In 2011, a compilation of good practices (A/HRC/1 8/27) was presented, in which the High Commissioner observed five common features of good practices to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in line with human rights obligations: enhancing the status of women by removing barriers to an effective human rights-based approach to eliminate maternal mortality and morbidity, ensuring sexual and reproductive health rights, strengthening health systems to increase access to and use of skilled care, addressing unsafe abortion, and improving monitoring and evaluation. The guidance is aimed principally at policymakers seeking to design maternal health policies in accordance with human rights requirements. It follows the policy cycle of planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and accountability, including details of the required steps from a human rights perspective at each stage.