Panelists Discuss Uganda’s Human Development Index Ranking at the 2014 Global Human Development Report-Uganda Launch
Uganda’s Human Development Index ranking has stagnated despite high economic growth rates that have been registered over the last decade.
The Global Human Development report shows that Uganda is ranked at 164 out of 187 countries. This ranking was the same in 2013. Uganda’s neighbors’ Kenya was ranked 147, Rwanda 151 and Tanzania 159.
The report whose theme is “Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience,” highlights the need for promoting peoples’ choices as well as protecting human development achievements.
It takes the view that vulnerability threatens human development and, unless it is systematically addressed, progress will be neither equitable nor sustainable.
The report was launched in Kampala, by the UNDP Resident Coordinator, Ahuuna Eziakonwa-Onochie. She said the report findings highlight the importance of putting humanity at the centre of the development agenda.
Eziakonwa-Onochie called for investment in key sectors of the economy and emphasized the need for the country to address gender inequality.
One of the panelists, Ibrahim Kasirye, the Principal Research Fellow at the Economic Policy Research Centre, argued that investing in agriculture was the best way of absorbing the youth and women in productive activities. This would not only generate increased income at the household level but would also reduce on the widening inequality.
The Uganda launch event was organized by UNDP-Uganda in collaboration with the Economic Policy Research Centre.