Fukuda-Parr, Sakiko, Terra Lawson-Remer and Susan Randolph. 2008. "Measuring the Progressive Realization of Human Rights Obligations: An index of economic and social rights fulfillment".
- Objective: Index (ESR Fulfillment Index) to evaluate and compare countries on their fulfillment of ESR obligations.
- Key characteristics: Focused on: rights to education, food, health, housing and decent work; obligation to fulfill; designed for use by the human rights movement.
- Brief summary: Offers a benchmark for measuring "progressive realization in accordance with maximum available resources" by using cross-country comparisons to assess whether government efforts are adequate. Sets out an index for cross-country comparisons, which focuses on duty-bearer obligations as means to promote ESR and their progressive realization of ESR. The indices (ESRF-1 for low and middle income countries and ESRF-2 for high income countries) rank countries by measuring the relationship between enjoyment of rights and resource capacity of State. This shows what can be done at certain levels of resources - the frontier of possibilities.
- Best used for: Provides a benchmarks based on cross-country comparisons to measure progressive realization in accordance with available resources.
- Data required: Composite index made of: objective survey-based data with international legitimacy. Gives list of indicators selected for both indices.
- Possible disadvantages: Lack of inclusion of social security or discrimination data; the index, comprised of available data, serves as a proxy for measuring human rights in question, but does not account for full complexity of problem. Difficulties with missing information e.g, the lack of labor-related data in low income countries, or data on the quality and security of tenure in housing, given that international data sets do not cover these indicators; highly mathematical formula may be too complex for use by average human rights activists.
- Going forward: Further discussion about fairness of ranking states?; Further discussion on whether equal rights enjoyment should be measured by same outcomes or same opportunities?; Possibility of developing index on discrimination in ESR fulfillment to be used in conjunction with this one?
- Complementary tools: Cross-country comparisons would be well matched with any tool that focuses more on in-country issues, especially related to elements missed in this tool, such as discrimination.