Monitoring is political. It challenges the monopoly on information and decision-making, which is a critical component of the power imbalance between the state and civil society. It invests civil society with the understanding of what needs to be done, compares it with what governments have committed to do, looks deeply into what is and what is not being done, by whom, and why. And then, the monitoring results are published, notching an indelible imprint on the history of social progress, and providing a new reference point upon which future activists can build their advocacies.
Monitoring is empowering. It identifies the rights holders and the duty bearers. It reflects the belief that there is enough in-country capacity to solve the problems that we face. It generates evidence to inform the changes that need to occur. It buys political and public will. Monitoring generates sustainable systems for participation and accountability.
