UNDP official lauds Qatar's approach on sustainable progress

The head of the office of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Qatar has praised the country’s approach on sustainable progress and the efforts on building a skilled and productive population."Qatar has chartered a great path in human development through a number of initiatives," Dr Biplove Choudhary, technical representative and the head of UNDP office in Qatar, told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the Qatar launch of the UNDP Human Development Report 2023-2024."Qatar’s strong performance in the Human Development Report ranking 40th globally in 2023-2024, reflects its commitment to enhancing quality of life through visionary leadership and strategic planning. The third Qatar National Development Strategy, aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030, emphasises human development by focusing on education, healthcare, and economic growth,” he explained."By prioritising human capital, innovation, and inclusivity, Qatar aims to further accelerate sustainable progress. This approach, centred on building a skilled and productive population, sets a benchmark for resilience and forward-thinking national strategies, reinforcing its global standing in development,” he remarked.The event hosted by the Middle East Council for Global Affairs also saw a panel discussion titled, ‘Co-operation and Development in the Mena Region Amid a Polarised World’ discussing the UNDP report and its impact in the region.According to Dr Choudhary the report has fundamentally shaped how development is viewed not just as economic growth, but as the expansion of people's freedom, choices and opportunities."The Human Development Report has consistently sparked global conversations, influenced policy decisions, and inspired action by presenting rigourous analysis, thought-provoking insights and forward-looking recommendations. The implications of the UNDP report for policy and practice, are reflected on what it means for our connected future, both globally and here at the GCC and in Qatar,” he continued.The report titled ‘Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarised world, notes that the global Human Development Index is projected to reach record levels in 2023. It also notes that inequality is on the rise again: after 20 years of convergence, the gap between the richest and poorest countries began to widen from 2020. The poorest and most vulnerable countries are being left behind.The report is an invitation to reimagine co-operation by pursuing ideas that it encourages the world to fight for. It says that it is imperative to pursue common ground while accepting that people will have the right to retain their diverse interests and priorities.The report highlights that people must be enabled to pursue their legitimate and natural human security ambitions without protectionism. It focuses on what gives people to shape their lives free from fear, want and living without dignity. From the energy transition to artificial intelligence, discussion of risks and challenges needs to be rebalanced with the consistent articulation of the potential to live.Finally the report points to a 21st century architecture for international co-operation to deliver global public goods. "This includes the planetary public goods required to navigate from climate change mitigation to pandemic preparedness to biodiversity preservation as well as the digital public infrastructure and digital public goods that would enable the digital revolution to be harnessed to enable people to flourish in more equitable ways,” adds the report.