Politics matter for human development. Reducing poverty depends as much on whether poor people have political power as on their opportunities for economic progress. This latest development report examines political participation as a dimension of human development. It calls for more democratic principles in global institutions and negotiating to prevent further fragmentation in the world and argues that democratic governance of security forces is the way to build capacity for peace. The 2002 Report also presents the first-ever country-by-country ratings on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.