People are the real wealth of a country. The basic objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy a long, healthy and creative life. This may appear to be a simple truth, but it is often forgotten in the immediate concern with the accumulation of commodities and financial wealth. For too long, there has been a preoccupation with wealth creation and material opulence. In that pursuit, it is often forgotten that development is all about people. In the preoccupation with economic growth, people have been systematically pushed towards the periphery of development debates and dialogues.

_{Rethinking Human Development and the Role of Governance}

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Presenters:

Selim Jahan, Former Director, UNDP HDRO
Khalid Abu-ismail, Senior Economist, UN-ESCWA

Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor and author on democracy, University of Essex
Maria Hitti, Economic Research Assistant, United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Western Asia

SITUATION

When looking at human development, measuring quality is more important than quantity. Traditionally, income, education and health have been scored through a unidimensional lens. A multidimensional focus, however, considers how the quality of these factors impacts human wellbeing for a more holistic approach, while acknowledging inequalities.

QUESTIONS

1.      What specific manifestations of development needfocus?

2.      What countries are getting left behind?

3.      What role does democracy play in developmentoutcomes?

4.      How challenges be addressed that are mostimportant to a specific country?

CHALLENGES

The world has changed significantly since the first HumanDevelopment Index as published more than two decades ago.

When looking at global transformations, especially through crises, three distinct challenges to the HDI measurements exist.

1.      Quality – Building the HDI to factor in measures of quality, moving beyond the global and national levels to look at how different groups are affected at subnational levels.

2.      Sustainability – Considering the relationship between human development and the environment

3.      Governance - Addressing the challenge of trustworthy and reliable governments

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SOLUTIONS

Addressing factors concerning quality is complex. The multidimensional aspect of poverty, for example, considers the context of a country and its specific challenges. The diversity. Looking at the quality of human development outcomes will better measure the wellbeing of a population than only factoring inputs and outputs.

As the planet and its citizens struggle with the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and other environmental crises, factoring in these ecological effects on human wellbeing is important.

Though it takes time, trust in governments can be built through accountability and transparency. The reality is that situations exist where outcomes are for sale. Also, there are good policies but poor governance or poor implementation. The absence of good governance disproportionately affects the poor, the most vulnerable populations who need the most support. Governments are tied to development and it’s important to measure it so that the stakeholders can better support development outcomes.

Not enough policies are being made with the people in mind who are being affected. A process is needed that involves more participation from local communities in order to gain the relevant knowledge.

When good governance is in place to formulate better policies and better strategies supported with the necessary infrastructure, communities will begin to experience positive outcomes.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION

1.      Demand accountability and transparency among governments regarding policy integrity of development policies and outcomes.

2.      Increase data collection from local communities to ensure relevance when creating policies.

3.      Continue examining how climate change and other environmental crises affect human wellbeing.

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Conclusion

To the wider community the conflict will have a far-reaching impact on the global economy.  As the conflict involves two of the biggest commodity producers, there is risk that there will be a significant interruption to the export of basic necessities like wheat.  This may cause other wheat producing nations to halt their own exports causing a negative chain reaction.  The UN Secretary General estimates that up to one fifth of the global population will face hunger.  Due to spikes in hunger, poverty and shortages, this raises the risk of instability in impoverished communities, already under strain.

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Post Script: Thoughts on the War in Ukraine

From Khalid Abu-Ismail

The Russian/Ukrainian war led to ravaging effects on the world economy which is still recovering the Covid-19 pandemic. The most significant impact of the war is the sharp increase in commodity prices as both Russia and Ukraine are significant exporters of wheat and energy supplies. These steep price increases led to a severe tightening of countries' financial conditions which poses a serious risk of unrest and social tensions globally especially in emerging and developing countries. In the Arab region alone, ESCWA estimates the pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war may have led to an additional 20million people falling in poverty using national poverty lines.

From Natasha Lindstaedt
The Russian/Ukrainian war has had a significant impact on human security, poverty and good governance.  Conflict erodes at government institutions making it more challenging for the Ukrainian government to deliver goods and services and to implement the rule of law.  The conflict is also causing significant displacement.  Almost 13 million Ukrainians have fled their homes, with approximately 6 million fleeing abroad.  With millions living in precarious conditions, this places more pressure and strain on local governments to attend to numerous threats to human security.   

To the wider community the conflict will have a far-reaching impact on the global economy.  As the conflict involves two of the biggest commodity producers, there is risk that there will be a significant interruption to the export of basic necessities like wheat.  This may cause other wheat producing nations to halt their own exports causing a negative chain reaction.  The UN Secretary General estimates that up to one fifth of the global population will face hunger.  Due to spikes in hunger, poverty and shortages, this raises the risk of instability in impoverished communities, already under strain.

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