The 2013 Human Development Report is the latest in the series of global Human Development Reports published as independent, empirical analyses of major development issues, trends and policies.
The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World argues that a large number of developing countries are becoming dynamic major economies with a significant impact on human development progress:
"The Report notes that, over the last decade, all countries accelerated their achievements in the education, health, and income dimensions as measured in the Human Development Index (HDI) -- to the extent that no country for which data was available had a lower HDI value in 2012 than in 2000. As faster progress was recorded in lower HDI countries during this period, there was notable convergence in HDI values globally, although progress was uneven within and between regions ...
"By 2020, according to projections developed for this Report, the combined economic output of three leading developing countries alone -- Brazil, China and India -- will surpass the aggregate production of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. Much of this expansion is being driven by new trade and technology partnerships within the South itself, as this Report also shows.
"A key message contained in this and previous Human Development Reports, however, is that economic growth alone does not automatically translate into human development progress. Pro-poor policies and significant investments in people’s capabilities -- through a focus on education, nutrition and health, and employment skills—can expand access to decent work and provide for sustained progress."