About the Human Development Report (HDR)
First launched in 1990, the Human Development Report is an independent publication commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme with the aim of putting people back at the center of the development process in economic debates, policy and advocacy. Every year, the widely-read publication stirs a lively debate in development circles and among governments with its ranking of countries according to the Human Development Index (HDI). Derived from a basket of socio-economic indicators such as life expectancy, literacy rate and per capita income, the HDI reflects the quality of life in each country.
By examining living standards in over 170 developing and industrialized nations, the report draws attention to socio-economic disparities between countries. In the past, human development reports have issued stark warnings on the plight of the poor and guided policy makers with plans of action to address their problems. Since the first Report, four new composite indices for human development have been developed - the Human Development Index, the Gender-related Development Index, the Gender Empowerment Measure, and the Human Poverty Index.
About the National Human Development Report (NHDR)
The NHDR is a key advocacy initiative undertaken by national governments and/or NGOs in developing countries to produce an annual report, which examines human development issues at the local level. An offshoot of UNDP's Human Development Report, these publications track national trends in such areas as poverty, governance, education, health, gender and human settlements, uncovering socio-economic disparities within the country. To date, 120 developing countries have produced NHDRs, with UNDP support; many contributed to public policy-making in the developing world and influenced the allocation of national resources. In the Arab world, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan and Tunisia have already published their own NHDR.
Jordan's inaugural NHDR, which focuses on youth, was produced by the Ministry of Planning with technical assistance from UNDP and financial contribution from United Kingdom's Department for International Development. It provides the first ever composite indices for human development, human poverty and gender advancement at the governorate level, equipping Jordanian policymakers with culturally specific statistics for informed decisionmaking.
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
The United Nations Development Programme is the UN's principal provider of development advice, advocacy and grant support. With a network of 132 country offices worldwide, UNDP works closely with national governments, donors, civil society and private sector to develop partnerships for fighting poverty. It is committed to making a pivotal contribution to halving world poverty by 2015, as pledged by world leaders at the United Nations Millenium Summit in September 2000. UNDP also engages in extensive advocacy work about poverty issues and people-centered development through the annual Human Development Report. In each country office, the UNDP Resident Representative serves as the Resident Coordinator of development activities for the United Nations system. Through such coordination, UNDP seeks to ensure the most effective use of UN and international aid resources.
In Jordan, UNDP has provided grant technical assistance since 1952. At the request of the Government of Jordan, UNDP is currently focusing its multi-sectoral advisory services in the areas of democratic governance, poverty alleviation, gender empowerment, energy and environment, and information and communications technology.
About Department for International Development (DFID)
The Department for International Development is the British government department responsible for promoting development and the reduction of poverty. The central focus of DFID's policy, as set out in the White Paper on International Development, is a commitment to an internationally agreed target to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. In addition, associated targets include ensuring basic health care provision and universal access to primary education by the same date.
DFID aims to work in partnership with other governments committed to these targets and with the business and private sector, civil society and the research community. It also works with multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, United Nations agencies and the European commission.
In Jordan, the UK's bilateral aid programme is fully grant-funded by DFID, with two funding mechanisms - government-to-government aid and a small grants scheme aimed at non-governmental organizations. This aid programme targets three main priority areas: economic reform/privatization, education and poverty-reduction. The programme also funds in-country and UK-based training and equipment costs.