JICA-RI and UNDP Discuss 2015 Human Development Report and 'Work'

Selim Jahan, director of the UNDP's Human Development Report Office, made the keynote speech at the event. Following the keynote speech, JICA-RI visiting scholar Go Shimada, assistant professor of economics of the School of International Relations, the University of Shizuoka, and Akiko Taguchi, director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Japan, gave short comments on the report. JICA-RI Director Ichiro Tambo closed the meeting by highlighting the importance of work that goes unmeasured by GDP.

Jahan noted that in order to accelerate the progress achieved so far in human development - including more than 1 billion people escaping extreme poverty in the past 25 years - as well as to overcome the gaps - including ongoing poverty, suffering and unused human potential - a positive link must be forged between work and human development. He pointed out that sustainable work is work that enhances human development and ensures environmental sustainability.

Shimada said Kaizen can be discussed as one way of translating the Human Development Report into action and presented his research findings on a Kaizen project.

"Therefore I would like to suggest we introduce kaizen to achieve 'quality of work' in developing countries," he concluded.

Another invited commentator, Akiko Taguchi, praised the Report for its comprehensiveness and touched on an approach to gender imbalances.

JICA-RI Director Ichiro Tambo said in his closing remarks, "The groundbreaking point of this report is how it defines work in a broader scope that encompasses jobs and employment, including unpaid domestic work, voluntary work and creative work, all of which cannot be measured by GDP or any other economic indicators."