Two Crucial Challenges to Human Development in the Arab Region: Governance Reform and Knowledge Acquisition

Abstract

In this chapter, the author provides the concept of 'human development', as developed by the United Nations Development Program since 1990, which he considers crucial to the development prospects of underdeveloped countries; countries which can only aspire to progress through human advancement. At the dawn of the third millennium, the human condition in Arab countries, especially as compared to contemporary levels of human achievement, leaves a great deal of room for improvement. A complete characterisation of the human condition in Arab countries must, however, extend to other fundamental aspects of human society spanning the spectrum from lack of respect for human rights at one end to the fragile ecological envelope of Arab countries at the other end. Low productivity poses one of the main challenges to human development in Arab countries. The disparity between publishing and patent registration also points to the most important weakness of the knowledge acquisition system in Arab countries.