Doha: United Nations experts have confirmed that the measure of a country's progress goes beyond assessing its gross domestic product (GDP) to include social, environmental, and sustainable development dimensions.

According to Qatar News Agency, the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP is working on developing a set of global indicators that contribute to a more comprehensive picture of sustainable development, presenting real progress and people's living standards in a more balanced and integrated way than GDP alone.

This announcement was made during a press conference held on the sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development. The event highlighted the interim findings on a new global framework that aims to improve the monitoring of well-being, equality, and sustainability, complementing GDP as a measure of progress.

The UN Secretary-General's High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP comprises 14 members, including academics, policymakers, and statisticians. The panel is co-chaired by Professor Kaushik Basu and Professor Nora Lustig.

Professor Nora Lustig stated that the high-level panel seeks to measure progress in a way that transcends a single indicator. The aim is to use indicators that extend beyond traditional rates to address aspects related to income inequality and poverty, sustainability, environmental well-being, and social inclusion.

She added that the framework they have identified consists of three main pillars: well-being, equity and inclusion, and sustainability. They have also identified seven domains within which indicators can be developed to measure progress: material well-being, health, education, environmental quality, people's well-being, social cohesion, and governance.

Professor Kaushik Basu emphasized that the new global framework for measuring progress will encourage countries to enhance their social development and sustainability efforts, moving beyond purely economic growth as reflected in GDP.