UNDP Calls For Improved International Cooperation

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was part of the Human Development Report dialogue session and called for unity internationally at the dialogue session of the 2023-2024 HDR today 20 March 2024 at Cresta Lodge in Harare.

Key dignitaries during the dialogue session included Honourable Dr. Fredrick Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Senior Government Officials; Dr. Ayodele Odusola, the UNDP Resident Representative; UN Heads of Agencies; and representatives from civil society organisations, among others.

The United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report for 2023-2024 was titled ‘Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World’.

HE Kallon said the theme of the session is critical as the world delves into the challenges of increasing polarization, populism, and conflict despite reaching record levels in the 2023 global Human Development Index.

“After an unprecedented two-year decline, the 2023 global Human Development Index average estimate has reached a record level. However, the sentiment among the populations worldwide is not celebratory – we’re witnessing increasing polarization, populism, nativism, exclusion, and conflict. The new Human Development Report analyses this paradox.

The 2023-2024 HDR argues that the international community’s failure to act collectively on shared global challenges is both a cause and a consequence of increasing polarization, distrust, and conflict around the world. Progress feels harder to grasp, especially when planetary pressures are brought into view; our standard development measures are clearly miss­ing some things. One of those things may be the disempowerment of people—gaps in human agency—which is taking combined hits from new configu­rations of global complexity and interdependence, uncertainty, insecurity, and polarization,” HE Kallon said.

He clarified that polarization is different from disagreements in politics and tastes. He said going beyond differences in opinions, it sorts people into different groups defined by one single group identity or political position coupled with animosity towards those with different viewpoints.

“It reduces differences in opinions to “us vs. them” attitudes. The HDR warns that inequality between groups of countries is rising after three decades of declining trends. This phenomenon is occurring at the same time when we’re experiencing severe climate disruptions, conflicts, and economic slowdown. Rising inequality may exacerbate our situation if we don’t take collective action on these mounting crises that affect us all.”

The report calls for improvement in international cooperation. It makes the case for addressing polarization and empowering people to feel more in control over their lives to safeguard a collective future.

“The report underlines that we can do better than this. Better than runaway cli­mate change and pandemics. Better than a spate of unconstitutional transfers of power amid a rising, globalizing tide of populism. Better than cascading human rights violations and unconscionable massa­cres of people in their homes and civic venues, in hos­pitals, schools and shelters,” HE Kallon added.

The report also highlighted that we enjoy unprecedented wealth, knowhow, and technology—unimaginable to our ancestors—that with more equitable distribution and use could power bold and necessary choices for peace and for sustainable, in­clusive human development on which peace depends.