For the first time Norway is number one in UNDP’s ranking of the countries that have the highest quality of life in the world. This was presented in the Human Development Report, which is published every year by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The main theme of this year’s report is technology and development.

Norway is in first place in the report’s Human Development Index. A country’s position in the Index depends on how high it ranks in terms of health, education, gender equality, life expectancy and GDP per capita.

Minister of International Development Anne Kristin Sydnes is pleased that Norway is ranked at the top of the UN Index: "Our ranking is a result of the fact that Norway has pursued a deliberate distribution policy for a number of years. But being in first place entails an obligation. As one of the world’s richest countries, we have a moral responsibility to contribute to a more equitable distribution of goods. 1.2 billion people are still living on less than a dollar a day, one billion have no access to clean drinking water, and 34 million have HIV/AIDS. This is the reality we are facing."

"We must intensify our efforts to combat poverty and seek even more actively to promote international solidarity. The last thing we should do in such a situation is to cut the development cooperation budget in order to finance tax breaks," said Ms. Sydnes.

The theme of this year’s report is technology

The report deals specifically with how new technologies in the field of information and communications technology, biotechnology and genetic engineering will affect developing countries and poor people. Advances are being made increasingly rapidly in these areas.

"The UNDP report shows that there are no simple, quick solutions to the challenges facing the developing countries today. Development assistance will continue to be essential for the poorest countries. Trade policies and new technologies will also be important tools. Support for education and capacity-building is also becoming increasingly important to ensure that the new technologies also benefit the poorest people," said the Minister of International Development,

According to the report, research and experience in the field of biotechnology reveal that there is a great potential for improving agriculture and making it more sustainable. Using local crop varieties and farmers’ needs as a basis, this technology can be used in plant breeding to promote more long-term sustainable development.

New technologies do not give priority to the poorest people

The report reveals that the development of new technologies, for example in the pharmaceutical industry, is primarily steered by the market. Research and development, personnel and finance are concentrated in rich countries and led by global corporations. Research is largely steered by the needs of high-income consumers, while the development of new technologies for poor people is a neglected area.

HIV/AIDS a priority area

According to the report, USD 70 billion was invested in health research in 1998. Of this, only USD 300 million was invested in developing vaccines against HIV/AIDS.

"Much more can be done to develop vaccines against HIV/AIDS," said Minister of International Development Sydnes. "The AIDS epidemic has reached enormous proportions. It is a development catastrophe and one of the major causes of the continued stagnation in sub-Saharan Africa.

"Preventive efforts – based on openness and a massive effort by all sectors of society to prevent the disease from spreading – will still be essential. As health systems are strengthened and less expensive drugs become available, more people will have access to treatment, and this will have a positive effect on preventive efforts," said Ms. Sydnes.