2.1 INTRODUCTION Monitoring often involves a tool or instrument, such as a recording format or survey, which is used to collect data that can measure the performance of a certain party, usually the State. The performance is then assessed against a specific standard or norm. For instance, to monitor whether the right to life is observed, events involving killings are investigated to see whether or not these were committed in violation of a relevant standard, such as the one put forward by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which states that “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life”. Similarly, to monitor whether a state complies with its obligation to promote economic, social and cultural rights, its performance can be assessed against the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 2.2 TWO APPROACHES TO MONITORING In monitoring the state of human rights in a society it is possible either to focus on the violations of such rights or on the state‟s efforts to progressively realise the enjoyment of rights by its citizens. The “violations” approach is the standard in monitoring civil and political rights. Simply put, this approach seeks out the violations of recognised rights, rather than the steps taken by governments to comply with their obligations. It has been said that even a single case of extrajudicial execution is one case too many, for which the government must be taken to task. The “progressive realisation” approach, on the other hand, is mainly used in monitoring economic, social and cultural rights. It stems from Article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which provides that “… each State Party to the Covenant undertakes to take steps, to the maximum of its available resources, with a view to achieving progressively the full realisation of the rights recognised in the Covenant”. This approach thus focuses on periodic evaluations of government efforts towards the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights, and comparing the progress made during each period. However, the “violations” approach can and should be used also to monitor economic, social and cultural rights. An important reason is that it is more practicable, in that it does not depend on the availability and public release of extensive and appropriate statistical data. This book provides a methodology for using the “violations” approach in monitoring all types of human rights: civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural. In the book this methodology is referred to as the “events” methodology for documenting human rights violations. 5