Thank you for your participation in our dialogue on Front Line Watchdogs: Monitoring accountability for human rights that took place from May 18 to 24, 2011.  You can read a summary of the topics discussed below and you can access the entire dialogue by clicking on the discussion threads at the bottom of this page.

Front line watchdogs come in all shapes and sizes. They can be seen in courtrooms ensuring fair trials, accompanying threatened human rights defenders, holding vigil outside police stations to prevent torture, protecting election ballot results, testing for discrimination, monitoring development aid projects, investigating toxic waste from companies, etc., etc.  While government bodies and corporations are often expected to monitor and regulate themselves, self-regulation does not always successfully uphold rights. Front line watchdogs take on this important citizen role of holding communities, government and corporations accountable.  Watchdog monitoring provides an opportunity to analyze, understand and influence abusive systems of power and to engage community members in human rights work.