The national human development report, produced in cooperation with the united national in Iran, describes the status of human development in the country and makes extensive recommendations for change in all areas of Iranian life.

The following in the summary of the report: Chapter 1: the concept of human development

The concept of human development has evolved, and now is underpinned by the goal of achieving a better life and the idea that an enabling social environment has an important role in expanding human choices. This concept lays the foundation for an analysis in national human development reports of the impact of social change on human development.

The expansion of people's choices through higher incomes and better education and health for all is a goal that is clearly expressed in the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The interaction between the two founding principles of the Islamic republic of Iran, Islam and republicanism, paves the way for the creation of an enabling social environment for human development.

The necessity of enlarging human choices is an idea shared by the human development approach and the doctrine of spiritual evolution in Islamic thought. Chapter 2: a profile of human development in Iran

From 1960 to 1995, Iran's human development index values increased 0.452, moving the Islamic Republic of Iran from the group of countries considered to have low human development to join the ranks of those with medium human development.

In the past 10 years, Iran's human development index rose from 0.642 to 0.758.

Increased life expectancy, higher rates of adult literacy, and better combined enrollment ratios were the primary factors in the country's human development gains.

The human development index adjusted by income distribution has improved in the last decade.

The fall in human poverty from 31 percent to 18 percent was the country's most important human development achievement in the past 10 years.

In the past decade, the human development index (hdi) adjusted by gender rose from low to medium. This was largely attributable to the improvement in women's literacy and education, which was more significant than their gains in health and income.

There has been no remarkable change in the gender empowerment index over recent years. Expansion of women's share in political, scientific and technical positions could help improve this index.

There are considerable hdi disparities among the provinces. In 1996, Tehran topped the list with an hdi of 0.842 while the province of sistan-baluchestan, with an hdi of 0.545, was at the bottom. differences in gross expenditure per capita were the most important cause of human development gaps among the provinces.

Disparities in human poverty among the provinces are also significant, ranging from 11.3 percent in Tehran province to 39.5 percent in sistan-baluchestan in 1996. Differences in the adult illiteracy rate, income distribution, and the percentage of the population without access to safe water and sanitary toilets were the primary reasons for these gaps.

There are noteworthy disparities in the provinces' hdis with respect to women, primarily explained by differences in female literacy rates and the number of women representing the provinces in the Islamic consultative assembly (parliament).

A comparison of the provinces' rankings on the gross expenditure per capita index and the human development index reveals that higher economic growth could lead to improved provincial hdis, but that the most effective way of improving the human poverty index and the gender-adjusted hdi in the provinces would be to redistribute education and health services among them. Chapter 3: population changes and trends

The most important factor in weakening population growth (from 3.2 percent in 1976-1986 to 1.3 percent in 1991-1996) was the considerable drop in fertility.

Population changes have caused the active population to grow from 25.4 million in 1986 to 33.7 million in 1996. The population aged 15-64 years is expected to reach 47.6 million in 2006, which means that demand for jobs will increase substantially in the coming years.

Rapid urbanization and high population growth have had an adverse effect on educational and health services as well as the environment, bringing the country face-to-face with important human development challenges.

Unemployment did not increase inordinately under the first and second development plans, but if the unemployment rate is to be kept at 9.1 percent under the third development plan, 750,000 jobs will have to be created every year.

The pattern of employment in the various economic sectors has changed over the last 20 years. The agriculture sector's share of employment has shrunk as the services sector's share has expanded. the decline in the industrial sector's employment share was due largely to falling employment in construction.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is host to some two million immigrants and refugees, reflecting a humanitarianism and Islamic compassion unrivaled in the world.

Continued implementation of population and family planning policies would certainly help prevent a rise in unemployment in the coming years, but the only way to address the unemployment problem effectively is to adopt serious job-creation policies.

The expansion of employment calls for labor market flexibility, higher productivity in the whole range of production factors, and the mobilization of capital. Revising the country's labor laws and regulations would help achieve this. Development of small and medium-sized enterprises is also an effective employment-expansion strategy. Chapter 4: income trends and economic policies

The first decade after the Islamic revolution was marked by the imposed war and the economic embargo, which made it impossible for the Islamic Republic of Iran to formulate and implement comprehensive development plans. Consequently, the country suffered gdp losses and a downward trend in per capita income.

