It is therefore no surprise that the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, taking place in Geneva this month, has chosen to focus its work at the end of the Century on poverty eradication. The Human Development Report will undoubtedly provide additional depth to these discussions and supply arguments on how best to address the needs and protect the rights and security of the poorest and most disadvantaged communities. People turn to the Human Development Report as a repository of valuable information and the source of tested international guidelines for reducing the vulnerability of societies to external forces seemingly beyond their control or influence. In these times of global change, the UN and other international organizations offer a wealth of expertise and approaches aimed at reversing negative impacts of Globalization and preventing future ones. The UN accomplishes this by providing an extensive menu of useful programmes to its member states for the promotion of peace, human rights and of course, human security.
Human security is an issue of particular concern to the poor.
In all the activities of the United Nations, human security is a priority along side the protection of human rights and the environment. The comprehensive nature of the Human Development Report is a testament to the vast knowledge base on which UNDP draws much of its strength. UNDP is perhaps the only organization of the UN system which could consolidate such a varied and thorough analysis of data and trends throughout the world. UNDP s extensive country presence and its role as custodian of the UN s Resident Coordinator system, assures the organization a unique access to timely information, and a direct, high-level contact with national governments. This enables UNDP to keep abreast of social and political changes in the society in which it works.