In 2021, the largest global Gross Domestic Product in history was recorded, but also six out of seven people said they felt insecure, the UN Development Program warned on Tuesday (UNDP) who stressed that “progress in global development does not automatically generate a greater sense of security“.
In a study published today, the UNDP He assures that the feeling of insecurity among the population is increasing despite the progress of development, for which he calls for “promoting solidarity and reorienting efforts in the field of development.”
Covid-19, climate change, famine, digital technologies, inequalities, the capacity of health systems to face new challenges, in addition to armed conflicts, which affect some 1.2 billion people, have continued to generate anxiety, fear of suffering shortages or not being able to live with dignity.
The UN agency recalls that life expectancy has fallen worldwide for the second consecutive year due to the coronavirus pandemic and warns that temperature changes could cause the death of 40 million people by the end of the century.
“People with a higher sense of human insecurity are three times less likely to trust others”
“Despite the development progress accumulated over the years, the feeling of security of the population is below the minimum in almost all countries, including the richest ones,” says the UNDPbefore warning that states “with some of the highest levels of good health, wealth, and education show higher levels of anxiety than even ten years ago.”
The UNDP measures this insecurity through the Human Development Index, which maintained a continuous improvement since it began to be compiled in 1994, until it collapsed in 2019-2020, coinciding with the outbreak of covid-19.
Although in 2021 it experienced a recovery, the UNDP calculates that in two years the index lost the improvements achieved in five years, between 2014 and 2019.
“Despite the world enjoying unprecedented wealth, most people are worried about the future, feelings that have probably been exacerbated by the pandemic,” said the administrator of the UNDPAchim Steiner, quoted in a statement.
In addition, he insisted that there is a close relationship between loss of confidence and feelings of insecurity.
“People with a greater sense of human insecurity are three times less likely to trust others”, which affects daily relationships of coexistence.
For Steiner, the solution lies in “paying attention to the signals that societies suffering from immense stress emit and redefine the true meaning of progress”.
In this sense, he urges a development model that is built on the protection and restoration of the planet, with new “sustainable opportunities” for all.
The UNDP It argues that the agents of change should promote solidarity, empowerment and protection in all areas and avoid that the improvement of one aspect implies the worsening of another.
