HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND MODERN TECHNOLOGIES Chapter 1 1.5. Conclusion Human development and poverty reduction, which are the most important Millennium Development Goals and the use of ICT and other modern technologies, remain among the State's priorities for developing a civil society in Azerbaijan. Deepening the understanding of the importance of these goals is reflected in the programs for various sectors of economy and public life. The key and strategy for MDGs the State Program for Poverty Reduction and Economic Development, which was adopted in February 2003. Measures in this direction will strengthen human development in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has already experienced certain successes related to this goal. This was reflected by integral indicators of the assessment of human development such as the Human Development Index (HDI). National experts have carried out the monitoring of HDI in Azerbaijan since 1994 with support from UNDP. The National Human Development Reports help the national government and the community to gain a better understanding of further measures that are necessary to increase human potential and the creation of human gold. In the field of human development, the following positive trends have been documented: Stable growth of the Human Development Index and its integral components. Such growth has been observed since 1996 and, undoubtedly, will grow as the GDP increases. Throughout the years of growth, an increase in the HDI was influenced not only by the annual growth of GDP (which on average was approximately 10 percent). This also has led to the rise in the education index and the enrollment index. The enrollment index is no longer declining. This is particularly important as it relates to the enrollment index of tertiary educational institutes, where professional skills of human gold are formed. In cooperation with international institutions (UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank and others), a national education reform program is being implemented. In 2003, a National Strategy for ICT development was implemented, which will facilitate the country's transition to an information society. Although the economic growth, reflected by high rates of growth of GDP, seems impressive, the following problems still exist: The use of all resources for economic growth and increase of human development index is not integrated. The economic growth of recent years is associated primarily with the development of the oil sector, which is mostly oriented to extracting crude oil. The projects in this sector, which are implemented with direct foreign investments, provide for foreign exchange influx. However these projects have not yet stimulated adequate attention of the foreign investors to other sectors of economy. It, therefore, cannot be considered stable, due to fluctuations in the prices of crude oil. Only in the individual branches of the industry are new enterprises with state-of-the-art equipment and technologies being established. As a consequence, the following conditions exist: Poverty, regional and gender disparities in Human Development Indices; Delays in the investment projects in the non-oil sectors of the economy prevent the creation of job opportunities which are highly profitable for the country both in terms of employing personnel and bringing money into the state budget; Unemployment has not been fully investigated and the official statistical data of this problem cannot be relied upon, which complicates the measurement of Human Development Indices; Limited demand for skilled labor suppresses young people's motivation for becoming educated in natural sciences and engineering which, in turn, limits the boundaries of scientific research and the relevant creation of scientific and engineering personnel. These and other urgent problems, not reflected in the report, require the attention of the government and other national institutes. Among them, the following policy recommendations are of crucial importance for increasing human potential: The development and fulfillment of a national strategic program for the development of modern technologies from the perspective of an ICT development strategy. Such programs could be developed under coordination of the Cabinet of Ministries with support of international organizations and the involvement of NGOs. Acceleration of human development and human gold formation in the country provides the necessity for implementation of relevant measures. Creation of regional and sectoral programs and action plans in the field of human development. Greater increase of Human Development Indicators and the elimination of regional and gender disparities, human gold formation development of a State mid-term and a longer-term investment program and projects should be ensured. Regional and infrastructural aspects of such programs require particular attention. Development of regional business incubators to strengthen regional industrial entrepreneurs and farmers' access to ICT resources and marketing resources for more successful development of human potential through expansion of economic capabilities and an increase of the level of knowledge and qualifications. Previous page  Next page UP