June 29, 2000
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today welcomed the news that for the seventh
consecutive year, the United Nations Human Development Program (UNDP) has given
Canada a top rating among 174 countries in its Human Development Index (HDI).
The annual index compares the ability of countries to provide their citizens
with a high quality of life which includes a decent standard of living, literacy
and a long and healthy life. And for the fourth year in a row, Canada received
the top ranking on the UNDP’s Gender-related Development Index, which measures
women’s progress in achieving the same levels of literacy, education, life
expectancy at birth and income as men :
"This marks the seventh straight year that the United Nations has
chosen Canada as the best country in the world in which to live - something
to savour as we get ready to mark the first Canada Day of the 21st
century. I am particularly pleased that the report shows that life
expectancy at birth and school enrolment in Canada have gone up in the last
year, while the long-term unemployment rate and percentage of Canadians
living below the poverty line have gone down.
This international recognition is a tribute not only to prosperous nation
we have built together, but -- above all -- to the way we have built it: the
Canadian way.
We are a nation of unmatched diversity and tolerance, boundless
generosity and and deep compassion. A nation that rewards excellence,
encourages entrepreneurship and fosters innovation. A nation that shares
prosperity and opportunity. A nation unshakably committed to ensuring that
none of our people is left behind as we move ahead. A nation that looks
forward to the challenges of the new century with optimism and confidence.
Scoring first place on the HDI has become common for Canada over the last
decade, but it has never become commonplace. If anything, year after year of
achieving such remarkable recognition has only whetted our appetite to
ensure that our quality of life is not only sustained but enhanced.
Governments, communities, businesses and individual Canadians - each of
us - has a role to play in taking the great Canadian success story to new
heights in the 21st century.
This is our common cause and our shared challenge."
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PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555
