Heavy state interference in many aspects of private economic activity has resulted in economic stagnation in Iran’s non-oil sector and a serious lack of overall economic dynamism. A restrictive business and investment environment continues to hamper private-sector development. More than 500 companies remain state-owned, and privatization has been negligible in the past year.

Business licensing and closure are regulated heavily by an intrusive and inefficient bureaucracy. High tariff rates and non-tariff barriers undermine overall economic efficiency. Corruption is rampant, and fair adjudication of property rights cannot be guaranteed. The judicial system is vulnerable to political influence and lacks transparency.

Selected Countries and Ranking

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Background

Iran’s economy, once one of the most advanced in the Middle East, has been crippled by the 1979 Islamic revolution, the Iran–Iraq war, economic mismanagement, and corruption. International concern about Iran’s nuclear development and support for terrorism remains high.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, reinstalled as president after a June 2009 election that sparked widespread political protests, has led a violent crackdown against opposition forces. His regime, which has greatly expanded government spending, now plans to reduce government subsidies, particularly for food and energy, and replace them with cash payments to low-income Iranians. A gradual decline in oil production combined with lower world oil prices has reduced oil export revenues, which provide about 85 percent of government finance.

Iran’s economy remains burdened by rising inflation, corruption, costly subsidies, and an increasingly bloated and inefficient public sector. Unemployment remains high.

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Business Freedom

Business formation remains time-consuming, and licensing requirements are burdensome. Private investment and production continue to be hampered by a restrictive and outmoded regulatory environment.

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Trade Freedom

Iran’s weighted average tariff rate was 20.1 percent in 2008. Import bans and restrictions, high tariffs, export licensing requirements, restrictive sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, burdensome customs procedures, state trading, arbitrary changes in tariff and tax schedules, and weak enforcement of intellectual property rights add to the cost of trade. Fifteen points were deducted from Iran’s trade freedom score to account for non-tariff barriers.

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Fiscal Freedom

Iran has a relatively high income tax rate and a moderate corporate tax rate. The top income tax rate is 35 percent, and the flat corporate tax rate is 25 percent. All property transfers are subject to a standard tax. A value-added tax (VAT), collected intermittently since 2005, was officially re-implemented in 2008. In the most recent year, overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 6.1 percent.

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Government Spending

In the most recent year, total government expenditures, including consumption and transfer payments, rose slightly to 28.3 percent of GDP. The fiscal deficit measures 0.7 percent of GDP. Energy is highly subsidized.

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Monetary Freedom

Inflation is very high, averaging 14.7 percent between 2007 and 2009. Although the inflation rate decelerated in 2009, it had picked up by the second half of 2010. The government controls the prices of petroleum products, electricity, water, and wheat; provides economic subsidies; and influences prices through regulation of Iran’s many state-owned enterprises. Fifteen points were deducted from Iran’s monetary freedom score to account for measures that distort domestic prices.

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Investment Freedom

Foreign investment is restricted or banned in many industries, including banking, telecommunications, transport, oil, and gas. Foreign investments require approval, and the process is not straightforward.

The method of calculating the maximum share that foreign-owned entities are allowed can be non-transparent. The parliament can veto projects in which foreign investors have a majority stake. Political unrest and uncertainty over international sanctions further deter investment. Most payments, transfers, credit operations, and capital transactions are subject to restrictions or approval requirements.

Only legal permanent residents of Iran may purchase land. Foreign companies may own property only if they are registered both in Iran and in their respective countries and make the purchase using their Iranian business identity.

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Financial Freedom

The government controls Iran’s financial sector. Only six private banks have come into operation since nationalization of all banks following the 1979 revolution, and they operate under strict restrictions regarding de facto interest rates and capital requirements.

Stringent government controls limit access to financing for businesses. State-owned commercial banks and specialized financial institutions account for a majority of banking-sector assets. There have been efforts to privatize some state-owned banks in recent years, but progress has been slow.

The government directs credit allocation, though credit is often supplied by traditional money lenders in the bazaar in support of small cash-based businesses. The non-banking financial sector remains dominated by state-owned companies. Capital markets are not fully developed.

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Property Rights

The constitution allows the government to confiscate property acquired either illicitly or in a manner not in conformance with Islamic law. Resorting to the courts is often counterproductive; finding an influential local business partner with substantial political patronage is a more effective way to protect contracts.

Few laws protect intellectual property; computer software piracy is extensive; and infringement of industrial designs, trademarks, and copyrights is widespread.

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Freedom From Corruption

Corruption is perceived as pervasive. Iran ranks 168th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2009, a steep decline from 2008.

The law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, but it is not implemented effectively, and official corruption is found in all three branches of government. Graft is extensive, and the anti-corruption agency has fewer than 1,000 inspectors to monitor the 2.3 million full-time civil servants and numerous government contractors who control most of Iran’s economy.

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Labor Freedom

Labor regulations are restrictive, and the labor market remains stagnant. The non-salary cost of employing a worker is high, and firing a worker requires approval of the Islamic Labor Council or the Labor Discretionary Board.

Source: The Heritage Foundation

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2. Corruption Perceptions Index 2010 – Iran ranks 146 out of 178

The poll was conducted by telephone in Farsi, from a phone bank in Istanbul, among a representative national sample of Iranians. More than 85 percent of Iranians have telephones. The margin of sampling error was 3.7 percent.

You can vote on some of the IPI poll questions.

Iranians want nuclear weapons and reject proposed international deals to restrict the production of enriched uranium, but they are anxious about the international sanctions and isolation their country faces, a new poll has found.

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The International Peace Institute is an independent, international not-for-profit think tank with a staff representing more than 20 nationalities, located in New York across from United Nations headquarters. IPI is dedicated to promoting the prevention and resolution of conflicts between and within states by strengthening international peace and security institutions. To achieve its purpose, IPI employs a mix of policy research, convening, publishing and outreach.

IPI is funded by generous donations from governments, philanthropic foundations, and individuals. Roughly 70% of our annual funds are from government donors, and 22% of our funds are from philanthropic foundations. The remaining funds come from corporate sponsors, individuals, and our board members.

Source : The International Peace Institute

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An estimated 14% of people who inject drugs countrywide were living with HIV in 2007.

The extremely high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (80%) found among detained people who inject drugs in Tehran indicates considerable potential for the spread of HIV among and beyond people who inject drugs. It has been estimated that close to half (45%) of the Iranian prison population is incarcerated for drug-related offences.

