Human Development

What is Human Development?

Human Development (HD) is the process of enlarging people's choices: “The development of the people, for and by the people”. A society will progress if its people have the capacity to participate in decisions that affect their lives. This requires that the central institutions work with and for the people. Taking this concept into consideration, the concept of human development expects the world to fairly distribute resources and achieve real opportunities for the people by implementing human rights, democracy, increase of wealth and environmental sustainability. The utopian objective of human development is to achieve a world in which people can develop capabilities in order to enjoy the freedoms and liberties they desire.

HD is a genuinely collective paradigm and interdisciplinary term, and originated from two economists: Manbub ul Haq, Pakistani, and Amartya Sen, Indian, who won the economic Noble prize in 1998.

This paradigm has five characteristics: (i) evolving, not closed and finished theory;
(ii) multidimensional, therefore contains different values; (iii) critical; (iv) interdisciplinary; and (v) pragmatic. This paradigm and mentioned characteristics have been created by the United Nations in conversation with governments, development agencies and communities. The ultimate objective is to change the living conditions, and increase options so all human beings may enjoy liberty and the ability to do the things that matter to them.

The Advanced theory of Human Development

Since 1990, the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP) have created an annual Human Development (HD) Report. Each report contains advances in the theory and strategies for HD, and each year it is themed and investigated from a particular chosen angle. The report contains notes, methodological appendices, measurement indices for HD, and also a bibliography for further interest.

Since 1992, 140 countries have produced various regional, national and local reports on HD, each with individual subject matter and character. As a region, Latin America has been very active within this sense, and has carried out 120 National reports of HD. It is important to emphasize that each of these Reports have had an individual evolution and have been consistent with the requirements of advances in human development analysis according to each country’s perspective.