Ethiopia today held its national launch of the UNDP flagship Human Development Report in the presence of H.E Dr. Yinager Dessie Commissioner of the National Planning Commission, diplomatic corps, development partners, civil society, private sector and the UN.
 
The report, under the theme ‘Human Development for Everyone’ acknowledged that while the world had witnessed progress in human development over the past 25 years, concerns linger with deep challenges remaining including poverty, inequality, hunger and disease as well as gender disparity.

“Transformations in human development is possible by reaching those left behind to narrow the gap, promote inclusive growth for all, pursue measures to address those with special needs, and enhance opportunities,” said Ms. Ahunna Ezaikonwa-Onochie, UN Resident Coordinator, UNDP Representative and UN Humanitarian Coordinator.

Ethiopia’s Human Development Index (HDI) value for 2015 (0.448), a 58.2 percent increase from the HDI value the country had in 200.  The current HDI value still places the country in the low human development category with the position of 174 out of 188 countries and territories included in the report.

Commissioner Yinager Dissie noted that the government was encouraged by the progress Ethiopia has made over the years in the human development index and noted, “I am therefore optimistic that the country will be on course to reach medium human development index in the near future”.

Ms. Ahunna Ezaikonwa-Onochie stressed the need to make human development resilient to shocks, warning that "We also need to recognize that achieving human development may not mean that human development is sustained. Progress in human development may be slowed or even reversed because of shocks and vulnerabilities, with implications for people who have only achieved the basics in human development and even worse for people who have yet to achieve the basics."

The HDR 2016 underlines the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to build on human development gains.

HDR 2016  highlights

Globally, HDR 2016 underlined that progress has bypassed groups, communities, societies—and people have been left out. Some have achieved only the basics of human development, and some not even that. For example, the report highlights,

• One person in nine in the world is hungry
• HIV infects 2 million people a year
• On average, 18 thousand people die per day because of air pollution
• And worryingly for Africa, out of the 188 countries for which the human development index is presented, 41 counties belong to low human development category and the majority are found in our continent.
• On average women still have a lower human development index than their male counterparts.  
• Access to resources has also remained a major bottleneck with women making up only 10 to 20% of landholders in developing countries.
• Every year 15 million girls marry before the age 18 in developing countries.  
• In 18 countries women need their husband’s approval to take a job while in 46 countries laws do not protect women from domestic violence.

Speech by Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie, UNDP Resident Representative  

Speech by Dr. Yinager Dessie, National Planning Commissioner

Human Development Report 2016

HDR Ethiopia explanatory note