Seeking a limited future for human rights

One common response to the gaps between human rights norms and their implementation is to call for more internationally recognised rights. This has particularly been the case where groups such as women, disabled people, and indigenous people are unable to benefit fully from rights routinely enjoyed by others. The race for more rights shows no sign of slowing, with proposals for UN Declarations on the rights of peasants, the elderly, non‐human animals, and the environment, to name a few. In this paper I suggest that gaps between rights norms and rights implementation are unlikely to be filled by more rights. I argue for political rather than legal mobilisation in pursuit of a future where equal rights might begin to be enjoyed equally.