time they can indicate direction and speed of change and serve to compare different areas or groups of people at the same moment in time." 2/ 17. The Handbook on Social Indicators issued by the Statistical Office of the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs suggests the following five-step process concerning the development of social indicators which may be useful within the human rights domain as well. These steps are: (a) Establishing the subject-matter framework; (b) Establishing the statistical framework; (c) Preliminary selection and definition of indicators; (d) Compilation of statistics for indicators; (e) Final selection and calculation of indicators. S/ 18. Human rights organs wishing to incorporate the use of indicators will find it imperative to develop their own criteria for the selection of indicators or may, if appropriate, wish to utilize existing structures such as those just noted. These organs, however, will need to resist the obvious desire to set up ideal lists of variables for which international data would be desirable but in good part are unobtainable, as well as the incorporation of such variables into complex and comprehensive theoretical models that have little or no chance of application. 1/ Such bodies may also wish to consult agencies which have extensive experience in the use and collection of indicators to determine which indicators may be appropriate and realistically obtainable for their specific purposes and aims. Many United Nations agencies already co-operate with one another along these lines. 19. Although a variety of criteria can be considered as valid, several are particularly important if indicators are to be drawn into the field of human rights. Perhaps the most important criterion concerns the availability and reliability of data. Although this issue is crucial in all fields, within the 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the development and use of social indicators, which are used to measure and track progress towards human rights. It highlights the importance of selecting indicators that are based on reliable and available data, and that are relevant to the specific purposes and aims of the organization. The text also mentions the need to avoid idealistic or theoretical models that are not practical to implement.

**Category**
Human rights, Education