Introduction for users The Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF) and the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) are pleased to present Defending Dignity: A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions on Monitoring Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Despite significant economic growth in recent decades, poverty levels in the Asia Pacific remain unacceptably high. While governments have committed to progressively realize economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR), these commitments are yet to become a reality for the 1.8 billion people in the region who live in poverty. Their lives are continuously threatened by lack of food, the risk of disease, hazardous work and precarious living conditions. The situation is even worse for women and girls, and other groups who experience marginalization and discrimination in addition to poverty. National human rights institutions (NHRIs) across the Asia Pacific – in emerging economies such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, as well as in transitional countries such as the Maldives, Nepal and Palestine – have been vocal advocates for the adoption of a human rights-based approach to development. However, for such an approach to be meaningfully implemented, governments must be held to account when their development plans or socio-economic policies fail to address patterns of preventable human rights deprivations, such as hunger, illiteracy, unsafe drinking water, lack of basic health services, social discrimination, physical insecurity, and political exclusion. Effective monitoring is essential for ensuring accountability. It can highlight when laws and policies cause, continue or worsen deprivations of ESCR. However, this kind of policy monitoring requires close examination of areas that were, until relatively recently, considered to be beyond the reach of human rights law. As a result, there has been limited guidance for NHRIs on how to address these issues. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE NHRIs in the Asia Pacific have expressed a strong need for additional support on how to monitor socio-economic policies and development plans from a human rights perspective. In a training needs assessment conducted in March 2010, APF members identified human rights monitoring and ESCR as priority areas for capacity building. Between January 2012 and December 2014, the APF and CESR piloted a project to strengthen the capacity of APF members to more effectively monitor socio-economic policies and development plans from a human rights perspective. The project included technical cooperation visits with three NHRIs: the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM), the New Zealand Human Rights Commission (NZHRC) and the Independent Commission for Human Rights of Palestine (PICHR). The visits consisted of a two-day training workshop and planning sessions with Commissioners and staff. Following the visit, each NHRI conducted a pilot monitoring activity to test how the tools and techniques covered in the training might fit the particular priorities and strategies of the NHRI. The materials prepared for these pilot projects were progressively updated based on feedback provided by participants in the training workshops. This Manual draws from and significantly expands these materials, while also broadening their scope in order to be relevant to NHRIs across the region. It was developed in consultation with a reference group comprised of Commissioners and senior staff from a number of APF members. The reference group provided invaluable feedback and guidance at every stage of the Manual’s development, from initial concept through to final draft. In line with the APF’s gender mainstreaming strategy, this version of the Manual contains additions to make the content more detailed, inclusive and responsive with regards to women’s human rights and issues around gender equality. Introduction for users | 1