The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has ranked Mauritius 64th out of 177 in its report on the human development index (HDI) for 2004. This is a slight increase compared to last year. Although Mauritius still forms part of countries with medium human development, this is a respectable position. The report makes it clear however that progress is still needed to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

What the UNDP reveals goes beyond the wealth created by a country every year. It ?measures? how much the development of a country can benefit the population. Hence, the HDI takes into consideration more human dimensions such as longevity, level of education, access to basic services. ?Previous Human Development Reports have focused on expanding social, political and economic opportunities to widen these choices. They have explored ways that policies of equitable growth, expansion of social opportunities and deepening of democracy can enhance those choices for all people.? This is how the United Nations describes its own programme.

This year, it decided to focus on one specific dimension of human development: cultural liberty as it is considered as ?central to the capability of people to live as they would like (?) Cultural liberty is about allowing people the freedom to choose their identities ? and to lead the lives they value ? without being excluded from other choices important to them (such as those concerning education, health or job opportunities).?

The UNDP thinks that this cultural liberty is one the pillars of human development: ?the advance of cultural liberty must be a central aspect of human development, and this requires going beyond social, political and economic opportunities since they do not guarantee cultural liberty.?

The criterion that has benefited Mauritius the most is its specificity as a multicultural nation. ?Encouraging diversity is the only sustainable approach to stability, peace and democracy,? Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, main author of the report, declared during her visit to Mauritius. Pravind Jugnauth jumped on the opportunity to say that the economic development of the country has not been done at the expense of its cultural diversity.

Mauritius is multicultural in the sense that all communities live ?together in perfect harmony.? There is no religious oppression or social exclusion of any group and Mauritians pride themselves on the fact that they can enjoy all the benefits of living a multicultural society.