Quality of Life and Human Development
The 3rd OECD World Forum on “Statistics, Knowledge and Policy”
Charting Progress, Building Visions, Improving Life
Busan, Korea - 27-30 October 2009
THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX AS AN EFFORT TO
MEASURE WELL-BEING IN HONDURAS
GLENDA GALLARDO
UNDP HONDURAS. CHIEF ECONOMIST
Introduction1
As a society we are always interested in knowing where we are and where we are headed. No one could deny that information and measurement are essential tools to this purpose and without them it becomes difficult to perform an assessment how much progress the society has made. The discussion rather centres on what to measure and how to measure it, also, how much advancement it will be considered a real progress.
Generally we talk about measuring development, so we choose a series of indicators in different social fields, mainly economics, to describe how a particular society has progressed over the time. There are other phrases that have become important in the public debate trying to explain what development really means to a society. Among these we have: “Well-being”, “Societal Progress”, Quality of Life”,
“Human Development”, etc.
Each particular society has its own consideration about the real meaning of development. This is one of the reasons why a need has emerged to develop a more comprehensive view of development and progress, considering social, environmental and economic concerns, rather than just rely on economic indicators2. The Istanbul Declaration3 represents the existing consensus amid all those who share a common interest in promoting this debate, who participated in the Second World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy. Among these are presidents, ministers, senior statisticians, civil society leaders and leading
1
Acknowledgments to José Vélez, Statistician of the Prospective and Strategic Unit of UNDP, for his valuable contributions.
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, “Measuring the progress of societies:
Charting Progress, Building Visions, Improving Life
Busan, Korea - 27-30 October 2009
THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX AS AN EFFORT TO
MEASURE WELL-BEING IN HONDURAS
GLENDA GALLARDO
UNDP HONDURAS. CHIEF ECONOMIST
Introduction1
As a society we are always interested in knowing where we are and where we are headed. No one could deny that information and measurement are essential tools to this purpose and without them it becomes difficult to perform an assessment how much progress the society has made. The discussion rather centres on what to measure and how to measure it, also, how much advancement it will be considered a real progress.
Generally we talk about measuring development, so we choose a series of indicators in different social fields, mainly economics, to describe how a particular society has progressed over the time. There are other phrases that have become important in the public debate trying to explain what development really means to a society. Among these we have: “Well-being”, “Societal Progress”, Quality of Life”,
“Human Development”, etc.
Each particular society has its own consideration about the real meaning of development. This is one of the reasons why a need has emerged to develop a more comprehensive view of development and progress, considering social, environmental and economic concerns, rather than just rely on economic indicators2. The Istanbul Declaration3 represents the existing consensus amid all those who share a common interest in promoting this debate, who participated in the Second World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy. Among these are presidents, ministers, senior statisticians, civil society leaders and leading
1
Acknowledgments to José Vélez, Statistician of the Prospective and Strategic Unit of UNDP, for his valuable contributions.
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, “Measuring the progress of societies:
Bibliography: E/ESCAP/CST/8*, 2008. S.A., San Jose, 2009. UNDP, “Human Development Report 1990”, New York Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1990