24 July 2014: The 2014 Human Development Report (HDR) finds that reducing poverty, as well as vulnerability to falling into poverty, must be a central objective of the post-2015 development agenda. “Eliminating extreme poverty is not just about ‘getting to zero;’ it is also about staying there,” according to the report. ‘Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience’ was launched in Tokyo, Japan, on 24 July 2014, by Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark, and HDR Director Khalid Malik.

According to the report, 1.5 billion people are multi-dimensionally poor, with deprivations in education, health and living standards while another 800 million are at risk of falling back into poverty.

The report identifies “life cycle vulnerabilities” – sensitive points in life where shocks may have greater impacts – such as the first 1,000 days of life and transitions from school to work and from work to retirement. Timely, targeted investments during these periods can help all people reach their potential, the report argues.

It also highlights “structural vulnerabilities,” which persist and compound over time, such as discrimination against the disabled, indigenous peoples, poor, migrants or women. To address structural vulnerabilities, the report calls for more responsive institutions and laws to make societies fairer and more inclusive.

The report describes a slowdown in human development growth across all regions, as shown by the Human Development Index (HDI). Central African Republic (CAR), Libya and Syria recorded the steepest decline in HDI values. Latin America and the Caribbean had the largest drop in overall inequality but still face extensive income inequality. In South Asia, over 71% of the population is poor or near-poor, making it the largest multi-dimensionally poor population.

Even poor countries can afford to implement universal social service provision, the report argues, noting that several countries enacted social insurance measures “when their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita was lower than India’s and Pakistan’s now.” It emphasizes that providing basic social security benefits to the world’s poor would amount to less than 2% of global GDP, and recommends inclusion of universal social protection in the post-2015 agenda.

The 2014 report is the 23rd global HDR. The report website includes report summaries in over 20 languages, papers commissioned for the report, databases of national human development indicators and other background materials. [Publication: Human Development Report 2014] [UNDP Press Release] [UNDP Administrator Remarks]