UN Report Shows Significant Progress in Human Development

An annual UN report shows China and many other developing countries have seen great gains in human development in the past four decades. As Su Yi reports, there is still progress to be made in China, especially in combating inequality that has accompanied the country's fast economic growth.

The Human Development Report, published by the UN Development Program, assesses the state of human development on the basis of health, education and income indicators, rather than purely macroeconomic assessments.

It charts progress going back 40 years.

UNDP administrator Helen Clark says developing countries have seen the fastest progress.

" Among the poorest countries we have seen some of the greatest human development gains. This report shows that the gap in health and education outcomes between developed and developing countries has narrowed significantly over the past 40 years. "

China is ranked 89th among 169 countries on the human development index. The "top movers" include Oman, China, Nepal, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

Napoleon Navarro is the deputy country director of the UNDP in China.

" Seventy percent of the people who have been lifted out of poverty in the global level in the Millennium Goals are from China. If you actually exclude the achievement of China, global poverty would have risen by 8 million people by today. "
But the report also warns of a widespread worsening in inequality levels. UNDP head Helen Clark.

" The report finds that rising income inequality is the norm within most countries, that there has been major progress in most aspects of empowerment, but that there is a deterioration on most counts of environmental sustainability. "

Top Chinese policymakers have embraced the concept of "inclusive growth" in their economic plan, hoping to narrow the income gap in the next five years.

Napoleon Navarro says China still has some "stubborn" areas in terms of poverty reduction.

" There will be areas which will be very difficult, not because the governments are not trying-it is just the sheer magnitude and remoteness of the people. "

First launched 20 years ago with the simple idea that "people are the real wealth of a nation," the UN document has become a flagship report on comprehensive human development.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.