Iran's annual numbers of AIDS death

Systemic deficiencies in commodity procurement and supply management undermine treatment efforts in many countries. Of 94 countries, 38% responding to surveys report at least one drug stock-out in 2009. The Islamic Republic of Iran, Tunisia, Yemen and several countries in Central and South America cite drug supply interruptions as notable barriers to access to antiretroviral therapy.

On the cusp of the fourth decade of the AIDS epidemic, the world has turned the corner—it has halted and begun to reverse the spread of HIV (Millennium Development Goal 6.A). The question remains how quickly the response can chart a new course towards UNAIDS’ vision of zero discrimination, zero new HIV infections, and zero AIDS-related deaths through universal access to effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

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HIV trend in the Middle East and North Africa

HIV trend in the Middle East and North Africa

Report’s key notes

- More than 5 million people are now receiving HIV treatment.

- HIV prevention works—new HIV infections are declining in many countries most affected by the epidemic.

- Virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is possible.

- Women and girls need support.

- Human rights are increasingly a part of national strategies.

- Financing the response is a shared responsibility.

- Treatment 2.0 could avert an additional 10 million deaths by 2025.

Five Pillars of Treatment 2.0

- Slightly more than half of all people living with HIV are women and girls.

- Estimated decrease in AIDS-related deaths globally among children from 2004 to 2009.

- With an estimated 5.6 million people living with HIV in 2009, South Africa’s epidemic remains the largest in the world.

- At an estimated 25.9% in 2009, Swaziland has the highest adult HIV prevalence in the world.

- The number of people living with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia has almost tripled since 2000.

- Estimated HIV prevalence in Cuba is 0.1%, which is exceptionally low.

- Proportion of the population living with HIV in Central and South America that live in Brazil is 1/3.

- 19 times Increase in likelihood that African-American females will aquire HIV, compared to their Caucasian counterparts, in the United States.

- Prevalence of hepatitis C virus among detained people who inject drugs in Tehran is 80%.

- 56% of countries reporting having a mechanism to record and address cases of discrimination

Iran  AIDS Epidemic 2010 Graphs

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Comparing Iran to other regions on a few issues

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UNAIDS has used the following sources for Iran’s data

- Zamani Setal. High prevalence of HIV infection associated with incarceration among communitybased drug users in Tehran, Iran. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2006, 42:342–346.

- Parviz A. Scaling up HIV/AIDS prevention and care in Iranian prisons [slide presentation]. Meeting of the World Health Organization Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee for HIV, 20 October 2005.

- Kheirandish Petal. Prevalence and correlates of hepatitis C infection among male injection drug users in detention, Tehran, Iran. Journal of Urban Health, 2009, 86:902–908.

Source: unaids.org

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2. American Global View 2010 and Iran – The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Social institutions that have been around for thousands of years generally change slowly, when they change at all. But that’s not the way things have been playing out with marriage and family since the middle of the 20th Century.

This Pew Research Center report, done in association with TIME, sets out to illuminate these changes by using two complementary research methodologies: a nationwide survey of 2,691 adults we conducted from Oct.1-21, 2010; and our analysis of a half century of demographic and economic data, drawn mainly from the U.S. Census.

The transformative trends of the past 50 years that have led to a sharp decline in marriage and a rise of new family forms have been shaped by attitudes and behaviors that differ by class, age and race.

Here is a summary of the key findings of the report:

• The Class-Based Decline in Marriage. About half (52%) of all adults in this country were married in 2008; back in 1960, seven-in-ten (72%) were.

• Is Marriage Becoming Obsolete? Nearly four-in-ten survey respondents (39%) say that it is; in 1978 when Time magazine posed this question to registered voters, just 28% agreed.

• An Ambivalent Public. The public’s response to changing marital norms and family forms reflects a mix of acceptance and unease.

• Group Differences. Where people stand on the various changes in marriage and family life depends to some degree on who they are and how they live.

• The Resilience of Families. The decline of marriage has not knocked family life off its pedestal. Three quarters of all adults (76%) say their family is the most important element of their life.

• The Definition of Family. By emphatic margins, the public does not see marriage as the only path to family formation. Fully 86% say a single parent and child constitute a family; nearly as many (80%) say an unmarried couple living together with a child is a family; and 63% say a gay or lesbian couple raising a child is a family.

• The Ties that Bind. In response to a question about whom they would assist with money or caregiving in a time of need, Americans express a greater sense of obligation toward relatives—including relatives by way of fractured marriages– than toward best friends.

• Changing Spousal Roles. In the past 50 years, women have reached near parity with men as a share of the workforce and have begun to outpace men in educational attainment. About six-in-ten wives work today, nearly double the share in 1960.

• The Rise of Cohabitation. As marriage has declined, cohabitation (or living together as unmarried partners) has become more widespread, nearly doubling since 1990, according to the Census Bureau.

• The Impact on Children. The share of births to unmarried women has risen dramatically over the past half century, from 5% in 1960 to 41% in 2008.

• In Marriage, Love Trumps Money. Far more married adults say that love (93%), making a lifelong commitment (87%) and companionship (81%) are very important reasons to get married than say the same
about having children (59%) or financial stability (31%).

1- Overview

Over the past 50 years, a quiet revolution has taken place in this country. Decades of demographic, economic and social change have transformed the structure and composition of the American family.

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Attitudes about changing families also differ significantly by age. Younger Americans are much more open to the changes and more tolerant of alternative arrangements.

2- Marriage

About four-in-ten Americans think that marriage is on the rocks. No, not their marriage. The institution of marriage.

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3- Family

What defines a family? The portrait of the American family circa 2010 starts where it always has—with mom, pop and the kids. But the family album now also includes other ensembles. For example, most Americans say a single parent raising a child is a family. They also say that parents don’t have to be married to be a family, nor do they have to be of the opposite sex.

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4- Children

Children in America are growing up in a much more diverse set of living arrangements than they did a half century ago. In 1960, nearly nine-in-ten children under age 18 resided with two married parents (87%); by 2008, that share had dropped to 64%. Over the same period, the percentage of children born to unmarried
women rose eightfold, from 5% to 41%.

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5- New Family Types

Americans view the sweeping changes in family arrangements that have occurred over the past half century with a mixture of acceptance and unease.

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Source: pewsocialtrends.org, and link to the complete report

About Pew Research Center

The Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends project studies behaviors and attitudes of Americans in key realms of their lives, including family, community, health, finance, work and leisure. The project explores these topics by combining original public opinion survey research with social, economic and demographic data analysis.

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People are the real wealth of a nation.

It is now almost universally accepted that a country’s success or an individual’s well-being cannot be evaluated by money alone. Income is of course crucial: without resources, any progress is difficult. Yet we must also gauge whether people can lead long and healthy lives, whether they have the opportunity to be educated and whether they are free to use their knowledge and talents to shape their own destinies.

