E N S W - United Nations Development Programme

ForewordThe 2013 Human Development Report, TheRise of the South: Human Progress in a DiverseWorld, looks at the evolving geopolitics of ourtimes, examining emerging issues and trendsand also the new actors which are shaping thedevelopment landscape.The Report argues that the striking transformationof a large number of developingcountries into dynamic major economies withgrowing political influence is having a significantimpact on human development progress.The Report notes that, over the last decade,all countries accelerated their achievements inthe education, health, and income dimensionsas measured in the Human Development Index(HDI)—to the extent that no country forwhich data was available had a lower HDI valuein 2012 than in 2000. As faster progress wasrecorded in lower HDI countries during thisperiod, there was notable convergence in HDIvalues globally, although progress was unevenwithin and between regions.Looking specifically at countries which liftedtheir HDI value substantially between 1990and 2012 on both the income and non-incomedimensions of human development, the Reportexamines the strategies which enabled them toperform well. In this respect, the 2013 Reportmakes a significant contribution to developmentthinking by describing specific drivers ofdevelopment transformation and by suggestingfuture policy priorities that could help sustainsuch momentum.By 2020, according to projections developedfor this Report, the combined economicoutput of three leading developing countriesalone—Brazil, China and India—will surpassthe aggregate production of Canada, France,Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and theUnited States. Much of this expansion is beingdriven by new trade and technology partnershipswithin the South itself, as this Report alsoshows.A key message contained in this and previousHuman Development Reports, however, is thateconomic growth alone does not automaticallytranslate into human development progress.Pro-poor policies and significant investmentsin people’s capabilities—through a focus on education,nutrition and health, and employmentskills—can expand access to decent work andprovide for sustained progress.The 2013 Report identifies four specificareas of focus for sustaining developmentmomentum: enhancing equity, including onthe gender dimension; enabling greater voiceand participation of citizens, including youth;confronting environmental pressures; and managingdemographic change.The Report also suggests that as global developmentchallenges become more complexand transboundary in nature, coordinatedaction on the most pressing challenges of ourera, whether they be poverty eradication, climatechange, or peace and security, is essential.As countries are increasingly interconnectedthrough trade, migration, and informationand communications technologies, it is nosurprise that policy decisions in one placehave substantial impacts elsewhere. The crisesof recent years—food, financial, climate—which have blighted the lives of so many pointto this, and to the importance of working toreduce people’s vulnerability to shocks anddisasters.To harness the wealth of knowledge, expertise,and development thinking in theSouth, the Report calls for new institutionswhich can facilitate regional integration andSouth–South cooperation. Emerging powersin the developing world are already sources ofinnovative social and economic policies andare major trade, investment, and increasinglydevelopment cooperation partners for otherdeveloping countries.Many other countries across the South haveseen rapid development, and their experiencesand South–South cooperation are equally aninspiration to development policy. UNDP isable to play a useful role as a knowledge broker,and as a convener of partners—governments,civil society and multinational companies—toshare experiences. We have a key role too infacilitating learning and capacity building. ThisReport offers very useful insights for our futureengagement in South–South cooperation.ii | Human Development Report 2013