Finding the Gaps: Monitoring Economic and Social Rights in the Pacific

Abstract

This study identifies the data gaps in the Human Rights Measurement Initiative’s (HRMI’s) standard international data sources limiting the full integration of the 21 Pacific countries into its economic and social rights (ESR) metrics, seeks out alternative data sources and indicators that would enable their fuller integration, and identifies the remaining gaps preventing the full integration of the Pacific countries into HRMI’s ESR data base. The report finds: (1) the key constraint to broadly expanding the coverage of HRMI’s ESR metrics in the Pacific is the lack of constant PPP$ GDP per capita data—nine of the Pacific countries are missing this data, (2) coverage of Pacific countries and territories with constant PPP$ GDP per capita data can be expanded provided funding is available to search alternative data bases, and (3) some expansion of coverage of HRMI’s ESR metrics in the Pacific can be made by substituting net primary school enrolment for adjusted net primary school enrolment and the adult (15-60) survival rate for the Age 65 survival rate for all countries.

Keywords: Economic and social rights, economic and social rights performance, economic welfare, efficiency equity, human rights, international law, Pacific countries, Oceania, country studies, economic development, economic and social rights data, well-being

JEL Classification: D63, I3, K38, O1, O5, Y1