A few key findings and notes

One of the most surprising results of human development research in recent years, confirmed in this Report, is the lack of a significant correlation between economic growth and improvements in health and education.

Attempts to transplant policy solutions across countries with different conditions often fail: policies must be grounded in the prevailing institutional setting to bring about change.

Countries may accelerate progress in the HDI but not excel in the broader dimensions: it is possible to have a high HDI and be unsustainable, undemocratic.

Countries exhibit enormous variation in maternal mortality ratios, even countries at similar incomes. Iran enjoys a higher per capita income than Costa Rica, but Iran’s maternal mortality ratio is 4.5 times Costa Rica’s.

Putting people at the centre of development means making progress equitable, enabling people to be active participants in change and ensuring that current achievements are not attained at the expense of future generations.

Components of the Human Development Index

Frequency of Google searches for the Human Development Report, Human Development Index and World Development Report, 2006–2010

Human security
In the final analysis, human security is a child who did not die, a disease that did not spread, a job that was not cut, an ethnic tension that did not explode in violence, a dissident who was not
silenced. Human security is not a concern with weapons—it is a concern with human life and dignity.

Human rights
Human rights are the rights possessed by all persons, by virtue of their common humanity, to live a life of freedom and dignity. They give all people moral claims on the behaviour of individuals and on the design of social arrangements—and are universal, inalienable and indivisible.

Human development has three components:
• Well-being: expanding people’s real freedoms—so that people can flourish.
• Empowerment and agency: enabling people and groups to act—to drive valuable outcomes.
• Justice: expanding equity, sustaining outcomes over time and respecting human rights and other goals of society.

Conceptual framework for human development

Unlike in health and education, there has been substantial divergence in income across countries.

From 1970 to 2010 per capita income in developed countries increased 2.3 percent a year on average, compared with 1.5 percent for developing countries. In 1970 the average income of a country in the top quarter of the world income distribution was 23 times that of a country in the bottom quarter.

By 2010 it approached 29 times. Divergence among developing countries has become more marked as well. Some developing countries—including Botswana, China, Malaysia and Thailand— have grown faster since the 1970s than any rich country.  At the same time, the income of several other countries—including Comoros, Iran and Senegal — has stagnated. Still other countries, such as Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar and Zimbabwe, have suffered economic collapses.

Top movers in HDI, nonincome HDI and GDP, 1970–2010

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If economic growth was indispensable for progress in health and education, countries with falling GDP would not be progressing in health and education. But this is not the case: Iran, Togo and Venezuela experienced income declines, yet their life expectancy has risen an average of 14 years and their gross school enrollment an average of 31 percentage points since 1970.

Poor countries benefited from the rapid spread of innovations in medicine and interventions in
public health, when the cost had fallen dramatically.

Democratization may have the strongest effects on primary education; decentralization can
have stronger effects on higher levels of schooling.

Number of people using the Internet and with phone subscriptions, per 100 people, by level of human development, 2000–2008

Globalization has propelled domestic issues onto the international stage. One expression of this trend is the upsurge of global and transnational civil society: the number of international organizations increased more than fivefold from 1970 to 2010, to an estimated 25,000.

Protests often have an international dimension— as attested by boycotts of the apartheid regime in South Africa, mobilizations seeking to end the conflict in Darfur, and support, often in Western countries, for pro-democracy protesters in Iran and Myanmar.

There has been marked international progress in recognizing the rights of sexual minorities in recent years, notably the 2008 UN General Assembly Declaration in support of decriminalizing homosexuality, signed by 60 countries to date. Yet barriers continue in national law and practice. In 2009 homosexuality was illegal in 76 countries, with punishments ranging from several years to life imprisonment. In Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen (as well as in parts of Nigeria and Somalia), it was punishable by death.

Most people depend on their jobs for their livelihood and that of their families—for many,
losing their job is the single most important event (apart from death) that can erode their
human development.

Trends in unemployment over the past decade

The main threat to maintaining progress in human development comes from the increasingly
evident unsustainability of production and consumption patterns. Current production
models rely heavily on fossil fuels. We now know that this is unsustainable—because the
resources are finite and their impacts dangerous. The close link between economic growth
and greenhouse gas emissions needs to be severed for human development to become truly
sustainable.

The world is becoming less sustainable

UN  introduced three new indices to capture multidimensional aspects of well-being for inequality, gender equity and poverty that reflect advances in methods and better data availability.

Gender Inequality Index

Poverty

The agenda beyond 2010

The policies that advance economic growth and the nonincome aspects of human development
differ—but they also overlap. We must pay more attention to these overlaps

Consensus is growing that the same policies can have different effects in different contexts: what has worked in one place may not work in another.

For human development to be sustainable, the link between fossil fuels and economic growth
has to be severed.

Civil society views on most important dimensions of empowerment

Source: United Nations

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Unlike other studies that rank countries by actual levels of wealth, life satisfaction or development, the Prosperity Index produces rankings based upon the very foundations of prosperity those factors that will help drive economic growth and produce happy citizens over the long term.

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IRAN and UAE

Economy – Ranked 78th
Weak economic fundamentals destabilise Iran’s steady economic growth

Inflation in Iran is very high, with prices increasing at a rate of more than 26% year on year. At over 10%, the unemployment rate in the workforce is high and is consistent with only 38%* of the population who claimed to be in either paid or unpaid employment. The rate of gross domestic saving is very high at 44% of GDP. However, the proportion of people with adequate access to food and shelter is the 25th lowest*, internationally**, suggesting poor overall living standards. Just 56%* of Iranians are happy with their standard of living, which is below the global average. The proportion of people with a positive view of local employment prospects is 75%*, well below the international average. Optimism towards local economic conditions is slightly better, placing around the global average* and an average GDP growth rate of 4.3% per year between 2004 and 2008 is good by global standards. Iran also has a reasonable foundation for future growth. The amount of physical capital available to workers is above the international average and the country places 31st with respect to its market size. High-tech exports account for 6% of total exports, which is near the international average. Yet foreign direct investment is low and financial sector efficiency is very poor, placing Iran just 84th in the Index. Non-performing loans account for a quarter of all loans. Despite this, two-thirds* of Iranians have confidence in the financial sector, placing the country 41st on this variable.

