The UN/DESA perspective
Part I
2000 Critical note on the quality of the Human Development Report brought to the attention of the UN Statistical Commission
2001 Friends of the Chair report an assessment of the Human Development Report 1999. The findings are welcomed by the UNDP Office, which commits to take action on these.
Main recommendations:
- Institution of a statistical peer review process and
- Initiative on holding regular consultations with Member States
(continued) in particular, the Commission urged the Office in 2008 to:
1. Intensify consultations with countries on the statistics used in the calculation of the Human Development Index;
2. Make additional efforts, in accordance with ECOSOC resolution 2006/6, to use country data instead of international estimates whenever and wherever those data are available;
3. Conduct pre-publication quality checks on data and indicators with national statistical offices;
4. In respect of missing data, handle the use of international estimates in the preparation of the Human Development Report with care, in full consultation with countries and in a transparent manner;
Part I
- UN Statistical Commission and HDI
- HDI, a composite indicator
- MDG indicators
- One or more dimensions?
2000 Critical note on the quality of the Human Development Report brought to the attention of the UN Statistical Commission
2001 Friends of the Chair report an assessment of the Human Development Report 1999. The findings are welcomed by the UNDP Office, which commits to take action on these.
Main recommendations:
- PPP exchange rates should be used instead of US$ exchange rates, which exaggerates the discrepancies between cost-of-living in developed and developing countries
- More technical expertise should be applied to the review of the HDR
- HDRO manuscript management and quality control procedures be reviewed and strengthened
- Closer cooperation with suppliers of key data series to draw upon additional expertise and knowledge of specific data sets
- Underscored the importance of the Human Development Report at national and international levels as a source of information on development issues
- Welcomed actions taken to ensure the quality of data and indicators published in the Human Development Report,
- Institution of a statistical peer review process and
- Initiative on holding regular consultations with Member States
- Emphasized the need for the Human Development Report Office to further improve transparency in the process of preparing the Human Development Report
1. Intensify consultations with countries on the statistics used in the calculation of the Human Development Index;
2. Make additional efforts, in accordance with ECOSOC resolution 2006/6, to use country data instead of international estimates whenever and wherever those data are available;
3. Conduct pre-publication quality checks on data and indicators with national statistical offices;
4. In respect of missing data, handle the use of international estimates in the preparation of the Human Development Report with care, in full consultation with countries and in a transparent manner;
