UNDP releases its latest Human Development Report Taking stock of Yemen’s progress [Archives:2002/44/Health]

REPORTED BY
ISMAEL AL-GHABERI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
The United Nations has released another series of human development reports on Yemen, this one dealing with civil society issues as they relate to ongoing development of democracy.
The theme of civil society in Yemen was chosen due to its importance in accommodating the adoption of a free market system, and ongoing developments between the state, civil society and the private sector.
Civil society is becoming a potent element in the political, economic, intellectual, and scholarly life locally and abroad. The last decade has witnessed a wide range of activities for popular and official civil society organizations in Yemen.
Great hopes
The great hopes we attach to these organizations call us to review the accomplishments and the lessons which could be learned from them, as well the difficulties and shortcomings they face, not to mention the role of the state and its policies towards these organizations.
Minster of Planning and Development, Ahmed Mohammed Sofan commented on the report by saying “we would like to emphasize our commitment to the continuation of issuing the National Development Reports and the adherence of the government to human development issues. That is the basis for the improvement of the standard of living of humans, who are the ultimate goal of development and its means.”
Dr. Yahya Yahya AL-Mutawakel, team leader and editor remarked on the report, “Yemen has adapted a free market economy to obtain development for society.”
 
Civil society integral
Dr. Fares al-Saqqaf, the Future Studies Center Chairman, said “Civil society is an integral part of human development. It is an expression of the dynamism of society based on pragmatic socio-economic evolution that demands individual effort within a civic institutional framework that complements government efforts.”Yemen’s National Development Report( NHDR) was first issued in 1998. The report adopted human development concepts and implications that have been promoted since by the Global Human Development series of UNDP.
Overview
The first NHDR gave an analytical overview of human development conditions and attempted to identify options in measuring human development potential in Yemen.
The goal of the National Human Development Report is to shed light on different fields of human development in Yemen, and to adopt the appropriate policies and procedures to realize human development.
Many reports
The Yemeni government endorses the National Human Development Reports that contribute, as do other national reports and documents, to dealing with development challenges and national goals and aspirations.
The choice of the civil society theme of this last report came as a result of deliberations that took place in the wake of the first report in1999, wherein the Ministry of Planning and Development, held discussions in coordination and consultation with the UNDP.

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