UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has been ranked 161st out of 191 countries in the UN’s 2022/23 annual Human Development Index (HDI) ranking – up three places from the 2021/22 ranking, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The HDI is a composite of statistics measuring such factors as per capita income, educational attainment and life expectancy.
In the latest HDI ranking (2021/22), Pakistan was ranked 164th amid the global decline in development caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first UNDP Human Development Report (HDR) was prepared and launched in 1990 under the leadership of the late Dr. Mahbubul Haq, former Finance Minister of Pakistan.
The latest ‘Breaking the gridlock’ report revealed a widening gap between the haves and have-nots, despite a record high global human development score in 2023.
The 2023 HDI is at a new high after a sharp decline in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said.
Rich countries have experienced unprecedented growth, the Human Development Report says, but half of the world’s poorest countries continue to suffer below pre-COVID levels.
India is ranked 132nd in HDI; Sri Lanka: 73rd; Bangladesh: 129th; Maldives: 90; Nepal: 143; Bhutan 127 and Afghanistan 180.
Switzerland tops this year’s ranking, followed by Norway and Iceland, with the Central African Republic (SAR), South Sudan and Somalia lagging far behind.
“The widening gap in human development revealed by the report shows that a two-year trend of steadily decreasing inequalities between rich and poor nations is now being reversed,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.
“Despite our deeply connected global companies, we are falling behind. We must use our interdependence as well as our capacities to address our common and existential challenges and ensure that people’s aspirations are met,” he added, adding that the statistics have a significant human toll.
“The failure of collective action to make progress on climate change, digitalisation or poverty and inequality not only hinders human development, but also exacerbates polarization and further erodes trust in people and institutions around the world.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also addressed the stark findings revealed by the Human Development Report, noting that while it examined the roots of polarization and the “devastating” impact on sustainable development, it also showed “our greatest hope for the future”.
“It calls for the accelerated expansion of our systems of international cooperation so that they can meet people’s priorities: sustainable development; clean environment; habitable planet; safety, security and dignity for all,” said the UN chief.
He also emphasized the importance of the Future Summit to be held in September.
“As we prepare for the Summit, I recommend the Human Development Report as an important contribution. It shows that solutions to global problems are within reach – by rethinking cooperation and uniting for a better world,” he added.
The UNDP’s Human Development Report (HDR) also identified an emerging “democracy paradox”, where most respondents expressed support for democracy but also supported leaders who may undermine democratic principles.
This paradox, coupled with a sense of powerlessness and lack of control over government decisions, has fueled political polarization and inward-looking political approaches.
This is particularly alarming in light of record temperatures in 2023, which highlight the urgent need for a unified approach to address the climate crisis, combined with the new and rapidly evolving technological frontier of artificial intelligence (AI), which has few regulatory guardrails, UNDP said.
UNDP chief Achim Stiner further emphasized that in a world marked by increasing polarization and division, “neglecting mutual investment poses a serious threat to our well-being and security.”
“Protectionist approaches cannot address the complex, interconnected challenges we face, including pandemic prevention, climate change and digital regulation,” he said.
He added that interconnected problems require interconnected solutions. “By adopting an opportunity-driven agenda that emphasizes the benefits of energy transition and artificial intelligence for human development, we have a chance to break the current gridlock and reignite the commitment to a shared future.
