Guyana’s ranking improves – 2016 Human Development Report

GINA, Guyana, Monday, April 24, 2017

The 2016 Human Development Report (HDR) has grouped Guyana in the ‘Medium Human Development’ category and ranked at 127.  Out of the 188 countries examined, Guyana is listed as a ‘Developing Country’ and grouped with Latin America and the Caribbean.

The United Nations (UN) compiled the report under the theme, “Human Development for Everyone”.

The presentation of key findings of the HDR 2016 will be formally presented by Dr. Patrick Chesney, Programme Specialist and Assistant Resident Representative / Programme, UNDP Guyana and   Winston Jordan, Minister of Finance at the New Lecture Theatre, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus on Wednesday, April 26, 2017.

The 2016 HDR focuses puts the Federated States of Micronesia at the same level as Guyana. The Report speaks to how human development can be ensured for everyone-now and in the future.

The report states, “It starts with an account of the achievements, challenges and hopes for human progress, envisioning where humanity wants to go. Its vision draws from and builds on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that the 193 member states of the United Nations endorsed last year and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that the world has committed to achieve.”

According to the Report, “It explores who has been left out in the progress in human development and why. It argues that to ensure human development for everyone, a mere mapping of the nature and location of deprivations is not enough. Some aspects of the human development approach and assessment perspectives have to be brought to the fore.”

The document also identifies the national policies and key strategies that will enable every human being to achieve basic human development and to sustain and protect the gains.

The composite Human Development Index (HDI) integrates three basic dimensions of human development. Life expectancy at birth reflects the ability to lead a long and healthy life. Mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling reflect the ability to acquire knowledge. And gross national income per capita reflects the ability to achieve a decent standard of living.

To measure human development more comprehensively, the HDR also presents four other composite indices. The Inequality-adjusted HDI discounts the HDI according to the extent of inequality. The Gender Development Index compares female and male HDI values. The Gender Inequality Index highlights women’s empowerment, and the Multidimensional Poverty Index measures non-income dimensions of poverty.

The first HDR was offered in 1990 and presented human development as a people-centered approach to development.

By: Paul McAdam

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