Entrepreneurship & Opportunity – Ranked 86th
A poor entrepreneurial infrastructure acts as stumbling block to Iran’s innovative activities

Royalty receipts in Iran are negligible, despite a rate of R&D spending which accounts for 1.1% of total GDP, well above the global average. ICT exports account for just 0.1% of total exports. Understandably, perceptions of the entrepreneurial environment are very poor, with less than half* of respondents considering their local area a good place to start a business. While average business start-up costs of 3.9% of GNI per capita are low, access to communications technology is poor, indicating a weak infrastructure for entrepreneurship. With six mobile phones for every 10 Iranian citizens, Iran places in the bottom third of the Index on this variable. Internet bandwidth provision places around the global average, while the lack of adequate secure internet servers rank Iran 100th on this variable. There is also a general lack of social mobility in Iran. Pervasive inequality in economic development across different socio-economic groups correlates with just three-quarters* of Iranians agreeing that hard work allows people to get ahead; on both variables, the country places in the bottom half of the Index.

Governance – Ranked 105th
Iran is a theocratic democracy, which confers very few freedoms to its citizens

Iran is a theocratic democracy. It places 97th with respect to political constraints, indicating that executive power is rarely checked. The country places 93rd with respect to overall government effectiveness, indicating instability and low bureaucratic efficiency. Competition in the executive and legislative branches of government is minimal, and the judiciary lacks full independence from the executive. The country places 100th for regime stability. However, at 60%*, the government’s approval rating is above the international average. Approximately the same proportion* approves of the country’s efforts to preserve the environment although just over a third* of people approve of efforts to address poverty. Perceptions of corruption are high, placing the country 65th*, globally, on this variable. Both the rule of law and the quality of the regulatory environment are very poor by international standards. Almost eight in 10* Iranians have confidence in the military, while 58%* are confident in the judiciary; the country ranks in the top half of the Index on both variables. While political rights are amongst the lowest in the world, 19%* of the population had voiced concern to a public official in the year prior to the survey in 2008, which places the country around the international average on this variable. Despite the nature of the government, over half* of respondents expressed confidence in the honesty of the electoral process in 2008, which is close to the global average.

Education – Ranked 57th
Iran’s education system is universal at the primary level, but the workforce is only moderately educated

Almost everyone of primary school age goes to school in Iran, with the country achieving the fifth highest enrolment rate in the world, at 99.7%. However, this figure falls to 80% at secondary level and 36% at tertiary level, placing the country 71st and 53rd, respectively, on these variables. There is near gender equality in access to primary and secondary schools. However, subjective indicators are less encouraging. Just 57%* of Iranians profess satisfaction with the quality of education in the country, while 70%* believe children have the opportunity to learn and grow every day. Iran places just below average in terms of the number of teachers, with one teacher for every 20 pupils at primary level. The workforce is only moderately educated by global standards: the average Iranian worker has undertaken 1.6 years of secondary education and 0.7 years of tertiary education, ranking the country below the global average on both variables.

Health – Ranked 60th
Despite low life expectancy, most Iranians are reasonably content with their health

The rate of infant mortality in Iran is close to 3%, higher than the international average. Healthadjusted life expectancy is 58 years, placing the country 78th, globally, on this variable. However, undernourishment across the country is very low and rates of immunisation against infectious diseases and measles are very high, at 99% and 97%, respectively. Iran invests relatively heavily in its health infrastructure; the average annual health spending of more than $700 (PPP) per capita places Iran 45th, globally, on this variable. Yet provision of hospital beds is below the international average. Deaths from respiratory diseases are relatively low, and the incidence of tuberculosis is below the global average. Just 83% of the population has access to adequate sanitation facilities, placing Iran in the bottom half of the Index on this variable. Iran also ranks poorly in terms of citizens’ satisfaction the quality of their water, placing it 90th* on this variable. In terms of subjective measurements, Iran performs moderately well: at 82%*, the proportion of people who are satisfied with their personal health is high and just 22%* of people complain of debilitating health problems. However, just over a third* of people were worried the previous day, exceeding the international average, and just 62%* of Iranians report being well-rested, which is very low by international standards. A very low 58%* of respondents were satisfied with their environmental surroundings.

Safety & Security – Ranked 99th
Iran faces major challenges with respect to both national and personal security

Iran has many national security challenges, including large numbers of refugees and internally displaced people, as well as many occurrences of group grievances. Demographic instability resulting from border disputes, ownership or occupancy of land, access to transportation outlets, control of religious or historical sites, or proximity to environmental hazards produce less serious concerns. Human flight is also a significant problem, with many professionals, intellectuals, political dissidents, and members of the middle class choosing to emigrate. The country ranks very poorly with respect to state-sponsored political terrorism. However, there were no reports of civil or ethnic strife in 2008, the year of the survey. Personal security issues also pose significant challenges. At 7%*, the proportion of respondents who were assaulted in the 12 months prior to the 2008 survey was above the international average, placing the country 70th on this variable. The proportion of people who were the victim of theft was even worse, placing the country just 90th, globally. Just 57%* of Iranians feel safe walking alone at night, also placing Iran below the international average. No data were available regarding individuals’ willingness to express their political views.

Personal Freedom – Ranked 108th
The Iranian society lacks basic freedoms and is intolerant of outsiders

Civil liberties, which include freedoms of expression, belief, association, and personal autonomy, are extremely low in Iran, placing this country amongst the lowest 10 nations in the Index. Although approximately six out of 10 Iranians are satisfied with their level of free choice, Iran is placed 88th in the Index, on this variable. Perceived tolerance towards outsiders is also very low. Just three and five out of 10 people consider their local area to be a good place for immigrants and racial and ethnic minorities, placing Iran 104th and 97th, respectively, on these variables.

Social Capital – Ranked 106th
Social capital is weak in Iran suggesting low levels of social engagement

At just over one in 10 people*, the proportion of Iranians that express trust in others ranks in the bottom 20 countries, worldwide. Although 36%* of respondents had donated money to charity in the month prior to being surveyed in 2008, just 12%* had volunteered their time, and just 39%* had helped a stranger; Iran ranks 86th and 71st, respectively, on the latter two variables. Just over 63%* of citizens rely on family and friends in times of need, which ranks very poorly internationally. At 57%*, the proportion of respondents who were married is above the global average, indicating the potential for access to familial support networks. However, only 46%* of Iranians had attended a religious service in the previous seven days, placing Iran around the global average on this variable, and indicating that access to religious support networks are only moderately strong in Iran.

*   Data taken from the Gallup World Poll
** The terms ‘international’, ‘global’, or ‘world’ are used to reference the 110 Prosperity Index countries, which represent approximately 93% of the world’s population and
97% of global GDP.

