In producing the first series of the Arab Human Development Reports (AHDRs), UNDP-Regional
Bureau for Arab States sought, in cooperation with governments and civil society of the region,
to make a positive contribution to the region's development dialogue.
The catalyst for the founding series was a sense of urgency among Arab thinkers about the
precipitous situation of Arab countries at the start of a new millennium. Hence, the drive
was to address that situation through an Arab-owned analysis of the region
Since its launch, the AHDR has been one of UNDP's flagship products and has served as an effective
vehicle for policy dialogue in the Arab countries.
The first Report (2002) "Creating Opportunities for Future Generations" issued in 2002 identified
three critical development deficits in the:
- The acquisition of knowledge,
- Political freedoms, and
- Women's empowerment
The subsequent issues (AHDR 2003, AHDR 2004, AHDR 2005) in turn studied each of the deficits in
greater depth, with the goal of arriving at a strategic vision of how each deficit is to be overcome
in the context of a human development project in the Arab world.
A second AHDR series will be published during the years 2008-2011 dealing with the most
eminent challenges confronting the Arab region. The new series follows the same methodology
and procedure, relying on Arab expertise from all over the region with adequate gender and youth
representation. It will also endeavor to expand the range and number of surveys, and to include
statistical expertise in the preparation process, with the aim to reflect the current situation
in the region.
The AHDR 2008 will be dedicated to question of human security, which has been selected as one of the most
significant, inclusive and far-reaching theme at this time.
The production of the Report will be co-sponsored by UNDP-RBAS and a number of partners from the
region, including the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) and Arab Gulf Programme
for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND).