A United Nations report released July 2 on human development in Arab countries shows that countries lacking fundamental freedoms are also likely to suffer underdevelopment in key areas, including education, technology, and the economy.

The report on the Arab League’s 22-member nations unveiled at the League’s Cairo headquarters indicates that Arab countries are the least free in individual liberties, civil participation and press freedom. It also points out that more than half of Arab women are illiterate and female participation in government is the lowest in the world.

The report, prepared by some 50 Arab scholars under the direction of the U.N. Development Program, demonstrates the correlation between the restriction of fundamental human freedoms and continued underdevelopment. Compared to other world regions, Arab countries had the lowest freedom score in the late 1990s. The attitudes of Arab public authorities ranged from opposition to manipulation to “freedom under surveillance,” according to the report. It also says the media is at best “partly free.” Labor productivity has been low and is declining, and Arab countries have not developed as quickly as other comparable regions, the report notes.

“This independent report by Arab scholars is a clear indictment of actions that limit freedom,” says Jonathan Gallagher, U.N. liaison director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. “As an organization committed to freedom, particularly religious liberty as a fundamental human right, the Adventist Church urges all nations to fulfill their obligations to their own peoples in these areas of basic human freedoms. Only then will societies flourish and develop so that individuals and communities can achieve their full potential.”