Remarks at Launch of The 2020 Global Human Development Report in Uganda

By Mr. Alain Sibenaler, UNFPA Representative and UN Resident Coordinator ai

Acknowledgements:

Honourable Minister of Water and Environment,

Your Excellences, Ambassadors and Heads of UN agencies,

Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Government Agencies,

Representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies,

Traditional leaders and representation of Kingdoms,

Political leaders present,

Development Partners,

UN Colleagues,

Representatives from the Private Sector,

Representatives from Civil Society,

The Media

Distinguished participants both online and in-person,

Ladies and Gentlemen

On behalf of the  UN system in Uganda, I am honored to convey our deep appreciation for your participation today as we Launch The 30th Edition of The Human Development Report (HDR), a UNDP flagship research document that examines global human development progress and provides a simple but ingenious index (the Human Development Index) designed to measure the relative attainments of nations more comprehensively than most income measures.

Thirty years ago, the UN was at the forefront of challenging conventional wisdom on the measure of economic growth and socioeconomic progress. Rather than a mere focus on GDP or increase in production, the Human Development Approach pioneered by the UN, puts equal emphasis on the production and distribution of resources, expansion and use of human capabilities, scope of choice, livelihood security, participatory process and social, economic and political freedoms.  According to the human development concept, income is a necessary but not sufficient condition for socioeconomic development. Development must therefore be more than just the expansion of income and wealth.   Its focus is on people. 

Over the years, there have been several improvements and innovations made to this measure of Human Development. For example, the 2010 HDR introduced the Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI) to account for inequality. Gender Development Index (GDI) and the Gender Inequality Index (GII) have also been introduced to cater for the concealment of disparities in human development across and within countries.

The 2030 Agenda is an opportunity to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure lasting peace and prosperity.

The 30th anniversary edition of the Human Development Report introduces an experimental new measurement index, the Planetary Pressure Adjusted Human Development Index (PHDI), which shows that, so far, no country in the world has achieved the magic combination of high human development and low planetary pressure.

 Ladies and Gentlemen,

Uganda’s own human development progress over the course of the last 30 years is commendable. Between 1990 and 2019, Uganda’s HDI value increased from 0.320 to 0.544, an increase of 70.0 percent. Between 1990 and 2019, Uganda’s life expectancy at birth increased by 17.5 years, mean years of schooling increased by 3.4 years and expected years of schooling increased by 5.7 years. Uganda’s GNI per capita increased by about 138.5 percent between 1990 and 2019. 

This year’s report, which marks the 30th anniversary of the Human Development Report, follows in the steps of the first report, in challenging conventional wisdom and setting a precedence on the measurement of human progress. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a tumultuous period for the human race, we have also seen alarming planetary change induced by the increasing pressures of humans on the planet.   Here in Uganda, we have seen unprecedented rising water levels of the Nile and Lake Victoria that have caused significant flooding, displacement of people and disruption of service delivery.

In fact, these pressures we exert on the planet have become so intense that scientists are considering whether the Earth has entered an entirely new geological epoch: where for the first time ever, humans live in an age defined by human choice, and in which the dominant risk to our survival is ourselves. This conflict or imbalance between human and planetary interactions is the motivation for this year’s theme: “The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene.”

 I would like to highlight that the key messages from the report augur well with our recently launched United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Uganda 2021-2025, which reflects a multidimensional approach to development and is aligned to Uganda’s National Development Plan III.

In specific, noting that Uganda’s progress is susceptible to socioeconomic and environmental impacts of disasters, including frequently occurring landslides, floods, droughts, and in the first quarter of 2020; a locust invasion, the Cooperation Framework adopts strategies that will ensure by 2025, Uganda’s natural resources and environment are sustainably managed and protected, and people, especially the vulnerable and marginalized, have the capacity to mitigate and adapt to climate change and disaster risks.

In this regard, the United Nations has pledged to support effective and coordinated support to the National Emergency Coordination Centre (NECOC) to be effective in carrying out its mandate and roles, in particular to provide and disseminate early warning information, establish mechanisms for effective coordination and networking emergency response and recovery assets and resources, support the assignment of responsibilities and establishment of procedures to safeguard the lives and properties of the population in case of emergencies or disasters.

The United Nations system will also continue to support and work with the Ministry of Water and Environment and other relevant MDAs, private sector, CSOs, communities, academic, media, among other institutions, to promote effective public education, research and innovation in natural resources management and disaster risk reduction. Supporting the implementation of existing strategies and plans, including the Water and Environment Sector Response Plan for Refugees and Host Communities in Uganda, also remains a priority.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Last but not least, given the cross-cutting and cross-boundary nature of such an agenda, the UN system looks forward to harnessing our partnership both with the Government of Uganda and other stakeholders to invest in our common interests for a balanced planetary path to human development. As the current COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, the challenges we are likely to face in the Next Frontier and the Anthropocene, will necessitate a coordinated a coordinated and global response.

I would like to conclude by thanking all partners that have worked tirelessly to achieve the milestones we are witnessing today: the Ministry of Water and Environment, the National  Planning  Authority  (NPA), the National Environment Management Authority and UNDP for providing the technical leadership in launching of this year’s report .

I am confident that together we can continue to expand human freedoms while easing planetary pressures in Uganda.

Thank you.