In the next ten years, though, because of a strategic change of direction under the first development plan towards economic liberalization and privatization, gdp grew at an average annual rate of 7.3 percent. Since the economic reforms envisaged under the plan were not fully realized, and there was a concurrent steep fall in the price of oil on international markets, average annual gdp growth during the first four years of the plan was no more than 3.8 percent.

The absence of a logical relationship between the second development plan's general policies and its operational programs was a key impediment to the full implementation of economic reforms and high economic growth.

The economic context in which the second and third development plan were prepared were very similar. The principle structural problems facing economic reform were (and are) the government's extensive role in the economy, its intervention in price mechanisms, multiple exchange rates and insufficient distinction between fiscal and monetary policies.

The third development plan's priorities in the economic sector are reforming administrative and management structures, streamlining and increasing the efficiency of state enterprises, downsizing government, reducing monopolies, regulating the tax and budgetary systems, separating fiscal and monetary policies, and regulating the financial markets. Chapter 5: education

An increase in adult literacy rate from 57.1 percent in 1988 to 74.5 percent in 1997 and a rise in combined enrolement from 65.6 percent to 75 percent in the same period were two key factors in human development gains in the last decade.

Primary education's share in the combined enrolement has gone down, but gross enrolment rates at the secondary and tertiary levels have registered a remarkable increase.

Comaprison between education index in the Islamic Republic of Iran (75 percent in 1997) and countries with high human development (85-99 percent) makes it clear that the Islamic Republic of Iran has considerable room for improvement, even though, on average, it is doing better than most countries with medium human development.

Quantitative expansion of education, particularly at the tertiary level, has been accomplished at the expense of quality, to some degree at least. It is very important to improve the quality of education because of its impact on the country's overall development, especially at a time when the country needs higher economic growth to achieve higher human development.

It is vitally important to ensure that education programs, vocational and technical in particular, are compatible with the various economic sectors' needs and human development goals.

Important policies for educational system development include boosting private sector involvement at different levels; giving universities and institutions of higher education administrative and academic independence; recruiting qualified faculty and encouraging them to do research; ensuring that tertiary-level curricula are aligned with the needs of the economy and the country's scientific development goals; and expanding independent research and development institutions. Chapter 6: health, nutrition and food security

Human development gains from 1988 to 1997 were due in large measure to the increase in life expectancy from 61.6 to 69.5 years. the drop in mortality among under-fives, from 85.3 per 1,000 live births in 1988 to 37.3 per 1,000 live births in 1997, had the greatest impact on this indicator.

Compared with life expectancy in countries with high human development (75-80 years), the Islamic Republic of Iran's 69.5 years leaves considerable room for improvement. Nonetheless, the Islamic republic of Iran is higher on this indicator than most countries with medium human development.

The establishment and expansion of the public health care network was the government's most important policy, giving 100 percent of the urban population and around 85 percent of the rural population access to primary health care.

Policies needed to develop the national health system include continuing government involvement in health care while expanding private sector provision of specialized medical services; introducing realistic fees for health care services; giving local councils more discretion over financial allocations to health care services; and eliminating shortcomings in the public health care network and the health system in general.

From 1988 to 1997, the average share of different macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) in Iranians' total energy supply was similar to that in developing countries.

To achieve sustainable food security, the Islamic Republic of Iran needs to increase domestic production of food items, take measures to ensure adequate levels of micronutrients in Iranians' diet, prevent food wastage, improve general nutrition awareness, reduce income poverty, and assure a more equitable distribution of income. Chapter 7: women

Almost all of the Iranian institutions and public organizations have established special units for advancing the status of women. the most important of these are the cultural and social council of women, the special committee for women and youth attached to the expediency discernment council, the center for women's participation affiliated to the office of the president, the provincial commissions on women's affairs within the ministry of the interior, a special parliamentary commission on women and youth and the family, and bureaus of women's affairs in the judicial branch.

Women have made significant achievements in the legal arena. these include the ratification and implementation of laws and regulations aimed at defending women's rights, the expansion of women's particiaption in the decision-making process, actions and measures taken to prevent violence against women, and accession to international treaties and conventions.

