Bhutan, 2013

I bring to you, Mr. President,

and through you to all representatives the warm

greetings and good wishes of His Majesty Jigme Khesar

Namgyel Wangchuck. Allow me also to congratulate

you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the

General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. I assure

you of my delegation’s full support and cooperation as

you steer the important work of this session.

I am deeply honoured to have the opportunity to

address the Assembly for the first time. I do so owing

to the mandate accorded by the people of Bhutan to the

People’s Democratic Party at the second parliamentary

elections held this summer.

The second parliamentary elections were yet

another milestone on the path of democracy that Bhutan

chose to undertake five years ago. In 2008 there were

two political parties, whereas four parties contested this

year’s elections. The people of Bhutan voted for change

and ushered in a new Government. These, I believe,

are signs of a vibrant democracy enabling the people

of Bhutan to exercise their will through the ballot box.

We know that democracy needs to go beyond

elections. We will therefore continually work to

strengthen democratic institutions, the rule of law, an

independent judiciary, a vibrant civil society, an open

and free media and, above all, a democratic culture that

enables people to voice their aspirations and to live

with dignity, equality and prosperity. As we embark

on a new phase in our relatively young democracy, we

do so in full confidence that democracy in Bhutan is

irreversible and on a firm footing. In this journey, we

count on the support of our friends and the international

community.

We meet at a time of extraordinary changes. While

some have been able to achieve tremendous economic

growth and prosperity, millions of people continue

to languish in the inhuman depths of poverty. Our

relentless drive for economic growth has come at the

cost of our environment. The climate is changing.

Natural disasters hit us with increasing frequency

and intensity. The natural question then is, how do we

advance economic growth, promote societal progress

and prosperity within the confines of nature? How do

we lift the millions of people out of the vicious circle of

poverty? How can we ensure that we leave a planet safe

and secure for our children and grandchildren?

These, I believe, are the key questions that confront

us all. Although we come from different parts of the

globe, with our unique historical backgrounds and

cultural experiences, we are bound by our shared future.

In today’s interconnected and globalized world, we

can prevail only if we come together as global citizens

and work to find solutions for the sake of our common

future. In this endeavour, Mr. President, as you have

rightly stated, failure is not an option.

My delegation welcomes the theme “The post-2015

development agenda: setting the stage” for this general

debate. The question of the post-2015 development

agenda is important, especially for the least developed

and landlocked countries, which in many respects have

the most at stake. It presents the opportunity for all

countries to share their experiences and the kind of

development agenda that they would like to see in the

post-2015 era.

As we set the stage for a development agenda

beyond 2015, the Millennium Declaration (resolution

52/2) provides a strong foundation. In our search for

a new development agenda we must not forget the

important principles set out in the Declaration, but must

emphasize their continued relevance. The Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) inspired nations and a

whole generation to improve the lives of many people by

creating synergies between nations and among people.

All efforts must be made to accelerate the realization of

the MDGs during their last mile.

The outcome document of the United Nations

Conference on Sustainable Development (resolution

66/288, annex) also outlined important principles on

which the post-2015 development agenda should be

built. These principles must guide our efforts to come

up with a holistic and transformative development

agenda that puts people at the centre of development

and brings about shared prosperity and happiness to

all. Within this broader vision, poverty eradication

must form a central theme of the post-2015 agenda. For

Bhutan, the alleviation of poverty remains a challenge

and features as a key priority in the current eleventh

five-year development plan.

Equally important is the need to bring about

inclusive development, which is one of the priority

objectives of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

Targeted interventions are being planned to promote

the livelihoods of the poorest and most vulnerable

communities in Bhutan.

The empowerment of women should constitute

one of the main building blocks of the post-2015

development agenda. Any development agenda will fall

short if it does not include the empowerment of women

as a key component.

Issues related to youth and to providing gainful

employment to a growing population is one of the

critical challenges that my country continues to face.

It is therefore vitally important that the post-2015

development agenda address the issues of youth, as

they are the key stakeholders of that era.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of a

strong means of implementation in the post-2015

development agenda. Without it, the capacity of

developing and least developed countries to realize the

post-2015 development priorities will remain severely

challenged. At the intergovernmental level, Bhutan

will continue its close engagement in the work of the

Open Working Group on Sustainable Development

Goals, on which it is pleased to serve as a member. We

look forward to contributing to the intergovernmental

negotiations towards the elaboration of a single post-

2015 development agenda.

The subject of development inevitably leads me to

refer to my country’s experience, in which it is guided

by the development philosophy of Gross National

Happiness, a vision that has given character to my

country. Happiness and development have come to

mean many things, and there are indeed many experts

and a rich body of literature on the subject. This body

also adopted resolution 65/309, on happiness, at its

sixty-fifth session, and resolution 66/281 proclaiming

20 March as the International Day of Happiness, at its

sixty-sixth session.

Happiness as a development policy must relate to

individuals as well as to Governments. It is the sacred

responsibility of Governments to ensure that conditions

are created for its citizens to pursue their individual

happiness within the larger aspirations of the country.

All our achievements, including the peaceful transition

to a democracy in 2008, as well as the progress realized

in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, have

been as a result of embarking on a people-centred

development approach.

Encouraged by our positive national experience,

Bhutan has facilitated efforts to elaborate a holistic

approach to development. We intend to share the

findings with Member States and the wider international

community at an appropriate time. We hope that this

modest contribution will serve as a useful input to the

ongoing discussions on the post-2015 development

agenda.

While Bhutan has made significant socioeconomic

progress, we face many challenges and vulnerabilities,

being both a landlocked and a least developed country.

Our economy remains import-driven and dependent

on a single export commodity. Poverty, youth

unemployment, natural disasters and vulnerability to

adverse impacts of climate change, including glacial

lake outburst floods, pose challenges. We will therefore

continue to count on external support and assistance as

we work towards achieving our long-cherished goal of

self-reliance and graduation from the least developed

country category.

We recognize that a vibrant democracy should be

built on a strong economy, which is essential to bring

about improvement in the lives of the people. Therefore,

in the eleventh Five-Year Development Plan, the main

thrust will be to promote prosperity for all through

inclusive social development, accelerated green

economic development and infrastructure development.

The United Nations, with its global scope and

mandate, remains the only universal organization that

can forge a global coordinated response to the pressing

challenges in areas ranging from peace and security to

development. The challenges of our times are, however,

testing the United Nations and the resolve of its Member

States to work together. Every effort must be made to

strengthen the role and efficacy of a United Nations that

is just, democratic and representative and allows space

for its Members, including the smallest, to participate

fully in its work. That is the key to the legitimacy of an

effective multilateral system.

We remain hopeful that under your able leadership,

Sir, the sixty-eighth session will further advance work

on the reform of the United Nations. The General

Assembly must be revitalized and its role strengthened.

The membership of the Security Council in both the

permanent and the non-permanent categories must

be expanded to bring it into line with contemporary

realities and to make the Council a more representative

body.

These are challenging times indeed. It falls upon

us to seek the wisdom of those who created this great

institution to work together in the spirit of international

cooperation in solving international problems. We have

the opportunity not only to strengthen the role of the

United Nations and advance multilateralism, but also to

define a holistic development agenda that will respond

to the universal aspiration for happiness.