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Curated by Project Syndicate

The Future of Human Development

11 commentaries

It’s been 25 years since the first UNDP Human Development Report affirmed that income growth alone does not improve human wellbeing. How can the human-development approach be used to help policymakers tackle today's complex global challenges?

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  1. From War to Work
    fstewart1_Emmanuel Dunand_Getty Images_War to Work Emmanuel Dunand/ Getty Images

    From War to Work

    Jun 9, 2016 Frances Stewart debunks the conventional wisdom that job creation prevents violent conflict.

  2. Living Free and Equal
    Latin America Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Living Free and Equal

    Apr 5, 2016 Rebeca Grynspan calls for redistributive policies to enable countries to reduce poverty and inequality.

  3. Learning Without Theory
    people walking Getty Images

    Learning Without Theory

    Mar 30, 2016 Ricardo Hausmann says that when it comes to economic growth and development, we should not confuse "what" and "how."

  4. From Child Slavery to Freedom
    Children in India Schoolchildren in India/Pixabay

    From Child Slavery to Freedom

    Jan 21, 2016 Kailash Satyarthi explains why 5.5 million kids remain in servitude – and what must be done to end the practice.

  5. Education in an Uncertain World
    Schoolchildren at a computer terminal

    Education in an Uncertain World

    Dec 16, 2015 Andreas Schleicher considers the skills that today's graduates need to cope with rapid technological change.

  6. The Evolution of Work
    Industrial tools

    The Evolution of Work

    Dec 9, 2015 Dani Rodrik explains why the outlook is mixed for labor in developing countries.

  1. haass178_Alex KentGetty Images)_zelenskytrump Alex Kent/Getty Images

    Diplomacy Is the Newest Front in the Russia-Ukraine War

    Richard Haass explains why an enforceable ceasefire must precede, perhaps by many years, final-status negotiations.
  2. subacchi47_Ravi ChipGettyImages_us_treasury_dept Ravi Chip/Getty Images

    Will the World Keep Buying US Treasuries?

    Paola Subacchi & Paul van den Noord foresee a gradual reduction in countries’ holdings of dollar-denominated debt, not a rapid sell-off.
  3. yi20_CFOTOGettyImages_group_wedding_china CFOTO/Getty Images

    Why China’s Marriage Crisis Matters

    Yi Fuxian examines the factors underlying a key cause of the country’s demographic crisis.
  4. gebert4_AFP via Getty Images_gazaprotest AFP via Getty Images

    Israel Must Not Ignore the Anti-Hamas Protests in Gaza

    Konstanty Gebert

    Recent demonstrations in Gaza have pushed not only for an end to the war, but also for an end to Hamas's rule, thus echoing Israel's own stated objectives. Yet the Israeli government, consumed by its own internal politics, has barely acknowledged this unprecedentedly positive development.

    underscores the unprecedented nature of recent demonstrations in the war-ravaged enclave.
  5. james229_Anna MoneymakerGetty Images_elonmuskmaga Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    Donald Trump Is a Globalist

    Harold James shows that the MAGA movement is actually an unalloyed version of the idea that its leader claims to reject.
  6. op_vaheesan1_Bettmann ContributorGetty Images_FDRdam Bettmann Contributor/Getty Images

    Getting Abundance Right

    Sandeep Vaheesan urges the creation of public utilities to accelerate decarbonization and improve living standards.
  7. acemoglu85_Antonio M. RosarioGettyImages_two_robots Antonio M. Rosario/Getty Images

    Two Models for Agentic AI

    Daron Acemoglu

    “Agentic AI” represents a crossroads. While AI could be a good adviser to humans – furnishing us with useful, reliable, and relevant information in real time – autonomous AI agents are likely to usher in many foreseeable problems, while eroding many of the gains that the technology might have offered.

    sees a technological crossroads ahead – and argues that one path should not be taken.
  8. arezki21_Per-Anders PetterssonGetty Images_botswanadiamonds Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images

    Developing Countries Need a New Strategy

    Rabah Arezki touts industrial policies that welcome multinational corporations' participation, but on fairer terms.
  9. slaughter109_Chip SomodevillaGetty Images_trump Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    How the World Can Keep Trump 2.0 in Check

    Anne-Marie Slaughter outlines five steps that foreign entities should take to counteract the US president’s radical agenda.

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