Watch part two

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released its fifth independent report on Arab human development.

Focusing on threats to human security, the 2009 report is critical of Arab governments and says that political, economic, social and environmental problems are undermining the lives and freedoms of people in the region.

According to the report "human security - the kind of material and moral foundation that secures lives, livelihoods and an acceptable quality of life for the majority" is missing in Arab countries and hampers their progress.

The report notes the economic vulnerability faced by many people and the challenges posed by an increasingly large and young population inhabiting a region where water and arable land are shrinking.

On the subject of occupation and foreign military intervention, the report says that these two factors generate tensions across borders, create a 'cause celebre' for extremists and allow Arab governments to cite national security concerns as a pretext for delaying democratisation.

This episode of the Riz Khan show aired from Wednesday, July 29, 2009.