The human rights journey from standard-setting to effective implementation depends, in large measure, on the availability of appropriate tools for policy formulation and evaluation. Indicators, both quantitative and qualitative, are one such essential tool. While the importance of indicators for the realization of human rights is widely recognized, and even enshrined in human rights treaties, as in article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, their use has not yet become systematic. The present Guide will help in filling this gap. In recent years, the critical need for such tools has become increasingly evident. On the eve of the Arab Spring, there were still reports about the remarkable economic and social progress and general improvements in governance and the rule of law that some countries in the region were achieving. At the same time, United Nations human rights mechanisms and voices from civil society were painting a different picture, and reporting on exclusion, the marginalization of communities, discrimination, absence of participation, censorship, political repression or lack of an independent judiciary and denial of basic economic and social rights. Popular uprisings and demonstrations in other parts of the world, including in relatively well-off countries, remind us of the necessity to place the human being at the centre of our development policy and to adjust our analytical lens accordingly. They compel us to review existing analytical, methodological and legal frameworks to ensure that they integrate real attention to freedom from fear and want, and to discrimination; assess the extent of public participation in development and in the fair distribution of its benefits; strengthen accountability and embrace methods empowering people, especially the most vulnerable and the most marginalized. Policy management, human rights and statistical systems are closely interrelated and thus need to be in tune with each other for promoting the well-being of people. Devising a policy or statistical indicator is not a norm or value-neutral exercise. Yet, integrating human rights in these processes is not only a normative imperative, it also makes good practical sense. Failing to do so can have real consequences. I believe that this Guide will represent an important reference and resource from this perspective. There is a long way to go in improving our capacities for human rights implementation. There are numerous challenges in the collection and dissemination of information on human rights. What to monitor, how to collect information and interpret it from a human rights perspective, and the inherent danger of misusing data, are but some of the concerns addressed in this publication. The Guide also reminds us of the limitations that are intrinsic to any indicator. In particular, it cannot and should not be seen as a substitute for more in-depth, qualitative and judicial assessments which will continue to be the cornerstones of human rights monitoring. Instead, the indicators and methods described in this Guide are primarily meant to inform more comprehensive assessments and are neither designed nor suitable for ranking the human rights performance of States. The primary objective here is to highlight the human rights norms and principles, spell out the essential attributes of the rights enshrined in international instruments and translate this narrative into contextually relevant indicators and benchmarks for implementing and measuring human rights at country level. Human Rights Indicators III