Dili, 8 November 2010 - Most developing countries made dramatic, and often underestimated, progress in health, education and basic living standards in recent decades, reveals a detailed new analysis of long-term Human Development Index (HDI) trends.

The 20th anniversary edition of the UN Development Programme's Human Development Report was launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen.

The "Top 10 Movers" (those that have improved most in HDI terms over the past 40 years) highlighted in the 2010 report were: Oman, China, Nepal, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Laos, Tunisia, South Korea, Algeria and Morocco.

East Asia and the Pacific had by far the strongest HDI performance of any region in the world, nearly doubling average HDI attainment over the past 40 years.

Timor-Leste's HDI value for 2010 positions the country 120th out of 169, constituting a rise of 11 places since 2005. Timor-Leste now ranks in the medium human development category.

UNDP Resident Representative in Timor-Leste, Finn Reske-Nielsen, congratulated the people of Timor-Leste on the results of the 2010 Human Development Report:

"This progress is a great achievement for the country. Especially given that Timor-Leste is a new nation while the global human development trends are being measured over a 40 year period. The hope is that these improvements will continue to be built upon, and all people will have the opportunity for a longer, healthier and more productive life".

The HDI is not designed to assess progress in human development over a short time period, because some of its component indicators do not change rapidly in response to policy changes. This is particularly so for mean years of schooling and life expectancy at birth. It is, however, useful to review HDI progress over the medium to long term. Between 2005 and 2010, Timor-Leste's HDI value increased from 0.428 to 0.502, an increase of 17%.

Between 2005 and 2010, Timor-Leste's life expectancy at birth increased by over two years, while mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling remained the same. Timor-Leste's Gross National Income (GNI) per capita increased by 228% during the same period.

The Human Development Reports and the HDI have challenged purely economic measurements of national achievement. They helped lay the conceptual foundation for the UN's Millennium Development Goals, calling for consistent global tracking of progress in health, education and overall living standards.

The 2010 HDI, which features some technical adjustments in method and indicators, including GNI and number of years of schooling, illustrates the wide range of development achievements in East Asia and the Pacific. It also introduces three new indices that capture multidimensional poverty, inequality and gender disparities.

In East Asia, most countries have higher income inequality today than was the case a few decades ago, due in part to widening gaps between rural areas and the rapidly industrializing cities.

The UNDP Administrator, Helen Clark, said that although "people today are healthier, wealthier and better educated than before, there is much that countries can do to improve people's lives. This requires courageous local leadership as well as the continuing commitment of the international community".

For more information please contact: Clare Santry, Media and Communications Officer, UNDP Timor-Leste at clare.santry@undp.org Mobile: +670 7245425

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KOMUNIKADU IMPRENSA

Relatóriu Dezenvolvimentu Umanu tinan-2010: Nasaun sira iha Ázia mak nia progresu dezenvolvimentu di'akliu durante tinan 40

Dili, 8 Novembru 2010 - Nasaun sira sei-dezenvolve-hela barakliu maka halo progresu ne'ebé dramátiku, no dala barak subestimadu, iha saúde, edukasaun no estandarte báziku moris nian iha dékada sira foin daudaun ne'e, hatudu análize foun detallada ida kona-ba moda Índise Dezenvolvimentu Umanu (IDU) prazu-naruk nian.

Edisaun aniversáriu daruanuluk kona-ba Relatóriu Dezenvolvimentu Umanu Programa Dezenvolvimentu ONU nian ne'ebé lansa husi Sekretáriu Jerál ONU Ban Ki-moon, Administradora PNUD Helen Clark, no laureadu Nobel Amartya Sen.

"Atór Mudansa Topu 10" (sira-ne'ebé hetan mudansa barakliu iha termu sira IDU nian durante tinan 40 liubá) ne'ebé foka iha relatóriu tinan-2010 ne'e mak: Oman, Xina, Nepál, Inonézia, Arábia Saudita, Laos, Tunízia, Koreia Súl, Aljéria no Marrokus.

