Redirecting our impact on the planet 00:23 | 12/02/2021 By Caitlin Wiesen - Resident representative in Vietnam United Nations Development Programme The ambition of the first report, published in 1990, was to shift the focus of development thinking to human capabilities rather than focus exclusively on economic growth. Increasing incomes is important, especially for the poor and vulnerable, but we also need access to quality healthcare and education to realise our full potential. Vietnamâs extraordinary achievement of joining the High Human Development group this year as a lower middle-income country demonstrates the importance of focusing on human capabilities while also striving for rapid economic growth. Vietnamâs Human Development Index (HDI) since 1990 shows one of the fastest rates of improvement globally since the indicators were introduced.