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Synopsis Human rights are universal legal guarantees protecting individuals and groups against actions by governments which interfere with fundamental freedoms and human dignity. Today, we know more than ever that without respect for the rights of individual, no nation, no community, no society can be truly free. International concern with human rights is the means for the orderly regulation and disciplining of international society in the service of all mankind. Human rights monitoring is a broad term which describes the active collection, verification and immediate use of information to address human rights problems. It includes gathering information about incidents, observing events such as elections, trails, demonstrations, etc., visiting sites such as places of detention and refugee camps, discussions with government authorities to obtain information and to pursue remedies and other immediate follow-up. The book is intended for several direct beneficiaries: to those responsible for training human rights officers in the performance of human rights monitoring functions in United Nations field operations. It will also be useful to the chief of each human rights field operator in developing policies for the particular operation. The ultimate beneficiaries of this book will be the individuals and communities whose human rights are threatened or violated and who can depend upon the assistance that may be offered through human rights field operations.