Comparing Iran to Saudia Arabia

Iran and Saudia Arabia

Source: prosperity.com

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The 2010 CPI draws on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions. It captures information about the administrative and political aspects of corruption. Broadly speaking, the surveys and assessments used to compile the index include questions relating to bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds, and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public sector anti-corruption efforts.

Perceptions are used because corruption – whether frequency or amount – is to a great extent a hidden activity that is difficult to measure. Over time, perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption. Measuring scandals, investigations or prosecutions, while offering ‘non-perception’ data, reflect less on the prevalence of corruption in a country and more on other factors, such as freedom of the press or the efficiency of the judicial system. TI considers it of critical importance to measure both corruption and integrity, and to do so in the public and private sectors at global, national and local levels.

Source: Transparency International

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The United Nations has created a new entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women. There is a strong movement around greater investment in girls’ education in the developing world. Businesses around the world are starting to take into account the increasing power of women consumers.

As women begin to make up more than half of all university graduates in much of the developed world, there is an increased consciousness that this talent must be given the opportunity to lead. Several countries have introduced legislation that mandates minimum requirements for women’s participation, in both business and politics.

The Global Gender Gap Index  introduced by the World  Economic Forum in 2006, is a framework for capturing the magnitude and scope of gender-based disparities and
tracking their progress.

The four pillars

The Global Gender Gap Index examines the gap between men and women in four fundamental categories: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment.

Economic participation and opportunity
This area is captured through three concepts: the participation gap, the remuneration gap and the advancement gap.

Educational attainment
In this category, the gap between women’s and men’s current access to education is captured through ratios of women to men in primary-, secondary- and tertiary-level
education.

Health and survival
This category attempts to provide an overview of the differences between women’s and men’s health.

Political empowerment
This category includes mainly measures of the gap between men and women in political decision-making at the highest levels.

Over 93% of the global gender gap on education has been closed.
Over 96% of the global gender gap on health has been closed.

Only 60% of the global gender gap on economy participation has been closed.
Only 16% of the global gender gap on political empowerment has been closed.

India (112), Nepal (115), the Islamic Republic of Iran (123) and Pakistan (132) occupy the last places in the regional rankings. India and Pakistan perform above average on the political empowerment of women, particularly India, but lag behind in the other three categories.

Mali is one of the three countries—along with Iran and Saudi Arabia—to have poor or no legislation punishing acts of violence against women, according to the OECD.

Click here to view the embedded video.

http://www.weforum.org/

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The 2010 survey polled more than 2,500 Americans on over one hundred questions on various aspects of U.S. foreign policy, including terrorism, nuclear proliferation, China’s rise, the Afghanistan War, and attitudes toward other countries.

Key specific findings include:

* Nine out of ten Americans today think it is more important for the future of the United States to fix pressing problems at home than to address challenges to the United States from abroad. There is a decline in support for U.S. military bases in Japan (-8%), Germany (-7%), Iraq (-7%), Turkey (-7%), and Afghanistan (-5%) compared to 2008.

* Only one-quarter of Americans think the United States plays a more important and powerful role as a world leader today compared to ten years ago, a sharp drop from 2002.

* More than two-thirds of Americans think that as rising countries like Turkey and Brazil become more independent from the United States in the conduct of their foreign policy, it is mostly good because they will be less reliant on the United States.

* There has been a striking overall drop in the percentages of Americans who say that various countries are “very important” to the United States, with thirteen of the fourteen countries asked about in both 2008 and 2010 showing declines. The only country that did not decline in perceived importance is China.

* Americans see few promising policy choices toward Iran if it continues with its nuclear weapons program. A narrow plurality (49% to 45%) believe that the United States cannot contain a nuclear Iran as it contained the Soviet Union. Only 18% say the United States should carry out a military strike against Iran’s nuclear energy facilities under present conditions. Overwhelming majorities believe that a military strike would result in terrorist attacks in the United States and retaliatory strikes against U.S. targets in the Middle East; even so, if all other measures fail to stop Iran’s nuclear program, Americans are almost evenly split (47% in favor and 49% opposed) on whether the U.S. should launch a military strike.

* A majority of Americans think that if Israel were to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran were to retaliate against Israel, and the two were to go to war, the United States should not bring its military forces into the war on the side of Israel and against Iran.

* Only 51% believe that because most Muslims are like people everywhere, we can find common ground and violent conflict between the civilizations is not inevitable. 45% say that because Muslim religious, social, and political traditions are incompatible with Western ways, violent conflict between the two civilizations is inevitable—up 18 points since 2002.

* In a dramatic reversal from 2006, 67% of Americans now understand that China loans more money to the United States than the United States loans to China. In 2006 when the question was last posed, this percentage was only 24%. 51% of Americans consider this debt to be a critical national security threat. When asked whether U.S. relations with eight other countries and the EU are improving, worsening, or neutral, Americans perceived relations to be on the neutral to good side. The only country with which a sub¬stantial number of Americans perceive relations as “worsening” is Mexico (47%).

_______________________________

The Lessening of U.S. Influence

_______________________________

Constraints on U.S. Power Abroad

_______________________________

Tough Economic Times at Home

_______________________________

Sustained Support for International Engagement Overall

_______________________________

Acceptance of Less Dominance

_______________________________

Decline in the Perceived Importance of Other Countries

_______________________________

Opportunities for Reducing Commitments

_______________________________

Staying on the Sideline of Conflicts That Are Not Seen As Directly Threatening to the United States

_______________________________

Trust in Government and Who Influences Foreign Policy

_______________________________

Prioritizing Demands at Home

_______________________________

Immigration

_______________________________

Energy Supply

_______________________________

International Security and Selective Engagement

_______________________________

Support for Actions against Top Threats

_______________________________

International Terrorism

_______________________________
Nuclear Proliferation

_______________________________

Iran

_______________________________

Iran

_______________________________

Energy Dependence

_______________________________

The Middle East and Nearby Muslim Countries

_______________________________

Israel and Palestinian

_______________________________

Source: The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

For further comment contact, Tom Wright, Executive Director of Studies, on 617-447-8302 or twright@thechicagocouncil.org

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, founded in 1922 as The Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, is a leading independent, nonpartisan organization committed to influencing the discourse on global issues through contributions to opinion and policy formation, leadership dialogue, and public learning.

The Chicago Council has been conducting nationwide public opinion surveys on American views on foreign policy since 1974.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts growth of 6.25 percent for emerging markets, compared with 2.25 percent for advanced economies in 2010.

This year’s Report contains a detailed profile for each of the economies featured in the study as well as an extensive section of data tables with global rankings covering over 100 indicators.