Ázia Orientál no Pasífiku loloos iha dezempeñu IDU forte-liuhotu duké kualkér rejiaun iha mundu, ho susesu IDU besik média dala rua iha tinan 40 liubá.

Valór IDU Timor-Leste nian ba tinan-2010 tau nasaun ne'e iha da-120 husi nasaun na'in 169, halo nia sa'e ba dala-11. Timor-Leste ohin loron tama iha pozisaun ho kategoria dezenvolvimentu umanu média.

Reprezentante PNUD nian iha Timor-Leste, Finn Reske-Nielsen, kongratula povu Timor-Leste ba rezultadu sira husi Relatóriu Dezenvolvimentu Umanu tinan-2010:

"Progresu ne'e sai nu'udar susesu boot ida ba nasaun ne'e. Liuliu tanba Timor-Leste hanesan nasaun foun ida bainhira tendénsia dezenvolvimentu umanu globál nian sukat daudaun durante períodu ida ho tinan 40 nia laran. Esperansa maka katak susesu hirak ne'e sei kontinua aumenta nafatin, no ema hotu sei iha oportunidade atu bele moris naruk, saudável no produtivu liután".

IDU la'ós kria hodi halo avaliasaun ba dezenvolvimentu umanu ba tempu badak, tanba ninia komponente indikadór balun la dezenvolve lalais hodi responde ba mudansa sira polítika nian. Buat ida-ne'e partikularmente ba média tinan eskola nian no espetativa moris. Maibé, buat ida-ne'e importante tebes atu halo revizaun ba progresu IDU nian ba tempu média to'o tempu naruk. Entre tinan 2005 no tinan 2010, valór IDU Timor-Leste nian aumenta husi 0.428 to'o 0.502, nu'udar aumentu ida ho 17%.

Entre tinan-2005 no tinan-2010, espetativa moris Timor-Leste nian hafoin moris sa'e ba tinan rua nia laran, enkuantu media tinan eskola nian kontinua nafatin hela. Timor-Leste nia Rendimentu Brutu Nasionál (GNI) per kapita sa'e ba 228% durante períodu ne'e.

Relatoriu Dezenvolvimentu Umanu no IDU dezafia tiha ona medida sira ne'ebé puramente ekonómika ba progresu nasionál. Medida hirak-ne'e ajuda estabelese fundasaun konsetuál ba ONU nia Objetivu Dezenvolvimentu Mileniu, ne'ebé husu atu iha akompanamentu globál ne'ebé konsistente ba progresu iha saúde, edukasaun no padraun moris tomak nian.

IDU tinan-2010 nian, ne'ebé deskreve kona-ba modifikasaun téknika ruma iha métodu no indikadór sira, inklui GNI no tinan hira ema bá eskola, hatudu progresu dezenvolvimentu oioin iha Azia Orientál no Pasífiku. IDU ne'e mós introdús indise foun tolu ne'ebé reflete kiak multidimensionál, dezigualdade no disparidade jéneru.

Iha Ázia Orientál, maioria nasaun sira iha dezigualdade rendimentu ne'ebé aas liu ohin loron, duké dekada hirak liubá, ne'ebé parsialmente kauza husi lakuna ne'ebé sai luan liu entre área rurál sira no sidade sira ne'ebé hetan industrializasaun maka'as.

PNUD nia Administradora, Helen Clark, hatete katak maske "ema sira ohin loron saudavel liután, iha osan barak liutánn, no edukadu di'ak liután duké tempu uluk, nasaun sira sei presiza halo buat barak liután atu hadi'ak ema sira-nia moris.Buat ida-ne'e presiza lideransa lokál ne'ebé korajozu no mós kompromisu kontínuu husi komunidade internasionál".

Atu hetan informasaun liután, favór ida kontakta: Clare Santry, Ofisiál Mídia no Komunikasaun, PNUD Timor-Leste iha clare-santry@undp.org Telemovel: +670 7245425.

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