ANNEX I. >> M  etadata sheets on selected indicators care, emergency obstetric services and access to information, as well as to resources necessary to act on that information.” In its general comment No. 6 (1982) on the right to life, the Human Rights Committee noted that the right to life has been too often narrowly interpreted. The expression “inherent right to life” cannot properly be understood in a restrictive manner, and the protection of this right requires States to adopt positive measures. In this connection, the Committee considered that it would be desirable for State parties to take all possible measures to reduce infant mortality and to increase life expectancy, especially measures to eliminate malnutrition and epidemics. Administrative and household survey data may underestimate infant mortality. It is also important that the main causes of mortality should be carefully investigated to ascertain the extent to which poor health-care services, poor health conditions of infants and health problems of their mothers and/or some other extraneous reasons that are difficult to anticipate caused the death so that policy measures may be suitably formulated to address the problem. Examples of references relevant to this indicator: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, arts. 3 and 25; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, arts. 10 and 12; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 6; International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, art. 5; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, arts. 2, 12 and 14; Convention on the Rights of the Child, arts. 6, 24 and 27; International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, arts. 9, 28 and 43; and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, arts. 10, 25 and 28. This is a Millennium Development Goal indicator. Indicator 16 Number of homeless persons per 100,000 population [e.g., table on the right to adequate housing] Definition  This indicator refers to the number of homeless persons per 100,000 population for the reporting period.  According to the United Nations Statistical Division, there are two broad categories of homelessness: (a) Primary homelessness (or rooflessness). This category includes persons living on the streets or without shelter or living quarters; (b) Secondary homelessness. This category may include persons with no place of usual residence who move frequently between various types of accommodation (including dwellings, shelters or other living quarters) and those usually resident in long-term “transitional” shelters or similar arrangements for the homeless. This category also includes persons living in private dwellings but reporting “no usual address” on their census form. (See Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 2 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.07. XVII.8). Rationale  Homelessness is often a symptom and cause of poverty and social exclusion. It is prima facie a violation of article 11 (1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recognizes the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living, including housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. Homelessness can also lead to other human rights violations, arising from the homeless person’s consequent vulnerability and lack of security of person. For example, as the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights notes, in its general comment No. 7 (1997), women face “particular vulnerability to acts of violence and sexual abuse when they are rendered homeless”. Persons who are rendered homeless are often unable to exercise their rights to vote and to access basic services. The indicator captures to a 164 Human Rights Indicators