Selim Jahan

Selim Jahan is former director of the Human Development Report Office under the United Nations Development Programme and lead author of the Human Development Report.

Reading his diaries and understanding the man

I do not remember who gave me the book—it may have been a friend, colleague, or a student of mine.

1w ago

Having their say: Well-being, choice and voice of Bangladeshi women

Development is all about enlarging freedoms for all so that every human being can pursue the choices they value and raise their voices in support of those choices.

2w ago

Strategies we can employ in tariff talks with the US

We must realise that the US has started the tariff war with a political agenda.

2w ago

Let’s not forget the silent emergencies of the world

In Gaza, the risk of famine is increasing due to protracted military operations. Humanitarian efforts are constrained both by inadequate relief materials and inaccessibility to the most affected areas.

3w ago

The cost of marrying off girls too soon

Child marriage is closely linked to high adolescent pregnancy rates.

1m ago

Sustaining the oceans as they sustain us

The importance of oceans in human lives can hardly be overemphasised.

1m ago

Tackling joblessness requires thinking out of the box

The issue of joblessness should be at the centre of the growth strategy.

2m ago

What the development philosophy should be for the FY2026 budget

The philosophical focus of the upcoming budget should be pro-poor and pro-people.

2m ago
June 6, 2020
June 6, 2020

The ethnic face of Covid-19 in UK

So far, the focus of the Covid-19, commonly known as coronavirus, in every country has rightly been on health issues— expanding testing, tracing the infected, how to deal with infection, and combatting deaths. Issues of disaggregated profiling of its various aspects including the diverse socio-economic impacts were put on the back burner.

November 9, 2019
November 9, 2019

Langa: What South Africa is this?

"Where am I?” is the first question I asked myself after getting out of the car. Bewildered, I looked around. With me, there were three black students from the University of the Western Cape, and the driver of the car was also a young black man.

July 19, 2019
July 19, 2019

On identity and extremism

A person may have multiple identities—he or she may be known by different traits. Just look at me. I am a person with more than one identity.

February 17, 2019
February 17, 2019

Technological revolution and the jobs of tomorrow

Today's technological revolution has given rise to a digital economy, which includes the Internet (fixed and mobile broadband), cloud computing, smartphones, smart cities, the Internet of Things and Internet of Everything, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning,

December 7, 2018
December 7, 2018

Violence against women: A zero-tolerance issue

The lack of women's empowerment is a critical form of inequality. And while there are many barriers to empowerment, violence against women and girls (VAW) is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality.

December 1, 2018
December 1, 2018

Future Of Work - Yet An Evolving Territory

What will be the nature of work in the future? This million-dollar question is being discussed in cafes, schools and workplaces around the world right now.

September 16, 2018
September 16, 2018

A case of laudable progress

The 2018 update on the global human development indices and indicators was released on September 14. Covering 189 countries of the world, the update has revealed for these countries the levels of human development in different dimensions, their progress, the inequalities in human development achievements and the extent and nature of deprivations.

April 8, 2018
April 8, 2018

RIP to GDP? Not So Fast

Recently, David Pilling had a write-up entitled “Do we need to say RIP (Rest in Peace) to GDP?” The write-up draws on his latest book The Growth Delusion on which he recently spoke at the Oxford Literary Festival.

September 18, 2017
September 18, 2017

Counting what counts in development

To most people, “development” is best measured by the quantity of change – like gains in average income, life expectancy, or years spent in school. The Human Development Index (HDI), a composite measure of national progress that my office at the United Nations Development Programme oversees, combines all three statistics to rank countries relative to one another.

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