The difficulties women face in Iran can be explained by the fact that modernization in the country's economic, social and political systems has not been matched by a similar level of development in its legal system, resulting in certain inconsistencies in social life. Developing Islamic jurisprudence in such a way as to take account of the changing status of women might be an important step towards eliminating women's legal problems.

It will be important to expand women's non-governmental organizations; make government agencies dealing with women's affairs more coherent by eliminating duplication; and accede to the convention for the elimination of all forms of discrimiantion against women (cedaw), with reservations on those sections considered to be in contravention of incontrovertible Islamic principles.

It has been impossible to assess women's share in the national economy and total employment properly because of the lack of techniques to measure the work done by women in small traditional units. Indeed, official statistics put the female economic activity rate in 1997 at 14.3 percent. Initiatives aimed at expanding women's employment are needed to improve their human development.

Some of the most important achievements in women's health are the implementation of reproductive health and family planning programs; greater popular participation in health care service provision; the formulation of laws and health schemes guaranteeing the reduction and elimination of occupational health hazards for women; and the development of mechanisms to give women full and equal access to health care services.

Policy priorities to improve women's health are: strengthen the participation of non-governmental organizations in health service provision for women; expand sports facilities for women; and develop social security networks for the protection of women.

Although the rate of female literacy, particularly in rural areas, has grown remarkably in the past decade, female illiteracy in both cities and villages is still high. A reduction in this rate will greatly help improve women's human development.

The considerable increase in the rate of admission of girls to universities and institutions of higher education is undoubtedly a significant achievement. The creation of sufficient job opportunities for women with college degrees is now an important challenge.

The human development of women in Islamic terms requires comprehensive development in all its cultural, political and economic dimensions and based on an approach inspired by Islamic spirituality so that the problems and challenges stemming from unbalanced development in women's affairs can be addressed. Chapter 8: the environment

Rapid urbanization during the recent decades, coupled with a lack of attention to the environmental impact of industrial activities, is one of the chief factors threatening the human environment in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The policy requiring the construction of industrial parks in city outskirts is one of the most effective for reducing industrial environmental pollution. To achieve this, it will be necessary for industrialists and factory owners to observe environmental standards more strictly. Another important pollution-reduction measure will be to implement environmental impact assessment of development projects.

Domestic sewage, industrial effluent, pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers, solid waste, and microbial and chemical pollutants in ground water are the leading sources of water pollution in Iran.

Scant rainfall, reduced organic content, increasing salinity and alkalinity, changes in land use, and industrial pollutants are all threatening the soil. Key problems are the absence of a comprehensive plan for protection of the soil, as well as excessive use of agricultural chemicals and improper mining practices.

Motor vehicles, which are the source of 65 percent of total air pollutants, are by far the most important factor in air pollution. the use of a variety of fossil fuels for domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes, and industrial activities like cement production, steel and non-ferrous metal foundries and chemical industries are the other leading sources of pollution.

In order to tackle threats to the human environment, it will be necessary to adopt policies aimed at inculcating an ecosystemic approach to urban development, (particularly urban systems such as transportation, housing, communications, sewerage networks and commercial centers); raising the price of energy; enhancing public awareness of environmental hazards; assessing the environmental impact of development projects; requiring vehicles to conform to environmental standards; and expanding public transportation in order to limit the use of private cars.

Desertification is one of the most serious threats to the country's natural environment. Since the victory of the Islamic revolution, the organization of forests and range lands has implemented a number of projects aimed at rehabilitating the country's pasture lands and improving their management, as well as numerous other projects. These projects have been important steps towards the protection of the country's forests and pasture lands and the prevention of desertification.

It will be important to strengthen the department of the environment so that it can implement the national biodiversity plan; prepare a comprehensive inventory of plant and animal species; expand the country's protected areas to 10 percent of its total surface area to protect biodiversity; carefully monitor the exploitation of endangered species; impose a ban on changing the use of forests and pasture lands without conducting an environmental impact assessment; and prepare a national plan for tackling marine pollution.

