The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has embarked on consultations of the 2023 Human Development Report (HDR) to start a conversation on the themes of the report, seek input, advice and guidance from thematic and regional experts.
The 2023 HDR will start the new series, focusing on why political and social polarization is intensifying across the world to foster cooperation and collective action in the face of shared challenges.
Speaking at the consultation held at Makerere University College of Business and Management Sciences (COBAMS) on June 26, Ms Elsie Attafuah, the Resident Representative of UNDP said in 1990 as they launched the first human development report that was later accompanied by the human development index, what they were trying to do was to expand the conversation around human development beyond just income.
She explained that human development was at the time seen to be very radical and it was revolutionary at the time and 20 years later, they launched the multidimensional poverty index to capture poverty in different dimensions.
“Today’s conversation examines a number of things but in particular the governance mismatches and institutional designs that create responses to global crises and challenges. Importantly, how can we address some of these mismatches. I hope we do have conversations today, explore these challenges but also build on some of the things that we have done. We will also be exploring an agenda around digital technologies and how they impact on human development,”she shared.
According to Ms Attafuah, we are in times of uncertainty and last year when they launched the human development report, they highlighted a number of those uncertainties such as Covid, climate change, the war in Ukraine and many other things that are happening.
She revealed that for the region and Africa, it becomes important not only in terms of the challenges but in terms of the conversations, finding creative pathways in the development agenda of the region and how they address some of these challenges.
“Africa has a voice in these issues, it has a voice when it comes to governance of things, geopolitics of the world today and what it is telling us. As we deliberate today, let us position Africa in that global context of uncertainty of finding creative pathways in the development agenda of the region.”
Attafuah thanked the Makerere Vice Chancellor and other University Officials for the outstanding partnership and collaboration on not just the consultations but also on a number of things that they (UNDP) have done.
“We launched the Human Development Report in this very university, we have been working extensively on the Parish Development Model, established our innovation port here for the youth, among other things. We are here looking to the future, 100 years moving forward with Makerere. This space becomes space for conversation, development in Africa and this is where we want to take our partnership,” she shared.
In his remarks delivered by Prof Henry Arinaitwe, the deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration at Makerere University, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe appreciated UNDP for the many initiatives they are having with them.
He shared that Makerere is open to collaborations and they look forward to more of these with UNDP since a number of some of the ones they have had have been instrumental in fostering useful partnerships and driving positive change in the students, faculty and society at large, something that fits well in Makerere University’s strategic plan.
As Makerere, we shall contribute and engage in this report which we are going to produce. As knowledge creators, people who engage with many institutions, we shall make sure that whatever is put out is disseminated so that it is able to help society in many areas that require development. I want to congratulate the School of Economics in Makerere University, particularly the dean for hosting this event,” he said.
He added: “Since the inception of 1990 HDR, there have been a number of other reports.
The fourth coming report builds upon the insights of the previous reports (2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022) but we also know that the whole ground went into a Covid period and it affected many facets of our life including human development. It is disheartening that for the first time, the global human development index declined, setting us back to 2016 levels as documented in the 2021 and 2022 human development reports.”
To ensure that the 2023 HDR reflects a diversity of perspectives and speaks to the key human development issues of the current time, UNDP is organising a series of regional and other consultations intended to start a conversation on the themes of the report, seek input, advice and guidance from thematic and regional experts.
This will inform the HDRs drafting and positioning, ensuring that the report speaks to key human development issues for people as well as policy makers.