Anchoring Economic Growth and Development in the Pursuit of Human Flourishing
“The living standards of median households deserve at least as much direct policy attention as the overall wealth of nations.”
— Richard Samans
In a world grappling with deepening inequality, environmental crises, and growing uncertainty, accelerating progress on global goals demands a fundamental rethink of how economic growth and development are understood and pursued.
At the recent Global Solutions Summit, TASC Senior Fellow Richard Samans joined leading voices from South Africa, India, Europe, and the US to explore how a “human flourishing” approach can reshape economic priorities—placing well-being, inclusion, and resilience at the core of policymaking.
GSS 2025 advanced discussions among stakeholders about the Global Solutions Initiative’s Human Flourishing program. In particular, it featured a session on a “Flourishing-Centred Growth and Development Model” in which leading experts explored new conceptions of economic growth and development that take better account of the considerations reflected in the multifaceted SAGE framework for measuring socioeconomic progress.
The session was prepared in part by publication of an essay by Richard Samans and Dennis Snower entitled Anchoring Economic Growth and Development in the Pursuit of Human Flourishing. The discussion included announcement of a new initiative led by a dedicated working group of the United Nations Economist Network aimed at creating a stronger international network of particularly academic networks of experts who are working on fundamental reform of the growth and development model.
Explore their key proposals for a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable global economy.