The 12 pillars of competitiveness

It is important to keep in mind that the pillars are not independent: they tend to reinforce each other, and a weakness in one area often has a negative impact on other areas.

1- Institutions
The institutional environment is determined by the legal and administrative framework within which individuals, firms, and governments interact to generate income and wealth in the economy. (Iran ranks 82)

2- Infrastructure
Extensive and efficient infrastructure is critical for ensuring the effective functioning of the economy, as it is an important factor determining the location of economic activity and the kinds of activities or sectors that can develop in a particular economy. (Iran ranks 74)

3- Macroeconomic Environment
The stability of the macroeconomic environment is important for business and, therefore, is important for the overall competitiveness of a country. (Iran ranks 45)

4- Health and primary education
A healthy workforce is vital to a country’s competitiveness and productivity. (Iran ranks 54)

5- Higher education and training
Quality higher education and training is crucial for economies that want to move up the value chain beyond simple production processes and products. (Iran ranks 87)

6- Goods market efficiency
Countries with efficient goods markets are well positioned to produce the right mix of products and services given their particular supply-and-demand conditions, as well as to ensure that these goods can be most effectively traded in the economy. (Iran ranks 98)

7- Labor market efficiency
The efficiency and flexibility of the labor market are critical for ensuring that workers are allocated to their most efficient use in the economy and provided with incentives to give their best effort in their jobs. (Iran ranks 135)

8- Financial market development
The recent financial crisis has highlighted the central role of a sound and well-functioning financial sector for economic activities. (Iran ranks 120)

9- Technological readiness
In today’s globalized world, technology has increasingly become an important element for firms to compete and prosper. (Iran ranks 96)

10- Market size
The size of the market affects productivity since large markets allow firms to exploit economies of scale. (Iran ranks 20)

11- Business sophistication
Business sophistication is conducive to higher efficiency in the production of goods and services. (Iran ranks 91)

12- Innovation
The final pillar of competitiveness is technological innovation. (Iran ranks 66)

.

Stages of development and the weighted Index

While all of the pillars described above will matter to a certain extent for all economies, it is clear that they will affect them in different ways: the best way for Rwanda to improve its competitiveness is not the same as the best way for Germany to do so. This is because Rwanda and Germany are in different stages of development.

Stage 1- Factor-driven
The first stage, the economy is factor-driven and countries compete based on their factor endowments: primarily unskilled labor and natural resources. (Pillars 1, 2, 3, 4)

Stage 2- Efficiency-driven
When countries must begin to develop more efficient production processes and increase product quality because wages have risen and they cannot increase prices. (Pillars 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Stage 3- Innovation-driven
When wages will have risen by so much that they are able to sustain those higher wages and the associated standard of living only if their businesses are able to compete with new and unique products. (Pillars 11, 12)

Implementation of stages of development

Two criteria are used to allocate countries into stages of development. The first is the level of GDP per capita at market exchange rates.

The second criterion measures the extent to which countries are factor driven.

Global Competitiveness Index 2010–2011 rankings

(selected countries)

* Iran, Islamic Rep
Overal Index rank = 69
Basic requirements rank = 63
Efficiency enhancers rank = 90
Innovation and sophistication factors rank = 82

The Islamic Republic of Iran enters the Global Competitiveness Index for the first time at 69th position, which reflects a number of pronounced strengths as well as important challenges.

Transitioning from the first to the second stage of development, the country should
focus on developing its basic requirements as well as its efficiency enhancers to prepare for the future.

Currently, Iran boasts a relatively stable macroeconomic environment (45th), reflecting a high national savings rate (26th) and low public debt (17th). It equally benefits from its large market size (20th), which enables businesses to reap economies of scale in the domestic market.

This advantage could be further strengthened by removing barriers to trade, which shield the country from foreign competition. Lower tariffs (135th) and more foreign ownership (139th) would also raise the efficiency of markets for goods and services (98th).

Other priorities for reform include labor markets, which are among the most restrictively regulated worldwide (135th), reflecting high brain drain (109th) and incentive structures that are not based only on meritocracy (121 for reliance on professional management and 111th in terms of the link between pay and productivity).

It will also be important to foster a more trustworthy and efficient financial sector
(120th). The limited access to finance (129th) across different financial products as well as low confidence in the banking sector (114th) significantly limit private-sector growth in the country.

Improvements in productivity could also be achieved by leveraging the latest technologies available from abroad. Presently, the capacity of Iranian firms to absorb new technologies is very low (116th) and access to these technologies is limited (123rd). In this respect, progress could be achieved by fostering the use of mobile telephony (95th) and access to broadband (101st).

Source: http://www.weforum.org/

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Imagine that you are part of the Green Movement. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

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Among the key poll findings are:

- A substantial change in the assessment of President Obama, both as President of the United States and of Obama personally.

- Remarkably stable views on the Arab-Israeli conflict and the prospects of its resolution.

- A majority of the Arab public now see a nuclear-armed Iran as being better for the Middle East

Sample size: 3,976
Margin of error: +/-1.6%

Source:  link to complete report

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Its encouraged to utilize the Failed States Index to develop ideas for promoting greater stability worldwide. We hope the Index will spur conversations, encourage debate, and most of all help guide strategies for sustainable security.

The Twelve Indicators

Social Indicators

I-1.  Mounting Demographic Pressures (Iran scores 6.4/10)
I-2.  Massive Movement of Refugees or Internally Displaced Persons creating Complex Humanitarian Emergencies (8.3)
I-3.  Legacy of Vengeance-Seeking Group Grievance or Group Paranoia (8.1)
I-4.  Chronic and Sustained Human Flight (7.1)

Economic Indicators

I-5.  Uneven Economic Development along Group Lines (7.3)
I-6.  Sharp and/or Severe Economic Decline (5.5)

Political Indicators

I-7.  Criminalization and/or Delegitimization of the State (9.0)
I-8.  Progressive Deterioration of Public Services (5.9)
I-9.  Suspension or Arbitrary Application of the Rule of Law and Widespread  Violation of Human Rights (9.4)
I-10. Security Apparatus Operates as a “State Within a State” (8.9)
I-11. Rise of Factionalized Elites (9.5)
I-12. Intervention of Other States or External Political Actors (6.6)

Source: The Fund For Peace

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The digital economy rankings model consists of over 100 separate quantitative and qualitative criteria, all but one of which are scored by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s regional analysts and editors, and are organised into six primary categories. The 39 indicators and 82 sub-indicators are, in turn, weighted according to their assumed importance as influencing factors.

Major data sources include the Economist Intelligence Unit, Pyramid Research, the World Bank, the United Nations and the World Intellectual Property Organisation, among others.

