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The Chinese University of Hong Kong and United Nations Development Programme
The seminar was moderated by Professor Lawrence J. Lau, Vice-Chancellor of CUHK. It focused on the China Human Development Report 2005. The report was commissioned by UNDP China and coordinated by the China Development Research Foundation. It was written by 13 eminent scholars and experts including one from CUHK. Released in last December, the report reflected the human development status in China through analyzing her income and wealth distribution, employment opportunities, social security, and public expenditure. Mr. Lu Mai, Secretary-General, China Development Research Foundation and Senior Research Fellow, Development Research Center of the State Council of PRC; Mr. Renaud Meyer, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP China; and Dr. Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh, Director of Center for Peace and Human Security, Sciences Po Paris introduced the background, content, recommendations, and global significance of the China Human Development Report 2005. The seminar was attended by academics, government officials, policy advisors, representatives of the business community, and the consular corps from Hong Kong and Macau. They discussed the challenges arising from China’s development and recommended solutions. The report said that China has made remarkable progress in social and human development since its reform and opening up. The report developed a Human Development Index (HDI) based on life expectancy, literacy, and level of economic development. China’s HDI in 2003 was 0.755, ranking 85th among 177 countries, which represents a medium level of human development. China’s ranking has risen up by 20% since 1990, the biggest progress ever, largely due to income growth. However, the report argued that China still faces many challenges despite such progress. Statistics at the macro level cannot disguise the vast gaps in development between regions, urban and rural areas, genders and social groups. The reasons include history, policies, inadequate markets, and negative impacts of economic restructuring. Such social inequalities will threaten China’s sustainable economic development and long-term social stability. The report made the following policy recommendations to solve the above problems and promote equal human development in China. 1. Allocate public resources to promote human development Background United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the global development network of the United Nations. Its mission is to advocate for change and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. The China Human Development Report is published by UNDP to analyze human development status in China and make policy recommendations. It has become an important reference for academics, policy makers and development researchers. China Human Development Report 2005 is the third such report since 1997.
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