Indicators of human development and human rights – overlaps, differences ... and what about the human development index?

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Fukuda-Parr, Sakiko

Affiliations: Human Development Report Office, United Nations Development Programme – UNDP, 336 East 45th Street, New York, NY, 10017, USA. Tel.: +1 212 906 3600; Fax: +1 212 906 3677; E-mail: sakiko.fukuda-parr@undp.org

Abstract: The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of human development. This paper reviews the strengths and limitations of the HDI as a monitoring instrument of human development and of human rights in economic and social areas. It focuses on the following questions: - The what and why – the purpose of the HDI as a summary measure of average national achievement in human development, focussing on survival, knowledge and decent standard of living. - Beyond the HDI – beyond national average achievements to focussing on deprivation and inequality perspectives. - Beyond the HDI – beyond the 3 HDI dimensions (survival, knowledge and decent standard of living) to other important dimensions of human development such as personal security, participation. - HDI and human rights – human rights and human development are two sides of a coin but not the same thing. - HDI and human rights – human rights measures focussing on accountability. - Statistics and human rights. The paper draws from the Human Development Report 2000, especially the following sections: Chapter 1, Chapter 5 and ‘What do the Human Development Indices Reveal?” The Human Development Report 2000 is available on line http://www.undp.org/hdro/hdr2000.html.

DOI: 10.3233/SJU-2001-182-311

Journal: Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, vol. 18, no. 2-3, pp. 239-248, 2001