The latest figures from the Human Development Index reveal people are living longer and have greater access to education than ever before. But despite big leaps forward, there are still vast gaps between rich and poor.
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The 2018 Human Development Index (HDI) released by the United Nations on Thursday showed that although there have been steady improvements in human development, major concerns about quality of life and education remain.
The HDI, compiled by the UN Development Program (UNDP), is used as a composite measure of global development, tracking national successes in health, income and education in 189 countries. Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Ireland and Germany top the rankings in the latest report, while Niger, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad and Burundi have the lowest scores.
Although average HDI levels are on the rise globally — reflecting the fact that people are living longer, are more educated and are earning more money — there are still massive differences when it comes to people's overall well-being.
For example, a child born in Norway today would expect to live up to 82 years old and spend 18 years at school. In contrast, a child born in Niger can only expect to live to 60 and will barely spend five years at school.
Selim Jahan, director of the UNDP's Human Development Report Office, told DW that while there's reason to be optimistic, solutions to inequalities in life expectancy and access to education need to take a greater focus.
"You need to have targeted interventions for specific groups because you want to bring these people up to speed in terms of development," he said.
For example, although impressive progress has been made in the quantity of schooling — school-age children today can expect to received 3.4 years more education compared to children in 1990 — students are not necessarily being equipped with the knowledge and skills required to live a meaningful and happy life. Jahan added that solving this will require a practical approach tailored to specific regions.
"We know that there is a difference of quality in education between rural and urban areas, or developing and developing countries," he said. "In order to enhance the quality of education a couple of things can be done. One is class size … you need to bring in more teachers. But it's not enough to only employ more teachers, but it's also whether these teachers are trained, especially in developing countries. So these are some of the practical considerations."
Gender inequality remains rife around the worldImage: Getty Images/J. Raedler
Gender inequality still a major concern
The report also reveals gaping disparities in the experiences of men and women around the world.
Global labor force participation rates for women are at 49 percent, compared to 75 percent for men. Women also do far more unpaid domestic work than their male counterparts. Overall, the HDI for women lags 6 percent behind that of men.
"That gap needs to be reduced because we cannot talk about human development if half of our population is [falling behind]," Jahan said. "There are still absolute disadvantages that women face, just because they are women. We can talk about domestic violence. We can talk about female genital mutilation. We can talk about honor killings."
Jahan believes the global community can meet the UN's so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, but only if developed countries play a bigger role in helping developing ones.
"I think countries are making good progress on those Sustainable Development Goals," he says. "But not all countries, and not all goals. We need a more forceful effort, as well as lots of collaboration at the global and regional level to achieve these goals."
The rights of a human being
On December 1948, the United Nations agreed that the "inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world."
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'Freedom, equality, brotherhood' (Article 1)
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." In 30 articles, the peoples of the United Nations reaffirmed through the charter, their determination "to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom."
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No place for discrimination (Article 2)
Everyone all over the world is entitled to rights and freedoms - regardless of "race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status."
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The rights to life and freedom (Articles 3, 4 and 5)
"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." (3) "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude." (4) "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." (5)
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Equal before the law (Articles, 6-12)
Every human being has the right to a fair trial and to be protected by law (6, 8, 10, 12). The right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. (11) "All are equal before the law" (7) and "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile." (9).
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Freedom to move (Articles 13, 14 and 15)
"Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave any country." (13). "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution." (14). "Everyone has the right to a nationality." (15).
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Protection from forced marriage (Article 16)
Men and women of full age have the same rights preceeding, during and following marriage, which "shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses." While the family, which is the "natural and fundamental group unit of society" is entitled to "protection by society and the State."
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The right to ownership (Article 17)
"Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others." And "no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property."
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Freedom of thought (Articles 18, 19 and 20)
"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion," (18). "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression." (19). "Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association." (20).
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The right to determination (Articles 21 and 22)
"Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives." (21). A member of society has the "right to social security" and is entitled to the "economic, social and cultural rights indispensible for his dignity and the free development of his personality." (22).
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Right to work (Articles 23 and 24)
"Everyone has the right to work". Moreover, the right "to equal pay for equal work" and "to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests." (23). "Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay." (24). (Foto: Arbeitslose im Jobcenter Gelsenkirchen, Deutschland, 5.1.2016)
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A life of dignity (Article 25)
"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services." And "motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance."
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The right to education (Article 26)
"Everyone hast he right to education," which at elementary level is compulsory for everyone. "Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights".
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Art and science (Article 27)
"Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits." In addition, "the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author." Digital reproduction of artistic works remains controversial.
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Definitive rights (Articles 28, 29 and 30)
"Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized." (28) "Everyone has duties to the community." (29) And no State, group or person has the right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms" within the declaration. (30)
