The first-ever Arab Human Development Report reveals serious deficits in freedoms, gender equality and the dissemination of knowledge. Reviewing its findings, Gihan Shahine asks its lead author some tough questions and sifts through mixed reactions Who are the poor? To date, this question has been somewhat controversial amongst experts. Traditionally, the poor have been defined as those living on less than one dollar a day. The 1990s however, witnessed an impressive shift in the development paradigm. Indeed, the Latest Human Development Reports (HDRs) show that "income poverty is only part of the picture" and seek to present a broader picture of "human poverty" which takes into consideration income and non-income dimensions. These include malnutrition, infant mortality, illiteracy and access to health care and clean water. Last week, the first ever UN Arab Development Report was launched at the Arab League. It represents a new, broader approach to assessing development in the Arab world. The report, commissioned by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), is the intellectual contribution of a team of Arab scholars who spent 18 months painstakingly compiling data on 22 Arab countries with a population of 280 million. It is hoped to be the first of a series of more detailed reports, that, in the words of UN officials, will be dedicated to "the coming generations". The report is particularly significant in that "it is the first done by Arabs for Arabs", UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States Rima Khalaf told Al-Ahram Weekly. "It's an important contribution that will help Arabs diagnose problems and articulate policies for a brighter future," she added. The strength of the report, Khalaf added, is due to the fact that "it goes beyond the traditional domain of analysis and looks at the problem from a multi- faceted perspective." Subtitled "Creating Opportunities for Future Generations", the report places people squarely at the centre, positing them as the real 'wealth' and source of hope for the development future of Arab countries. Its main conclusion is that the Arab region "might be considered to be richer than it is developed". Relative to other regions, the Arab world does better on income indicators than on development indicators, the report said. There is much less 'poverty' in the Arab world than in any other developing region. (It is important to note, however, that the range of disparity among Arab countries is almost as large as that for the entire world. Kuwait scores only slightly lower than Canada, the world leader, while Djibouti is close to Sierra Leone, the country with the world's lowest Human Development Index). More encouragingly, there has been considerable progress in laying foundations for health care, housing and education. Life expectancy has increased by 15 years over the past three decades, infant mortality rates have dropped by two-thirds, and adult literacy has almost doubled. Still, the Arab region "is hobbled by a different kind of poverty -- that of capability and opportunity", the report warns. It views deficits in freedoms, women's empowerment and knowledge as the main developmental constraints in the Arab world. "Traditionally, experts would advise countries to address the economic variables impeding development like deficits in fiscal and current accounts," Khalaf told the Weekly. "This report contradicts that traditional view. The most serious impediments to development are the lack of basic freedoms and knowledge, and gender inequality. If these deficits persist, the Arabs will not be able to make it," she added. The report reveals a condition that is, at best, alarming. Out of seven global regions, the Arab world scored lowest in terms of freedoms in the late 1990s. The report measures various aspects of the political process, the state of civil liberties, political rights and media independence. Political participation was found to be limited. Additionally, there are severe constraints on civil society and the media is impeded from playing an effective role. "Arab civil associations face many difficulties," the report added. "These include external, mainly bureaucratic and state constraints, but also problems inherent in the organisations themselves." The media, the report adds, "is at best partly free". But if human development is the process of enlarging choices, if it implies that people must influence the process that shapes their lives, and if it means the full enjoyment of human rights, then nothing stifles this vision of development more than subjugating a people to foreign occupation, the report maintains. Occupation, the report adds, freezes growth, prosperity and freedom in the Arab world. The report is critical of Israel's illegal occupation of Arab lands, citing it as one of the most pervasive obstacles to development. For Palestinians, occupation stunts their ability to grow in every conceivable way. For Arabs, the occupation seriously stifles development. "It provides both a cause and an excuse for distorting the development agenda, disrupting national priorities and retarding political development," the report declares. Additionally, the report shows that "Arab countries clearly suffer a glaring deficit in women's empowerment." Political and economic participation for women remains the lowest in the world in quantitative terms. Women occupy only 3.5 per cent of parliamentary seats in Arab countries, compared to 11 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa and 12.9 per cent in Latin American and Caribbean countries. One in every two Arab women can neither read nor write. In many countries of the region, women suffer unequal citizenship and legal entitlements. "Society as a whole suffers when half of its productive potential is stifled," the report added. Furthermore, Arab countries face significant educational problems. Although literacy rates improved by nearly 50 per cent between 1980 and the mid-90s, 65 million adults remain illiterate. About 10 million children, aged six to 15, are not enrolled in schools. Enrollment rates in higher education remain limited to 13 per cent. The report also highlights a serious deterioration in the quality of education. This has led to a decline in knowledge acquisition, analytical and creative skills. If this situation is allowed to continue, the report warns, it will be decades before illiteracy is eradicated or enrollment in education reaches the levels attained by developed countries in the mid- 90s. Additionally, knowledge deficits have led to the development of a weak system of scientific research and development, and low access to information and communication technology (ICT). Investment in research and development (R&D) is less than one seventh of the world average. The Arab region also has the lowest level of ICT access in the world: only 0.6 per cent of the population uses the Internet, and personal computer penetration is 1.2 per cent. The report adds that, "while the costs of improving the education system may be substantial, the costs of perpetuating ignorance are incalculably greater." Labour productivity, for instance, has been low and is declining fast. Growth in per capita income was thus the lowest in the world over the last decade, with the exception of sub-Saharan Africa. If the current annual growth rate of 0.5 per cent continues, it will take the average citizen 140 years to double his income. Other regions will achieve this level in less than 10 years. Additionally, the aggregate GDP of the Arab world ($531.2 billion) is less than that of Spain ($595.5 billion). One in five Arabs lives on less than two dollars a day. Open unemployment in the Arab region has been estimated to be no less than 12 million in 1995, around 15 per cent of the labour force. This is the highest figure in the world. At present rates, the number is expected to rise to 25 million in 2010. No wonder, then, that half of young Arabs polled by the report wanted to emigrate. "The mismatch between aspirations and their fulfillment has in some cases led to alienation, apathy and discontent," the report said. Arabs are younger than the global average: 38 per cent are aged 0-14. Growth rates are still high: there will be between 410 and 459 million Arabs in 2020. This growth in population, however, could be a gift if put to good use. "Arab youth might be tomorrow's champions of human development," Khalaf told the Weekly. "To give people a better life, you have to empower them, otherwise you would be keeping them in an endless circle of misery," Khalaf said. "And you empower people by educating them, liberating their capabilities, giving them choices in life and the freedom to have a say in decisions that affect their lives. This is done through good governance. Quality of life is our main concern. Every Arab deserves a productive life where he enjoys choices and freedom. This is in the interests of all of society, not just the poor. It's a societal objective," she added. The report, thus, suggests three areas of investment: building Arab capabilities through the dissemination of knowledge, unleashing their creativity through promoting freedom and giving full respect to human rights. The report also stresses the importance of 'good governance' and the empowerment of women. "The report will be a platform for dialogue: we don't want to monopolise information," Khalaf concludes. "Countries will have to define their own priorities and outline their own agendas."
