Note
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the APF or the CESR concerning the legal status
of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or
boundaries.
ISBN 978-0-9942513-0-5 (APF print)
ISBN 978-0-9942513-1-2 (APF electronic)
Defending Dignity: A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions on Monitoring Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights
© Copyright Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions and the Center for Economic and
Social Rights January 2015 (updated August 2018)
No reproduction is permitted without prior written consent from the APF or the CESR.
Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 1042
Australia
Center for Economic and Social Rights
86 Chambers Street, Suite 704
New York, NY 10007
United States of America
Credits
United Nations photographs are the property of the United Nations, which holds all rights in connection
with their usage.
Cover photographs
Left: Omani woman carrying water. Photo by Poco y Mucho, reproduced under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
Centre: Students in a monastic school in Mandalay, Myanmar. Photo by Dietmar Temps, reproduced under
a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.
Bottom: People of Kurendhoo, Maldives watching the Eid celebrations. Photo by Hani Amir, reproduced
under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
The above images have been tinted on the title pages inside the manual.