Global Measurement on Human Rights Marah Subahi Gina Kim Sonia Jhung

What is the OHCHR? “The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) represents the world's commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. We have a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect all human rights.”

Why are we using their indicators Why are we using their indicators? OHCHR’s conceptual and methodological indicators: 1. can be applied and contextualized at national level 2. adopts a common approach to identifying indicators for monitoring civil and political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights 3. focuses on quantitative as well as qualitative indicators 4. are simple, based on objective and transparent methodology, with an emphasis on disaggregation

Why is it important to have indicators. Human Rights indicators: 1 Why is it important to have indicators? Human Rights indicators: 1. allow States to assess their own progress in implementing human rights and compliance with the international treaties 2. provide tools for civil society to monitor progress and ensure accountability 3. assist national governments in implementing rights-based policy 4. bolster cases argued by human rights advocates and provide further access to information

Setting Up Human Rights Monitoring Systems STEP 1: Identification of Monitoring Stakeholders STEP 2: Facilitation of Country-Owned Monitoring Mechanisms STEP 3: Identification of Major Vulnerable Groups

Setting Up Human Rights Monitoring Systems STEP 4: Focus on non-discrimination and accessibility STEP 5: Capacity-building for data collection and disaggregation STEP 6: Reporting periodicity, publication, public access to information and follow-up

16 Indicators http://www. ohchr

Focus: Indicator 1 Status of ratification of the 18 international human rights treaties and optional protocols: Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming to the abolition of the death penalty Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families Convention on the Rights of the Child Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children child prostitution and child pornography Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women Optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child Optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Cases of USA, UK, Thailand Discuss in groups of 3-4: Which country do you think ratified the most treaties? The least? Why?

The Results USA Signed 9 Ratified 5 Didn’t accept Covenant on Abolition of Death Penalty, Rights of Migrant Workers UK Signed 11 Ratified 11 Accepted 2 optional protocols Didn’t accept Covenant of Rights of Migrant Workers Thailand Signed 2 Ratified 1 Accessed to 8 (accession has the same legal binds as ratification; happens after treaty is in effect) Record has been improving since mid-1970s, when country started to experiment with democracy

Discussion Questions Taking into account the data, which country do you think has the best human rights record overall? Do you think these indicators accurately represents the state of human rights in each of these countries? What are some limitations of current systems of measuring HRs? (Like OHCHR) What improvements could be made?