Tonga is the only Pacific island country listed in the High Human Development category and is ranked number 55 out of 177 countries shown in a UN report.

The UN Assistant Secretary-General Hafiz Pasha officially launched the 2006 Human Development Report (HDR) in the Pacific in Suva, Fiji, Wednesday evening.

According to UN press release, Fiji and Samoa are classed as in the Middle Ranked Development of 90 and 75. Fiji has improved to 90 from the 92 ranking it held in last year's report.

Pasha said that Papua New Guinea that ranked 139 was the country with a concern as it had shown significant decline over the past four years.

Vanuatu is ranked 119 while the Solomon Islands are 128.

The HDR is a product of collective effort commissioned by UN and has been focusing on highly topical issues in the current development debate, providing path-breaking analysis and policy recommendations since 1990.

The report which was formally launched on Nov. 9 in Cape Town, has the potential to reach national governments in over 177 countries.

Source: Xinhua