Male’, Oct. 25, ____ The United Nations Developing Program (UNDP) has paid a special tribute to President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives for the development and progress the country has seen under his leadership during the past 20 years. Mr. Narinder Kakar, the UNDP Representative, speaking at a function held to celebrate the United Nations Day congratulated the President on his re-election. "The overwhelmingly large affirmative vote in your favor is a reflection of the trust and confidence the people of the Maldives have in your leadership" Mr. Kakar said.

"Under Mr. Gayoom’s leadership", Mr. Kakar said, "Maldives has undergone tremendous progress and transformation in the field of social and economic development." He said that virtually all the socio-eceonomic indicators used to measure progress have seen consistent and significant improvements to the extent that they have become some of the best in the developing world. "Be it life expectancy, adult literacy or infant mortality, Maldives comes out as a shining example", he said.

Introducing the 1998 UNDP Human Development Report, a report which takes account of social and economic development together with human rights, Mr. Kakar said that the Maldives is placed in the medium human development category and is one of the only two countries in the region to have attained this level. According to the UNDP Chief, the Human Development ranking of the Maldives has risen from 111 in 1997 to 95 this year, a jump of 16 places. The Human Development Index itself has risen from 0.612 to 0.683, which is higher than those of many Asian countries are.

Mr. Kakar said that the Maldives’ GNP per capita is the highest in the developing world and the GDP per capita in real terms is also now the highest in the SAARC region. He also said that the Maldives' adult literacy rate and the gender empowerment measure occupies the highest position in the region.

The UNDP Representative said that the achievements of the Maldives have been due to the foresight and commitment of the Government of the Maldives under the dynamic leadership of President Gayoom. He also said that there is a remarkable harmony between the philosophy of "growth with equity" of the Maldives and the "Sustainable human development" approach emphasized by the United Nations.