The six categories and individual criteria, and their weights in the model, are described below

1. Connectivity and technology infrastructure
Connectivity measures the extent to which individuals and businesses can access the Internet and mobile networks, and do so affordably with an assurance of quality, reliability and security.

Category criteria and weights: Broadband penetration (15%); broadband quality (10%);
broadband affordability (10%); mobile-phone penetration (15%); mobile quality (10%); Internet
user penetration (15%); international Internet bandwidth (10%); Internet security (15%).

2. Business environment
In evaluating the general business climate, the Economist Intelligence Unit screens 74 sub-indicators to provide a comprehensive and forward view of each country’s attractiveness as a trading economy and as a destination for business investment from 2009 to 2013.

Category criteria and weights: Overall political environment; macroeconomic environment; market opportunities; policy towards private enterprise; foreign investment policy; foreign trade and exchange regimes; tax regime; financing; the labour market. (All nine criteria are weighted equally.)

3. Social and cultural environment
Education is a precondition to being able to utilise Internet services, but this category also considers a population’s web-literacy—its experience using the Internet and its receptivity to it—and the technical skills of the workforce.

Category criteria and weights: Educational level (measured by school life expectancy, gross enrolment in education and enrolment in tertiary education); Internet literacy; degree of entrepreneurship; technical skills of workforce; degree of innovation (measured by the generation of patents and trademarks, as well as R&D spending). (All five criteria are weighted equally.)

4. Legal environment
E-business development depends on both a country’s overall legal framework and specific laws governing Internet use.

Category criteria and weights: Effectiveness of traditional legal framework (30%); laws covering the Internet (25%); level of censorship (10%); ease of registering a new business (25%); electronic ID (10%).

5. Government policy and vision
E-ready governments supply their constituents—citizens and organisations— with a clear roadmap for the adoption of technology, and they lead by example in their use of technology to create efficiencies.

Category criteria and weights: Government spend on ICT as a proportion of GDP (5%); digital development strategy (25%); e-government strategy (20%); online procurement (5%); availability of online public services for citizens (15%) and businesses (15%); e-participation (15%, based on the UN e-participation index).

6. Consumer and business adoption
If connectivity, societal adoption, and legal and policy environments are necessary enabling platforms for a digital economy, then the actual utilisation of digital channels by people and companies is a measure of successful implementation.

Category criteria and weights: Consumer spending on ICT per head (15%); level of e-business development (10%); use of Internet by consumers (25%, assessing both the range of Internet features used by individuals and their online purchasing activity); use of online public services by citizens (25%) and businesses (25%).

Digital economy rankings and scores, 2010

Key points:
Accelerating growth in the use of e-government channels by citizens remains a difficult challenge even in the most digitally developed countries.

The strenuous efforts of some governments to control citizens’ access to Internet content impedes progress toward a digital economy.

Category scores of Economist Intelligence Unit digital economy rankings, 2010

A fundamental human right?

The goal of achieving uniform access to the Internet across country’s population continues to elude policymakers. Many governments continue to invest heavily in network infrastructure with this objective in mind.

Australia, with its  $40bn National Broadband Network initiative, is a noteworthy example. Successful implementation of this initiative would put the minority of Australians (usually remote or rural residents) currently beyond the reach of high-speed Internet on a digital par with their compatriots. A few countries, such as Finland (4th), have gone so far as to enshrine in law Internet access as a basic human right; a recent BBC poll of Internet users found that 87% of people across 27 countries believe this should indeed be the case.

Source: Economist Intelligent Unit

Link to the complete report

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Many illicit drug markets have reached global dimensions and require control strategies on a comparable scale. In that context, there is a need to better understand these transnational markets and the manner in which they operate.

Opiate seizures continue to increase. This applies to both opium and heroin seizures. Morphine seizures, in contrast, declined in 2008. The largest seizures continue to be reported from the countries neighboring Afghanistan, notably the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan.

World Drug Report 2010

Heroin
Heroin is the most widely consumed illicit opiate in the world. It is derived from opium, which itself can have an illicit use. Of the opium that is not converted into heroin, two thirds is consumed in just five countries: the Islamic Republic of Iran (42%), Afghanistan (7%), Pakistan (7%), India (6%) and the Russian Federation (5%)

In contrast to its high opium consumption levels and despite its proximity to the world’s largest heroin producer, official reports indicate that heroin consumption is relatively low in the Islamic Republic of Iran (14 metric ton for an estimated 391,000 users).

Demand for opium
A large volume of opium is consumed in the Islamic Republic of Iran, approximately 450 mt (metric ton), according to UNODC estimates.

The highest volumes of morphine and opium seizures were reported by Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors. In 2008, Pakistan (7.3 mt) and the Islamic Republic of Iran (9 mt) seized a combined 16.3 mt of morphine, a staggering 95% of global morphine seizures.

In contrast, Afghanistan only seized 479 kg that same year. Most Iranian and Pakistani morphine seizures occurred close to the Afghan border, perhaps suggesting that if large scale processing is taking place outside Afghanistan, it is staying close to the source. Both Pakistan (27 mt) and the Islamic Republic of Iran (573 mt) effected more than 90% of global opium seizures, but demand for the substance is high in both countries while that of morphine is negligible.

From Afghanistan
Of the estimated 380 mt of heroin produced in Afghanistan, approximately 5 mt stay in the country for local consumption or is seized by local law enforcement. The remaining 375 mt are exported to the world via routes flowing into and through the neighboring countries of Pakistan (150 mt), the Islamic Republic of Iran (105 mt) and the Central Asian countries of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan (95 mt) towards their final destinations in Europe, the Russian Federation and Asia.

In addition to heroin, Afghanistan also exports some 1,000 mt of opium annually to its immediate neighbors (the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan and Central Asia) and further to a global market of some 4 million opium consumers – most of which are in Asia

Flow interception (seizures)
Interception rates vary widely between regions; however, estimated global interception rates are approximately 20% of the total heroin flow worldwide in 2008. The Islamic Republic of Iran leads all countries with 23% of all heroin interceptions. Turkey comes next with 16%, followed by the United States and China, which come in third and fourth with 9 and 8% respectively.

