For the fifth time in a row, Norway is on top of the UNs list over the best countries in the world to live in. However, the UN- list shows foremost that many changes will have to take place if the gap between the worlds richest and poorest countries is to decrease.
20/09/2005 :: Each year the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) publishes the Human Development Report, where the worlds countries are ranked on the degree of human development. In the ranking three main factors count; income level, education level and life expectency.
Norway was ranked as the country in the world with the highest degree of human development. Norwegians are of course very pleased with this position. But the Report has a much more serious warning to the world society: If dramatic changes don’t take place now, the world will, according to the Report, not reach the goal of reducing the amount of people living in poverty by half by 2015, one of the aims of the Millennium Development Goals.
This warning was delivered in advance of the World Summit at UN 14- 16th September 2005, which will be the greatest gathering of world leaders ever. The Summit aims to evaluate the worlds progress towards the Millennium Declaration of 2000.
In 2000 the UN announced its contribution on how to defeat global poverty. The solution is the Millennium Development Goals; eight common goals which should be reached by 2015. 50 countries have during the 1990s not experienced any progress in relation to the eight goals for development. The Report focuses on the role richer countries like Norway must play in the global fight against poverty.
About this Report: Every year since 1990, the UNDP has commissioned the Human Development Report by an independent team of experts to explore major issues of global concern.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs