Lesotho has gone seven places higher in this year's eleventh UN Human Development Report which was launched last Thursday.

From last year's 127th spot, the Kingdom jumped to the 120th place among 162 countries. The report which advocates formulation of public policy to employ the new innovations in information and communications technology to foster and enhance human development, saw Norway taking the top position in the global rankings. Australia came second, followed by Canada and Sweden respectively.

The report, launched for the first time in 1990, saw the 2001 Human Development Report including the Technology Achievement Index (TAI), which ranks countries according to the overall achievement in creating and using technology.

Industry, Trade and Marketing Minister Mpho Malie who has been canoeing the country into the technology-acclimatized land, expressed his delight at the improvement Lesotho has shown in the human development.

"It I important for us that this report comes at this critical time to answer some pointed questions on the optimal strategies that we in the developing world must adopt if we are to move our people out of poverty," Malie said.

Malie confessed that the report notes that of the 40 countries where the race against poverty is proving a losing battle, 21 are in the sub-Saharan Africa. He noted that Lesotho, like many other southern African and the rest of the continent, continues to be ravaged by the scourge of HIV/AIDS, the battle against which remains as much a technological question as it is one of human behavior.

He continued: "If one had only the past to look at, one cannot but be overwhelmed and intimidated by the sheer weight of our immense disadvantage. Landlocked and resource poor, our country lost out in the past millennium and could not harness the available technologies to improve the lives of a lot of our people."

Despite the country's improvement in rankings, Malie urged Basotho to be aware of the challenges that remain as a carry-over from the country's difficult economic circumstances in the past century. "Looking at the Human Development Report, one cannot but notice that the danger signs are still there, despite the changing conditions for participation in the development arena.

For instance, on the basis of the newly-introduced Technology Achievement Index (TAI), Lesotho is way down the list. In fact the Report could not assign any value for Lesotho's progress towards technology achievement," he said adding that in terms of technology creation, diffusion of recent technologies and innovations, and available human skills, Lesotho's figures are equally discouraging.

The UN Resident Representative in Lesotho, Edward Omotoso, said the Human Development Report 2001 disclosed startling new advances in information and communications technology. He disclosed that more information could be transmitted over a single cable in a second than was sent in 1997 over the entire Internet in a month.

"It cost $150 000 in 1970 to send a trillion bits of information from Boston to Los Angeles, it only costs 12 cents today. Transmitting a 40-page document from Chile to Kenya costs less than 10 cents," Omotoso said.

The primary purpose of the Report is to assess the state of human development across the globe, and to provide critical analysis of the chosen theme each year. This year's theme is "Making New Technologies Work for Human Development." The UNDP has commissioned an independent team of experts to explore major issues of global concern relating to key aspect of the human development paradigm.

King celebrates Birthday for the first time a happy man

King Letsie III will celebrate his 38th birthday today at the Setsoto stadium. The official events started yesterday at the Royal Palace where annual awards were being given to both servicemen and civilians for service and outstanding social contributions. The King officiated alone in the absence of 'M'e Karabo, who was reported to be down with flu about two weeks ago.

One of the outstanding civilian award (the Most Dignified Order of Moshoeshoe) was this year given posthumously to former Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle, while his wife, 'M'e 'Maneo Mokhehle has been given the Most Loyal Award of Ramatšeatsana.

The recently appointed Minister of Finance, Mohlabi Tsekoa has been given the Order of Mohlomi appearing in the list with numerous other civilians who include judges and academics.

This will be the first time the King celebrate his birthday with his wife, who is visibly expectant with their first child. The King married in a huge royal wedding that lasted for three days in February last year.

At the stadium, King Letsie III will inspect a guard and given a 21 gun-salute, which will be followed by best of wishes and entertainment activities, modern and traditional by different groups in the country.

The ceremony will be attended by the Prime Minister who will lead the nation in wishing the King a Happy Birthday. Both the Queen, Karabo and the Queen Mother 'M'e 'Mamohato are also expected at the ceremony, together with the traditional leaders, church leaders, diplomats and politicians at the Royal stand.

The ocassion will also be celebrated by a football game between the media team, Ha-ucha-u-cheche, and a team from the village of Matsieng, Matlaka.

A traditional feast is also expected to be held at the Royal village of Matsieng, where the normal traditional dances and music will be the order of the day.