Development challenges

ESCWA is developing The World Development Challenges Report, arguing for rethinking human development measurement using a hybrid quality-focused and analytical approach. It proposes to evaluate the three broad challenges of quality of human development, environmental sustainability and governance. The aim is not only to better understand challenges countries are facing but ultimately to offer an analytical toolkit that could trigger policy dialogue to address these challenges at the global, regional and national levels.

Accordingly, this report proposes a new global development challenges index which measures shortfalls from desirable achievements in three areas: quality of basic human development (as represented in the three traditional components of the human development index), environmental sustainability and governance.

Our approach

Our partners

Regional and global think tanks.

Our activities

Building on the report’s main findings, ESCWA will hold a series of global and regional level consultations to discuss the findings with representatives from member States, academic institutions and regional think tanks.

After the launch of the global report, ESCWA will produce a regional report entitled The Arab Development Challenges Report, which will focus on the challenges faced by the region. The project will also develop a toolkit with country-level information which will be updated on a regular basis, along with follow-up reports.

In addition to the reports, background papers and other publications, ESCWA is organizing workshops and other activities and initiatives to strengthen countries’ human development.