elderly, with the focus on the Law on the elderly.