This publication builds on a series of country and thematic background studies commissioned for the regional "Dialogues for Action: Human Rights and MDGs", which took place in Johannesburg (South Africa) (9-10 September 2008) and Bangkok (16-17 October 2008). Its primary objective is to review the extent to which, and how, human rights are reflected in national MDG-based development strategies and policies in a selected number of African and Asian countries, to identify critical gaps and challenges, and to see what practical lessons can be learned from these experiences. The publication, therefore, is intended for use by development and human rights practitioners, and specifically by policymakers, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, and United Nations funds, programmes and agencies working to integrate human rights into national and international efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).