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UN Documentation: Development

Introduction, 1991-1999

UN Photo 290361: Graca Machel and Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 08 November 1996

In 1990, the UN Development Programme launched the first Human Development Report.

"This Report is about people - and about how development enlarges their choices. It is about more than GNP growth, more than income and wealth and more than producing commodities and accumulating capital. A person's access to income may be one of the choices, but it is not the sum total of human endeavour."

Key events, documents and resolutions, 1990-1999

Decades:

  • 1990-1999: Third Disarmament Decade: A/RES/43/78 L
  • 1990-1999: International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction: A/RES/42/169
  • 1990-1999: United Nations Decade of International Law: A/RES/44/23
  • 1990-2000: International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism: A/RES/43/47
  • 1991-2000: Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa: A/RES/44/237
  • 1991-2000: Second Transport and Communications Decade in Africa : A/RES/43/179
  • 1991-2000: United Nations Decade Against Drug Abuse: A/RES/S-17/2
  • 1991-2000: Fourth United Nations Development Decade: A/RES/45/199
  • 1993-2003: Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination: A/RES/48/91 
  • 1994-2004: International Decade of the World's Indigenous People: A/RES/48/163
  • 1995-2004: Decade for Human Rights Education: A/RES/49/184 
  • 1997-2006: Decade for the Eradication of Poverty: A/RES/50/107

1991

  • (2nd) Human Development Report 1991: Financing Human Development
  • The World's Women, 1970-1990 : trends and statistics (ST/ESA/STAT/SER.K/8)

1992

1993

1994

  • International Year of the Family: A/RES/44/82
  • International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal: A/RES/48/10
  • Agenda for Development : Report of the Secretary-General (A/48/935)
  • Human Development Report 1994: New Dimensions of Human Security
  • International Conference on Population and Development
    • Known as the 5th World Population Conference
    • Cairo, 5-13 Sept. 1994
    • Report: A/CONF.171/13/Rev.1 (95.XIII.18)
  • Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States

1995

  • United Nations Year for Tolerance: A/RES/48/126
  • World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of Victims of the Second World War: A/RES/49/25
  • Human Development Report 1995: Gender and Human Development
  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) second assessment report issued
  • Our Creative Diversity : Report of the World Commission on Culture and Development
  • Fourth World Conference on Women : Action for Equality, Development and Peace
  • World Summit for Social Development

1996

  • International Year for the Eradication of Poverty: A/RES/48/183
  • Human Development Report 1996: Economic Growth and Human Development
  • UNCTAD IX
    • Midrand, South Africa, 27 Apr.-11 May 1996
    • TD/378/Rev.1: Report and annexes (97.II.D.4)
  • UN Conference on Human Settlements
    • Known as Habitat II
    • Istanbul, Turkey, 3-14 June 1996
    • A/CONF.165/14 (97.IV.6)
  • Impact of Armed Conflict on Children: Report of the Expert of the Secretary-General, Graça Machel
    • Known as the Machel Report
    • A/51/306 + Add.1
    • A/RES/51/77: Rights of the Child
      • Establishes the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict

1997

  • Kofi Annan appointed Secretary-General
  • A/RES/52/12B: Renewing the United Nations: a programme for reform
  • A/RES/51/240 : An Agenda for Development
  • Human Development Report 1997: Human Development to Eradicate Poverty
  • 19th special session of the General Assembly 
    • Known as the Earth Summit +5
    • New York, 23-27 June 1997
    • Report of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole: A/S-19/29
    • Resolutions and decisions adopted by the General Assembly: A/S-19/33
    • Official records: A/S-19/PV.1-11

1998

  • International Year of the Ocean: A/RES/49/131
  • Human Development Report 1998: Consumption for Human Development
  • UNCTAD Partners for Development Summit 
    • Lyon, France, 9-12 Nov. 1998
    • Report of UNCTAD Secretary-General on the Summit: TD/B/EX(20)/2

1999

  • International Year of Older Persons: A/RES/47/5, A/RES/50/141
  • Human Development Report 1999: Globalization with a Human Face
  • 21st special session of the General Assembly
    • New York, 30 June-2 July 1999
    • Topic: Population and Development
    • A/RES/S-21/2
  • 22nd special session of the General Assembly
    • New York, 27-28 Sept. 1999
    • Topic: Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
    • A/S-22/9/Rev.1

UN and Development