Republic of the Philippines

WESTERN PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL

Course No. /Title: PA 201 (Theory and Practice of Public Administration)

Topic: Sustainable Human Development
Date: September 22, 2018

Sustainable Human Development

Sustainable Human Development means that men and women - particularly the
poor and vulnerable - are at the centre of the development process. It also means
"protection of the life opportunities of future generations and the natural systems on
which all life depends" (UNDP, Human Development Report 1996). The
development's central purpose is to create an enabling environment where all can
enjoy long, healthy and creative lives. Economic growth is a means to sustainable
human development - not an end in itself. UNDP focuses on four critical elements of
sustainable human development:
 Eliminating poverty
 Creating jobs and sustaining livelihoods
 Protecting and regenerating the environment
 Promoting the advancement of women
There are five aspects to sustainable human development - all affecting the lives of
the poor and vulnerable:
1. Empowerment - The expansion of men's and women's capabilities and choices
increases their ability to exercise those choices free of hunger, want and
deprivation. It also increases their opportunity to participate in or endorse
decision-making affecting their lives
2. Cooperation - With a sense of belonging for personal fulfilment, well-being and a
sense of purpose and meaning, human development is concerned with how
people work together and interact.
3. Equity -The expansion of capabilities and opportunities means more than income -
it also means equity, such as an educational system to which everybody should
have access.
4. Sustainability - The needs of this generation must be met without compromising
the right of future generations to be free of poverty and deprivation and to exercise
their basic capabilities.
5. Security, Particularly the security of livelihood. People need to be freed from
threats, such as disease or repression, and sudden harmful disruptions in their lives.
Human development focuses on the individuality of the human being: a person as
the beneficiary is both the subject and object of evolution.

Human Development and Sustainability

The main problem in ensuring human development is to develop sustainable models

for increasing production and consumption. A genuinely sustainable human
development requires overcoming the interdependence between economic
growth and environmental pollution. The primary indicator of human development is
the Human Development Index (HDI), which is a measure in "human" terms of the
synthetic performance of a product:
The health index, revealed by the life expectancy at birth, summarizes the
combined influence of various factors on life, such as the evolution of the state of
health of the individual, nutrition, living conditions, etc.;
The education index is calculated as the weighted arithmetic average of the
literacy rate (two-thirds weight) and the gross enrollment rate in all secondary
education levels (one-third weight).
The living standard index, evaluated through the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per
capita, expresses the average resources individuals have access to for a decent
living.

Governance and Sustainable Human Development

The state

The state's functions are manifold - among them, being the focus of the social
contract that defines citizenship, being the authority mandated to control and exert
force, having responsibility for public services and creating an enabling environment
for sustainable human development. The latter means establishing and maintaining
stable, effective, fair legal-regulatory frameworks for public and private activity. It
means ensuring stability and equity in the marketplace, mediating interests for the
public good, and providing practical and accountable public services. State
institutions can also empower the people they are intended to serve by providing
equal opportunities and ensuring social, economic and political inclusion and
access to resources. States should also decentralize political and economic systems
to respond to citizens' demands and changing economic conditions.

The private sector

The state is a significant force for development - but it is not the only one. Sustainable
human development depends partly on creating jobs that provide enough income
to improve living standards. Most states now recognize that the private sector is the
primary source of opportunities for productive employment. Economic globalization
is fundamentally changing how industries and enterprises operate. In many
developing countries, the private enterprise must be encouraged and supported to
be more transparent and competitive in the international marketplace. However,
the market cannot achieve equitable growth, gender balance, environmental
preservation, expansion of the private sector, and responsible and effective
participation in international commerce.

Civil society

Civil society also has to protect the rights of all citizens. Civil society organizations
channel people's participation in economic and social activities and organize them
into more powerful groups to influence public policies and gain access to shared
resources, especially for the poor. They also offer opportunities for people to develop
their capacities and improve their living standards - by monitoring the environment,
assisting the disadvantaged, developing human resources, and helping
communication among business people. Strengthening the enabling environment
for sustainable human development thus depends on a state that governs well and
a private sector that provides jobs that generate income. Edgar et al. (2006)

Good Governance and Human Development

Two broad governance issues discerned

1. Pertains to institutions of governance, including public administration and public
services connected, in particular, with the sound management of resources,
delivery of and equitable access to public services, responsiveness to the views of
citizens and their participation in decisions that concern them.
2. Concerned with concepts of democracy and the rule of law

References:
http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Module_I.p
df

Sustainable Human Development.Ruxandra MOŞTEANU.The Faculty of Economic

Sciences and Business Management, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania