Riedel, Eibe 2006. "The IBSA Procedure as a Tool of Human Rights Monitoring"
- Objective: To help states in their reporting to CESCR by laying out the type of indicators to use and how to set benchmarks to measure progress in the realization of rights
- Key characteristics: Focuses on all rights, all obligations (respect, protect, fulfill) and all types of indicators (structure, process, outcome), designed to be used by states in the treaty reporting process, but can be adapted for NGOs.
- Brief summary: This IBSA procedure sets out steps: 1. Identify key human rights indicators, 2. Identify nationally set benchmarks through a scoping process and 3. Make assessment by comparing achievements and progress in indicators with benchmarks identified.
- Best used for: Best used by states for treaty body reporting to CESCR
- Data needed: Requires up-to-date and reliable statistical and other data on the indicators identified.
- Possible disadvantages: Designed so that benchmarks are set by the state itself, but it must be established if they are reasonable; assumes that state party is willing and ready to be honest about its failings - how to use this tool when this is not the case?
- Going forward: While work on indicators has been tested, there is still need for further work on scoping and assessment of government efforts.
- Complementary tools: This tool identifies key indicators and benchmarks, but could be complemented by tools that show how to make a human rights argument after failures to meet benchmarks (e.g. Felner/CESR, Anderson). As a treaty body tool, the preference is to avoid any politically sensitive cross-country comparisons, although this could help to identify reasonableness of state benchmarks (e.g Fukuda-Parr).