The Indonesian Human Development Index

Recently, exactly on Monday October 5^th 2009, United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) published Human Development Report 2009. The Indonesian level was 111 among 182 countries in the world. It means that the level of Indonesia decreased again compared to that in 2007 i.e. 107/179 and in 2008 i.e. 109/179. Qualitatively, the Indonesian level increased a little i.e. 0.734 compared to that in 2007.

Mahbub ul Haq had formulated The Human Development Report before 1990. He defined that the objective of development is to create the environment which enables people to enjoy the life longer, healthily and creatively. This definition was based on paradigm that the human being is the centre of development. The Development should be directed to make people have access to public service easily as follows: to get science, to get better nutriment, to get health service, security, job, protection from security crime and physical violence, satisfaction of vacation, a freedom of culture and politics, and involvement in government.

Based on that concept, United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) has published Human Development Report for all countries in the world since 1990. Human Development Index (HDI) is one of tools to know the relevant growth of human development. HDI is important to measure society development. The counting of the human development index is based on three indicators as follows: (1) rate of long-life expectation and health, (2) rate of gaining education opportunity and (3) the quality of life rate that is indicated by reasonable standard i.e. buying capacity and income. The three indicators are summary of society welfare aspects. The scale of HDI ranges as follows: (1) 0 – 50 means having not enough attention to implement human development, (2) 51- 79 means having enough attention to implement human development, (3) 80-100 means having more than enough attention to implement human development.

To mainstream HDI, United Nation organized High Level Conference in Copenhagen in 1995. This moment published The Principles of Human Development that was signed by 117 presidents or Head of Governments. In September 2000, The 189 countries that were UN member held Millennium Conference. At this moment, the delegations agreed to adopt The Millennium Declaration. The Declaration was based on inclusive approach and it stands on the fulfillments of the human right. The members of United Nation adopted the millennium declaration, and then called The Millennium Development Goal (MDG).

Even a number of Counties targeted MDG achievement before 2015, as follows: (1) poverty elimination, (2) Basic Education for all, (3) equality and gender justice, and women empowering, (4) decreasing for baby mortality rate, (5) improving mother health, (6) prevention from HIV-AIDS, malaria and others diseases, (7) sustainable environment, (8) Friendship global networking.

Since 1990, The Indonesian IDX has ranged 107 - 111 among 177 - 182 countries. The change level of Indonesian IDX was not significant. Even in 2009, The Indonesian Government increased education budget up to 20 percents of National Budgeting. However, The Team Leader of Governance Unit UNDP i.e. Rizal Malik showed that government budget was still allocated to remunerate employees, including the increase of 20% for education budget. The Executive Director of Institute of Non-Government Forum Indonesian Development (INFID) i.e. Don K. Marut showed that the Indonesian IDX achievement was caused by bigness of foreign loan to be paid. But, The Welfare Coordinator Ministry i.e. Abu Rizal Bakrie showed that it was caused by local government that didn’t follow IDX yet (December, 17^th, 2007). The cause of not following IDX was that the local government has restrictiveness of institution, budgeting, human resource, and information system.