On 16 June the UN Office in Belarus hosted a briefing dedicated to initiation of the work on the Belarus National Human Development Report 2004-2005.

The briefing was given by Ms. Cihan Sultanoglu, the UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Belarus, Mr. Leonid Zaiko, the Chairman of the Advisory Board for Drafting the Report, and Mr. Stepan Polonik, the National Coordinator for Drafting the Report, Director of the Research Economic Institute of the Belarus Ministry of Economy.

The main aim of the 2004-2005 Report is to study and analyse statistical indicators of economic and social development of Belarus down to the level of regions and districts in order to detect any asymmetries and disproportions in development of human potentials of Belarus at the urban and rural levels, as well as asymmetries in access to education and public health services, gender equality, opportunities for youth and elder age brackets of the population, distribution of poverty and environment problems among various areas of the country.

A special attention will be given to researching the structural disproportions in the economy and the ways to overcome these, the problems of minor industrial cities, regional and social-economic distinctions in access to information technologies. A special chapter in the Report will be dedicated to the problems and prospects of Belarus' development in the context of EU enlargement. The basic objective of the Report is to equip the Government of Belarus, its business circles and civil society, and the international community with the actual and scientifically justified information and data gathered by Belarusian scientists.

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