Two other steps are required to deal with the environmental challenges facing the Islamic Republic of Iran: strengthen the system of policy making, management and implementation of environmental protection programs, notably through the department of the environment; and enhance popular participation in environmental protection, particularly by non-governmental organizations and the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

Expanding regional cooperation within the framework of the regional organization for the protection of marine environment (ropme) will contribute significantly to preventing and reducing marine pollution. Chapter 9: drugs

The Islamic Republic of Iran captured 70 percent of all the illicit opium and 90 percent of the illicit morphine seized throughout the world in 1990-1996. In 1998, Iran was the international leader in illicit opium seizures, with 86.9 percent of the world total. These figures illustrate the country's important achievements in controlling the supply and transit of narcotic drugs.

Vast poppy cultivation and massive narcotic drugs production in Afghanistan, the booming drug markets in European countries, extensive common borders with the Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the high cost of establishing and maintaining physical barriers along its borders to prevent drug trafficking are the major challenges facing Iran in controlling the supply and transit of narcotic drugs.

Previous legislation against drug abuse in Iran lacked provisions for reducing demand, concentrating instead on drug-use bans or penalties for offenders. Treatment programs were few and far between.

The formulation of a program for the prevention of drug abuse and treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts by the state welfare organization was the first step towards a comprehensive planning approach to reducing demand for narcotic substances. The organization is currently taking effective demand-reduction measures by establishing outpatient treatment centers, implementing addiction prevention programs in a number of the provinces, developing self-help services, and publishing educational books and films. It will be necessary, however, for the ministry of health and medical education's five-year plan to take an approach to its prevention strategy that is inclusive of the whole range of physical, psychological and social aspects of addiction.

To tackle the drug problem effectively, regional and international cooperation on reducing the supply of and demand for narcotic drugs needs to be expanded, particularly through exchange of information, legal collaboration, confiscation of assets acquired from narcotic drugs, and controlled delivery. Meanwhile, exchange of information on preventing drug use and reducing demand and the provision of training programs by international organizations would help combat the destructive impact of drug addiction on human development. Chapter 10: political development and economic reform: a new agenda for human development

Political development and economic reform are the keys to the creation of an enabling environment for the achievement of higher economic growth and, by extension, a higher level of human development.

Identifying the conditions and requirements of an integrated matrix of political development and economic reform, and providing the grounds for the realization of these reforms are the primary challenges facing the creation of an enabling environment.

The formulation and ratification of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran laid the foundation of rule of law. efforts aimed at the constitution's full implementation are imperative for the development of rule of law in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

A comparison between the number of participants in the various elections held in Iran and the number of eligible voters indicates that political participation is growing. Although this trend has had ups and downs because of the nature of the different elections, the general conclusion to be drawn is that whenever there was greater pluralism, participation increased.

Insufficient attention to the socio-political prerequisites for economic reform, policy changes in the course of implementation, and failure to implement fully some of the policies adopted under the plans were among the main reasons why the first and second development plans were not completely successful in achieving their economic goals, particularly for the transition to a competitive economy.

By forging a relationship between domestic politics, economic reform, cultural policies, and foreign policy, the third development plan strives to present operational strategies for the realization of its general policies. Because it relies on the reform of regulations and institutions and pays more attention to the social, cultural and legal dimensions of development, this plan stands a higher chance of success. Nonetheless, the implementation of the third development plan faces a number of challenges, notably the creation of suitable socio-political environment for the realization of economic reforms as well as the building of the executive, technical and informational capacity required for its implementation.

An integrated process of political development and economic reform requires rule of law and popular participation to be strengthened. This can be achieved by carefully monitoring the constitution's implementation, enhancing the people's participation in elections, institutionalizing freedom of association and a free press and assuring government transparency and accountability. It also requires a connection between economic reform and political development, one that can be made by ensuring consistency in the various aspects of privatization policies within the framework of the existing law and regulations, and by reducing legal obstacles. the government's commitment to executive reform and the provision of judicial, political and social security is also of great importance in this regard.

Civil society organizations' role in the achievement of an integrated process of political development and economic reform is evinced by their continual monitoring of the government's economic and social policies to ensure that they are compatible with the legal, political and social prerequisites of such a process. It is also reflected by their activities to raise public awareness and strengthen the government's transparency and accountability. It is clear, therefore, that properly functioning civil society organizations have a fundamental role to play in the integration of political development and economic reform.