Bhutan Launch of the Human Development Report 2019

December 12, 2019

Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering, Opposition Leader Lyonpo Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, Senior government officials, Diplomatic community and other participants at the launch of the Human Development Report 2019 at the RUB Convention Hall

Opening Remarks by Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative, UNDP Bhutan

Human Development Report 2019 Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: Inequalities in human development in the 21st Century

Your Excellency, Prime Minister (Dr.) Lotay Tshering

Hon’ble Members of Parliament

Head of International Organizations and Development Partners

Esteemed guests from the Government, CSOs, Private sector and Youths

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

I am delighted to welcome you all to the launch of the United Nations Development Programme’s Flagship Human Development Report here in Bhutan.

The theme of this year’s report is: inequalities in the 21st century – beyond income, beyond average, beyond today and it is a pertinent one. It sets out that despite unprecedented progress against poverty, hunger and disease in the world, systemic inequalities are deeply damaging our society, and it analyses why.

I cannot think of a better place to launch the 2019 UNDP Human Development Report than Bhutan, the birthplace of a human-centered development paradigm called Gross National Happiness.

This theme resonates well with the center focus of the Royal Government of Bhutan on narrowing the gap. It is a testament to the Bhutanese people and Government’s recognition that inequalities bring disharmony to the society and undermines the benefits of development.

When the Human Development Report appeared in 1990, it captured the attention of the world because it offered a different way – beyond income - of measuring progress of humanity and seeing the world.

Thirty years later, the Human Development Report and its Human Development Index, which ranks all countries in the world by the level of human development, remains to offer a powerful voice in the world.

This year’s Human Development Report is first of the new generation of UNDP. Through this report, we hope to contribute to pushing the boundaries to accelerate our thought leadership, drive conversations on the future of development and in doing so, advance progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

In many countries, people still lack the basis for a decent life, in others, person’s place in society is till determined by ethnicity, sex or the wealth of their family. At the same time, as new generation of inequalities is opening-up around education, and around technology and climate change – two seismic shifts that, unchecked, could open a new divide akin to what happened during the Industrial Revolution.

To address inequalities, we need to understand them better. The measurement of inequality we rely on today, namely Gini-Coefficient, and the data that underpins them, are inadequate. That is why the new UNDP publication better informs our existing work to reduce inequality by going beyond income, beyond averages and beyond today.

Over the past three decades, Bhutan has seen impressive economic growth as its economy grew on average by 7% per year. Between 2005 and 2018, Bhutan’s Human Development Index grew from 0.512 to 0.617 (an increase of 20.5%), positioning the country in the Middle Human Development Category positioning it at 134 out of 189 countries and territories.

But the benefits of such growth have not been felt equally across the nation. The challenge of inequality in Bhutan is not that people are being left behind within their communities, but rather that whole communities are experiencing different growth trajectories across the country. Poverty in Bhutan has a rural face where over 90% of the poor are found in rural communities.

The 2019 HDR argues that inequalities are not only about how much someone earns compared to its neighbor. It is about the unequal distribution of wealth and power, the entrenched social and political norms that are bringing people onto the streets in cities and towns across the world, and the triggers that will do so in the future unless something changes.

Indeed, the abilities people will need to complete in the immediate future have solved. Assets like tertiary education and access to broadband were once considered as luxury but they are increasing considered critical to thrive.

A new generation of inequalities is therefore opening-up around education, and around technology and climate change – two magnifying trends set to permeate an already weakened social fabric. Recognizing the real face of inequality is a first step.

What happens next is a choice because inequality is not beyond solutions. If I may use the medical analogy that the Honorable Prime Minister often refers to, thin of it as a symptom of a virus, just as the opening video portrayed. To get ride o the symptoms, we must tackle the root cases, and invest in prevention.

We can do so by looking beyond income, beyond averages, and beyond today, as this HDR argues, with new analysis, ideas and policy options to get to the bottom of the problem while helping nations to grow their economies and improve human development.

As UNDP, we are committed to supporting national efforts in tackling the many faces of inequality. As we consider the analysis of this report, we see a clear role in the pursuit of fairness and new capabilities for all in the three stage of a person’s life: before, in and after the labor market.

The question is are we doing enough?  The panel, comprised of distinguished representatives of the society and moderated by Dasho Kinley Dorji, will be deliberating on this topic after the tea break.

I would like to thank all of you for being here this morning, and particularly, I acknowledge the presence of Honorable Prime Minister. It is a testament to the commitment by the Royal Government to narrowing the gap.

I would also like to thank the UN Resident Coordinator for joining us and later sharing the perspectives from the UN system on the importance of addressing inequalities in the attainment of Agenda 2030.

40 years ago, a founding father of Human Development, Professor Amartya Sen was asked a deceptively simple question: Equality for What?

He answered with equal simplicity: of the things we care about to build the future we aspire to.

Professor Sen’s words remind us why this is important, why we must go beyond growth and markets to understand what makes people content and happy, and what leads can do about it.

We do this together because we are building our collective future. Let’s make sure it is one we will be proud of.

I look forward to the deliberations throughout the morning and beyond.

Thank everyone for being here.

Kadrinchey La and Tashi Delek

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