Economy stunts human development - report

TALLINN - The Estonian Cooperation Assembly has released its long awaited Human Development Report for the country, finding that the crisis had a major impact on human development.

The report found that Estonia needs to asses its current path and probably develop a new welfare system to match the rapidly changing times.

“The human development problems exacerbated by the economic crisis pose a serious challenge to Estonia’s ability to critically assess the development path it has been on so far and to efficiently rectify the situation where necessary,” said Marju Lauristin, Editor-in-Chief of EHDR 2009.

“We have to define which path enables Estonia to maximise its potential for developing its human assets and ensuring its social and cultural sustainability even in dire economic and political straits. Let’s discuss which welfare model is suitable for Estonia and will ensure a high quality of life for our population,” he said.

The report said that migration patterns painted a poor picture for the living and working environment in certain areas of the country.

The 36 editors and authors of the EHDR 2009 include renowned Estonian social scientists and economists, as well as experts from the University of Tartu, Tallinn University, Estonian Institute for Future Studies, Estonian Institute for Sustainable Development, PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies, Geomedia Consultation and Training Centre, Estonian Development Fund, and Saar Poll.