The2013 Human Development Reportreveals the “rise of the South” and the importance of human growth going hand in hand with economic growth.
Often, we create a false dichotomy between economic matters and human development. We believe that economic growth is necessary but not sufficient. Without investment in human capital, the sustainability of growth is doubtful. I think that countries such as Costa Rica or countries in Asia or Africa are doing very well because they have expanded the educational base in order to be able to sustain economic development.The expansion of the middle classes requires better governments, better services and better institutions.
One of the challenges presented by the report is climate change. Are the North and the South equally affected by this issue?
Climate change will affect the whole world, rich and poor. The difference is that the poorest countries, with more vulnerable groups, do not have the resources to adapt to climate change nor the strength to prevent natural phenomena from destroying the progress and improvement they have managed to make in recent years. It is not that developed countries do not have problems, it also affects them, but they have the investment. We have advocated social protection systems to protect the sectors which are most vulnerable to natural disasters. We have also advocated more international resources so that countries can adapt to these meteorological phenomena.
The rise of the South is changing the world and also the cooperation models. What role does a programme likeEUROsociAL, from the FIIAPP, play in the exchange of experiences and horizontal cooperation with Latin America?
There are countries with medium income levels that are living better than before but which still have many development challenges. They have a great need for horizontal cooperation, especially with regard to sharing knowledge and mobilising human resources. Of course, in that, EUROsociAL can do a great deal of good work.

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