Sri Lanka has impressive human development indicators, says veteran development economist
For many years Sri Lanka has attracted interest for its development experience and has demonstrated that it can achieve human development while still at modest levels of income. Making this comment, Sir Richard Jolly, a leading development economist and Research Associate, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, noted that Sri Lanka could be a model for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. He was delivering the Gamini Corea Memorial Oration organised by the Gamini Corea Foundation at the BMICH last week, speaking on “Development – Can Sri Lanka be a model for implementing the SDGs?” Reminiscing on the memories of the late Dr. Corea and paying tribute to him, he said that Dr. Corea was a pioneer for the UN, especially on ideas for strengthening international action and what today would be called global governance.
Sir Richard said that apart from Cuba and two others – Georgia and Kirgizstan – Sri Lanka is the only country which ranks in Human Development Index (HDI) far above its rank in GNP per capita and indicated that for all the weaknesses of HDI as a measure, this still is an impressive indicator of human development performance. Supporting this claim, he said that the mortality rate of below age 5 children is under 10 per cent, maternal mortality rates are relatively low, adult literacy rates are above 90 per cent, averaging 98 per cent for those aged 13 – 24. He said that Sri Lanka’s human development performance can now be put in international perspective by referring to SDGs and in spite of certain criticisms, SDGs are important and a major step forward, especially because among other factors, the goals were formulated over three years in an intensive process of participation, involving people in all regions of the world.
He said “In terms of education, life expectancy, health, access to clean water, sanitation, the world has seen more progress for more people than ever before in history”. He pointed out that human development is still often used in a most casual fashion meaning little more than having a rough human focus in policy or outcome and said that strengthening human capabilities goes far beyond this, as the concept of expanding human choices, both are the key elements in human development. Inequality in many countries, he said is acknowledged to be the consequence of the adoption of neo-liberal economic policies in the 1980s and on development a negative role was played by international institutions from 1980 until recently – neo-liberal policies had to be adopted as a condition for obtaining debt relief.
Sir Richard said many countries have demonstrated that the usefulness and success of payments for child and other family benefits, are linked to conditions that the mother or child attend regular health checkups or in richer countries like Costa Rica, that the children attend secondary school instead of working. Speaking of International Governance, he noted that with regard to the international situation and to the challenges to global governance if implementing the SDGs is to receive the support required. He quipped; “Gamini would not have referred to this as global governance – but he wrote much about it as well as leading UNCTAD for 10 years”.