index of any kind will tend to conceal more than it reveals, й/ This seems to indicate a need quite consistent with human rights perspectives, that of having a cross-section of indicators available for use. All types of indicators possess validity to one extent or another, but their worth will be contingent upon the situation, right or place under examination. 11. The vast majority of indicators are collected by national Governments. They are subsequently utilized both domestically and by various international agencies. In broad terras, the agencies are crucial in terms of providing assistance as to what types of issues to include in indicator related activities, providing guidelines for indicator selection and so forth. Where they can, the agencies attempt to fill existing gaps, often through the use of estimates. Of the many gaps currently found, perhaps the greatest concerns the lack of regionally (within a State) or locally specific indicators. Most indicators cover the entire area of the State in question, often without disaggregated statistics about certain regions or localities where conditions may differ to a significant degree from national norms. 12. Related to these issues, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights noted at their fourth session (E/C.12/1990/CRP.lMdd.l0, p. 5) that "although Governments are duty-bound to submit reports, the Committee cannot accept their national indicators as a general criterion for international assessment". The Committee also emphasized that "an essential factor in assessment is to discover whether States monitor the realization of the rights set out in the Covenant within their frontiers, for most of them do not" (E/C.12/1990/CRP.1/Add.10, p. 5). With the exception of most developed countries and eastern European States, most countries do not produce indicator publications on a regular basis (E/CN.3/1989/11, p. 9). 13. The above statements by the Committee point to the necessity of developing two central approaches to the use of indicators. On the one hand, 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the limitations of indicators in revealing information and the need for a cross-section of indicators to be available. It also highlights the importance of monitoring the realization of human rights at the national and local levels, and the lack of regionally or locally specific indicators. This suggests that the text is related to human rights and development, which are often linked to broader social and economic issues.

**Category**
Education, Humanitarian aid and relief