Routes and volumes
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s eastern border with Afghanistan and Pakistan is 1,845 km long and consists of mainly mountainous or harsh desert terrain. There are obvious challenges to achieving even partial control over this area, although 12,000 anti-narcotics police and border guards are reportedly deployed at these long borders. 60 The Balkan route begins in Afghanistan’s southern and western provinces, with shipments destined for both the Afghan-Iran border and the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Most of the heroin flow moves through the Iran-Afghan border. Every year, approximately 105 mt of heroin are smuggled from the Afghan provinces of Nimroz, Hirat and Farah into eastern Islamic Republic of Iran. Possibly due to increased law enforcement efforts at that border, Afghan traffickers are thought to increasingly rely on the Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran route, estimated to handle an additional 35 mt of heroin. To do this, they must first cross into the Pakistani province of Balochistan and veer east into the Islamic Republic of Iran. Once in the Islamic Republic of Iran, only two borders separate Afghan opiates from mainland Europe.

In all, approximately 1,000 mt of opium and 140 mt of heroin flow into the Islamic Republic of Iran via these borders. Most of the heroin, around 30% (105-110 mt) of Afghanistan’s total production, continues to move west/south-west into the Islamic Republic of Iran towards Turkey and further to Europe.

Some of the identified routes running through the Caucasus are:

1. Islamic Republic of Iran – Azerbaijan – Georgia – Black Sea – Ukraine and/or Bulgaria;

2. Islamic Republic of Iran – Caspian Sea – Russian Federation/Caucasus – Black Sea – Ukraine and/or Bulgaria;

3. Afghanistan – Central Asia – Caspian Sea – Azerbaijan/Caucasus.

Prices
One kg of heroin is worth around US$2,000- 2,500 in Afghanistan, but rises to US$3,000 on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and to US$5,000 on the Iran-Afghanistan border. It increases yet again by around 60%, to approximately US$8,000, at the Iran-Turkey border. Based on the estimated flows via this route, Iranian crime groups organizing heroin trafficking from the Afghanistan-Iran border to the Turkey-Iran border stand to pocket some US$450-600 million per year.

In addition to heroin, raw opium (some 1,000 mt in 2008) also flows from Afghanistan to the Islamic Republic of Iran via the above-mentioned routes to feed an established Iranian market. An estimated total of 450 mt65 of opium is consumed each year in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The annual street value of opium consumed in that country is around US$900,000.

Transit Country
The term ‘transit country’ may not adequately apply to the Islamic Republic of Iran, given the ravages of opiates in the country. There are around 1 million opiate users in the Islamic Republic of Iran and approximately 14 mt of heroin and 450 mt of opium are consumed in-country. The Islamic Republic of Iran appears to have one of the highest rates of heroin addiction per capita in the world:

Consumption
20% of Iranians aged 15 to 60 are involved in illicit drug use, and 9% – 16% inject drugs. But the lethality of heroin is even more direct on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s borders where 3,500 casualties among the border guards are a reminder of the risks taken by law enforcement officials to stem this deadly flow.

Methamphetamine
The starting material used in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine in the Islamic Republic of Iran is most likely domestically diverted pseudoephedrine. Since 2006, the first year such reporting was required by the INCB, the Islamic Republic of Iran has reported notable increases in its annual legitimate requirement of the chemical. In just four years, the demand grew to give the Islamic Republic of Iran the fourth highest legitimate requirement in the world.

Not only does this increase the likelihood of domestic diversion, but it also makes the country an attractive target for precursor diversion by transnational organized crime groups. That this may be more than a realistic concern is evidenced by recent reports of two stopped shipments of pseudoephedrine totaling 11 mt, both destined for Ethiopia.

More Statistics
Globally, UNODC estimates that between 155 and 250 million people, or 3.5% to 5.7% of the population aged 15-64, had used illicit substances at least once in the previous year.

Every year from 1996 to 2008, the Islamic Republic of Iran accounted for more than two thirds of annual global opium seizures. For six consecutive years, increasing quantities of opium were seized in this country (from 73 mt in 2002 to 561 mt in 2008), setting the trend for the global total. According to preliminary data, in 2009 seizures stabilized, standing at 579 mt.

Source: unodc.org

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The GPI, which gauges ongoing domestic and international conflict, safety and security in society and militarization in 149 countries, registered overall increases in several indicators, including the likelihood of violent demonstrations and perceptions of criminality. In some nations, an intensification of conflicts and growing instability appears to be linked to the global economic downturn in late 2008 and early 2009.

This is the fourth edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI). It has been expanded to rank 149 independent states and updated with the latest-available figures and information for 2008-09. The index is composed of 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from respected sources, which combine internal and external factors ranging from a nation’s level of military expenditure to its relations with neighboring countries and the level of respect for human rights.

Global peace index 2010 world map

The average score for the countries surveyed in the 2010 GPI is 2.02 (based on a 1-5 scale), a slight rise (less at peace) compared with last year, when the average stood at 1.964.

The UN defined a culture of peace as involving values, attitudes and behaviors that:

• Reject violence

• Endeavor to prevent conflicts by addressing root causes

• Aim at solving problems through dialogue and negotiation

Measures of ongoing domestic and international conflict

• Number of external and internal conflicts fought: 2003-08

• Estimated number of deaths from organized conflict (external)

• Number of deaths from organized conflict (internal)

• Level of organized conflict (internal)

• Relations with neighboring countries

Measures of societal safety and security

• Perceptions of criminality in society

• Number of refugees and displaced people as a percentage of the population

• Political instability

• Level of respect for human rights (Political Terror Scale)

• Potential for terrorist acts

• Number of homicides per 100,000 people

• Level of violent crime

• Likelihood of violent demonstrations

• Number of jailed population per 100,000 people

• Number of internal security officers and police per 100,000 people

Measures of militarization

• Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP

• Number of armed services personnel per 100,000 people

• Volume of transfers (imports) of major conventional weapons per 100,000 people

• Volume of transfers (exports) of major conventional weapons per 100,000 people

• Budget support for UN peacekeeping missions: percentage of outstanding payments versus annual assessment to the budget of the current peacekeeping missions

• Aggregate number of heavy weapons per 100,000 people

• Ease of access to small arms and light weapons

• Military capability/sophistication

Weighting the index

1) a measure of how at peace internally a country is;

2) a measure of how at peace externally a country is (its state of peace beyond its borders).

Comparison of Iran, Israel, Iraq and India

A lower score indicates a more peaceful country

Peace, Wealth and Human Potential

The word “Peace” can be seen as a proxy for describing an inter-related set of structures. These structures and attitudes are:

• Well-functioning government

• Sound business environment

• Respectful of human rights and tolerance

• Good relations with neighbouring states

• High levels of freedom of information

• The acceptance of others

• High participation rates in primary and secondary education

• Low levels of corruption

• Equitable sharing of resources

Source:

Vision of Humanity

2010 GPI Results Report in PDF

2010 GPI Discussion Paper in PDF

email info@visionofhumanity.org

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