UN Report: Division Preventing Nations from Improving Lives
2022-09-10
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1A report published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) finds that progress in human development has halted or gone backward.
2The UN study was released Thursday. It cites the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, economic uncertainty, and other crises as the main reasons for the lack of progress.
3The report includes the UNDP's Human Development Index.
4The index ranks 191 countries in the world based on health, education level, and standard of living.
5It found that 90 percent of the nations failed to reach a better, healthier, or more secure life for their people in 2020 and 2021.
6For the first time in 32 years, the index found that human development decreased for two straight years.
7This year's rankings show some countries are beginning to improve.
8Others face worsening crises.
9The report finds Latin America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia have been especially hard hit.
10Achim Steiner is the head of UNDP.
11"Nine out of 10 countries in this year's human development report index are shown to have faced a decline," he said.
12"This has never happened before even during the last devastating global moment of crisis, the financial crisis, only one out of 10 countries faced a decline in human development indices."
13Switzerland is at the top this year's rankings.
14That is followed by Norway, Iceland, Hong Kong, Australia, and other wealthy nations.
15Countries from sub-Saharan Africa are among the lowest ranked in human development, with South Sudan at the bottom.
16Pedro Conceicao is the report's lead author.
17He said that economic recession is the main driver behind the decline in human development.
18There has also been a large drop in life expectancy.
19The United States is ranked 21st in the index.
20The U.S. has reported a large drop in life expectancy partly because of COVID-19.
21Since the pandemic, life expectancy in the U.S. went from 79 years to 76.1 years.
22Conceicao also said the report shows global levels of trust are the lowest on record.
23He said those who are most mistrustful hold the most extreme political opinions.
24"Uncertainty and the feeling of insecurity hardens people's commitments to a group that shares a similar set of beliefs and increases hostility to other groups that think differently," Conceicao said.
25He added that the "report documents that democratic practices are under stress."
26The report warns that the problems of insecurity and political division often make each other worse.
27The report said division is preventing nations from taking the collective action needed to deal with the many threats and crises around the world.
28I'm Dan Novak.
1A report published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) finds that progress in human development has halted or gone backward. The UN study was released Thursday. It cites the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, economic uncertainty, and other crises as the main reasons for the lack of progress. 2The report includes the UNDP's Human Development Index. The index ranks 191 countries in the world based on health, education level, and standard of living. It found that 90 percent of the nations failed to reach a better, healthier, or more secure life for their people in 2020 and 2021. For the first time in 32 years, the index found that human development decreased for two straight years. 3This year's rankings show some countries are beginning to improve. Others face worsening crises. The report finds Latin America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia have been especially hard hit. 4Achim Steiner is the head of UNDP. "Nine out of 10 countries in this year's human development report index are shown to have faced a decline," he said. "This has never happened before even during the last devastating global moment of crisis, the financial crisis, only one out of 10 countries faced a decline in human development indices." 5Switzerland is at the top this year's rankings. That is followed by Norway, Iceland, Hong Kong, Australia, and other wealthy nations. Countries from sub-Saharan Africa are among the lowest ranked in human development, with South Sudan at the bottom. 6Pedro Conceicao is the report's lead author. He said that economic recession is the main driver behind the decline in human development. There has also been a large drop in life expectancy. 7The United States is ranked 21st in the index. The U.S. has reported a large drop in life expectancy partly because of COVID-19. Since the pandemic, life expectancy in the U.S. went from 79 years to 76.1 years. 8Conceicao also said the report shows global levels of trust are the lowest on record. He said those who are most mistrustful hold the most extreme political opinions. 9"Uncertainty and the feeling of insecurity hardens people's commitments to a group that shares a similar set of beliefs and increases hostility to other groups that think differently," Conceicao said. He added that the "report documents that democratic practices are under stress." 10The report warns that the problems of insecurity and political division often make each other worse. The report said division is preventing nations from taking the collective action needed to deal with the many threats and crises around the world. 11I'm Dan Novak. 12Lisa Schlien reported this story for VOANews. Dan Novak adapted it for VOA Learning English. 13_______________________________________ 14Words in This Story 15standard -n. a level of quality or performance that is considered acceptable or required 16devastating - adj. causing great damage or harm 17stress - n. a state of mental tension, worry or pressure