The 2013 Human Development Report, pre-order today

2012 theme: Global partnership for building shared prosperity

The General Assembly, on 22 December 2005, by resolution 60/209 identified solidarity as one of the fundamental and universal values that should underlie relations between peoples in the Twenty-first century, and in that regard decided to proclaim 20 December of each year International Human Solidarity Day.

By resolution 57/265 the General Assembly, on 20 December 2002, established the World Solidarity Fund, (now hiring) which was set up in February 2003 as a trust fund of the United Nations Development Programme. Its objective is to eradicate poverty and promote human and social development in developing countries, in particular among the poorest segments of their populations. NEWS-SOLIDARITY – LISTEN HERE

Solidarity is identified in the Millennium Declaration as one of the fundamental values of international relations in the 21st Century, wherein those who either suffer or benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most. Consequently, in the context of globalization and the challenge of growing inequality, strengthening of international solidarity is indispensable.

Therefore, the UN General Assembly, convinced that the promotion of the culture of solidarity and the spirit of sharing is important for combating poverty, proclaimed 20 of December as International Human Solidarity Day.

Through initiatives such as the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund to eradicate poverty and the proclamation of International Human Solidarity Day, the concept of solidarity was promoted as crucial in the fight against poverty and in the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.

The UN and the Concept of Solidarity

The concept of solidarity has defined the work of the United Nations since the birth of the Organization. The creation of the United Nations drew the peoples and nations of the world together to promote peace, human rights and social and economic development. The organization was founded on a basic premise of unity and harmony among its members expressed in the concept of collective security that relies on the solidarity of its members to unite “to maintain international peace and security”.

It is in the spirit of solidarity that the organization relies on “cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character”, as well.

The next Human Development Report – “The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World” – will be published in March 2013. The 2013 Human Development Report will examine the profound shift in global dynamics that is being driven by the fast-rising powers of the developing world – and the implications of this phenomenon for human development.

China has already overtaken Japan as the world’s second biggest economy, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty in the process. India is actively reshaping its future with entrepreneurial creativity and social policy innovation. Brazil has become another major engine of growth for the South, while reducing inequality at home through antipoverty programs that are emulated worldwide.

Turkey, Thailand, South Africa, Mexico, Indonesia and other dynamic developing nations are also leading actors on the world stage today, offering important policy lessons and valuable new partnerships for the South as a whole, including today’s least developed countries.

Looking ahead at the critical long-term challenges now facing the international community, from inequality to sustainability to global governance, the 2013 Report identifies policies and institutional reforms reflecting the new reality of the rising South that could promote greater human progress throughout the world for decades to come.

The 2013 Human Development Report includes special contributions on the topic from Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, Japan International Cooperation President Akihiko Tanaka, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Turkish Minister of Development, Cevdet Yilmaz, among others.

The 2013 Report will feature an updated Human Development Index (HDI); as well as, the Report’s three complementary indices: the Inequality-adjusted HDI, the Gender Inequality Index (GII) and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).

The March 2013 launch date represents a return to the Reports’ traditional annual calendar, with publication in the first part of the year. Reversion to the original HDR publication schedule permits inclusion of the most current statistical indicators in the HDI, as these become available from the main international data providers in the previous year’s final quarter. This schedule also provides greater opportunities for discussion of the Report’s key findings and messages over the course of the year.

Pre-order a report now through United Nations Publications.