Defending Dignity A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions on Monitoring Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1.6. WHY IS MONITORING IMPORTANT FOR A HUMAN RIGHTSBASED APPROACH? Human rights standards do not tell us exactly what policies need to be enacted to improve the human rights situation. Policy decisions need to make trade-offs between competing priorities. By themselves, human rights standards can rarely resolve these complex policy choices. However, as highlighted previously, they do place conditions on how these decisions should be made. This is significant because it helps ensure that decisions on trade-offs are made following adequate consultation (through a participatory, inclusive and transparent process); comply with the principles of equality and nondiscrimination; and do not result in weaker human rights protection. The information gathered through monitoring can be used to determine whether the priorities and tradeoffs of a particular policy are acceptable. Specifically, monitoring can uncover whether: • The process of setting priorities involved the meaningful participation of all stakeholders • Any trade-offs have caused or exacerbated disparities in the enjoyment of human rights • Any alternatives would realistically allow for the sustainable enjoyment of human rights • The benefits of a particular policy are concentrated among already advantaged groups (or the negative impacts are concentrated among already disadvantaged or vulnerable groups). As discussed in the following chapters, monitoring development plans and socio-economic policies is crucial for ensuring that decision makers are held accountable for their choices when they do not comply with human rights principles and standards. Further, as OHCHR outlines,2 many important results can be achieved through monitoring activities. Specifically, monitoring can: • Indicate whether a State is meeting its obligations and provide a basis for holding the State accountable • Show where the State is meeting its obligations and where it is falling short • Identify the source and nature of human rights violations, as well as problems in realizing ESCR • Identify priorities for action and suggest where resources need to be allocated • Support legislative, advocacy and policy formulation, as well as public awareness and education campaigns • Promote principled policy making that incorporates a human rights perspective and processes that facilitate public accountability • Be used to pursue actions to obtain remedies • Provide the basis for reports and submissions to national or international bodies. 2 12 OHCHR (2005), Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A Handbook for National Institutions, at p.57.