INTRODUCTION >> Box 1 Why indicators for human rights? Use of statistical indicators by courts Statistical data have been used by national and international tribunals and courts in assessing potential violations of international and national human rights norms. The analysis of “systemic discrimination” put forward by the Supreme Court of Canada emphasized the role of statistics in establishing proof of discrimination. In Action Travail des Femmes v. Canadian National Railway Co. in 1987, the Supreme Court used national employment statistics on the participation of women in the labour market (percentage of managerial and other positions held by women) in assessing possible discriminatory practices at the National Railway Company. In 2004 the Constitutional Court of Colombia instructed the Government to provide detailed information on the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the policies affecting them. The Court ascertained that the Government had failed to provide sufficient resources and to create the required institutional capacity to uphold their rights. It requested quantifiable and comparable indicators to be identified and used to ensure a culture of accountability. In particular, indicators would help to:  Assess the effectiveness of Government policies, specifically the impact of its remedial  measures;  Measure the enjoyment of rights in every phase of displacement, specifically by children, women, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples; and  Focus on and provide only the most essential information, in view of the resource implications.  As a result, the Government of Colombia put in place an evaluation mechanism with indicators to measure progress in the implementation of the rights of IDPs, including their rights to food, health, education, and liberty and security. Sources: M. Potvin, “The role of statistics on ethnic origin and ‘race’ in Canadian antidiscrimination policy”, International Social Science Journal, vol. 57, No. 183 (March 2005), pp. 27–42; J. Rothring and M. Romero, “Measuring the enjoyment of rights in Colombia”, Forced Migration Review, No. 30 (April 2008), pp. 64–65; and M.J. Cepeda-Espinosa, “How far may Colombia’s Constitutional Court go to protect IDP rights?”, Forced Migration Review, special edition (December 2006), pp. 21–23. There are several good reasons for using quantitative and qualitative indicators to assist human rights monitoring, but it is important to keep in mind that an indicator is only a tool. When properly constructed and populated with high-quality data, it is useful to the extent that it adds value to human rights Human Rights Indicators 3