Country Fact Sheets

October 13, 2008

Visualizing Rights is a series of fact sheets focused on a country andits economic, social and cultural rights obligations. This focus helpsenable intergovernmental human rights mechanisms, such as the UN, andnational and international NGOs, monitor governments' compliance withtheir economic, social and cultural rights obligations.

The latest available socioeconomic data is used, taken either from international sources such as the World Bank or the UNDP, or national sources, such as national statisticas bureaus. This data is displayed using graphs and charts, and then analyzed and interpreted. This is meant to shed light on the condition of governments' economic and social rights obligations

There are three key dimensions to the fulfillment of governments' economic and social rights obligations.

Minimum essential levels of rights are related to indicators such as maternal mortality or primary completion rates. Examining these rates shows whether, and by how much, the population is deprived of the minimum essential levels of the right to health, education, food and other economic and social rights.
Realizing rights progressively refers to the governments' complying with its obligations over time and in relation to its maximum available resources. This is monitored by examining indicators over time and comparing these indicators with other countries in the same region; regional comparisons provide a useful benchmarkt as to what can by achieved by other countries with similar resources.
Elimination of discrimination is tracked using national data disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, geographical location and socioeconomic status. This data is used to identify disparities and assess any progress in ending unequal enjoyment of these rights.

These fact sheets are meant to raise awareness about specific and limited economic and social rights situations in countries. Their scope is not to provide a comprehensive picture fo the ESC rights situation in a country, nor is it meant to provide conclusive evidence of a country's compliance with its ESC rights obligations. Rather, it is one of many instruments useful in analyzing this compliance.