TANDI DORJI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bhutan, declared that his country is ready to work constructively on preparing the Summit of the Future and developing the Global Digital Compact.  Expressing support for the Secretary-General’s stimulus to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, he spotlighted that his country’s development is based on gross national happiness — a holistic guiding philosophy aligned with the 2030 Agenda.  In this manner, Bhutan is on track to meet the stated targets as well as graduate from the list of least developed countries in 2023. This is the result of strong and benevolent leadership, hard work of citizens and, most of all, generous assistance from development partners, he pointed out.  To ensure a smooth, sustainable and irreversible graduation, Bhutan adopted the thirteenth five-year national development plan and hopes that the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action will gain universal support.

On climate change, he expressed concern that his country has also been affected by increasingly frequent and ferocious natural hazards, including glacial lake outburst floods, flash floods, windstorms and landslides.  Such occurrences will continue to negatively impact people’s livelihoods and hard-earned development gains, he lamented. Further, the loss of glaciers — one third of which will melt in Bhutan’s region by 2100 — will have numerous repercussions.  Among them are the loss of water for agriculture and hydropower generation, depletion of natural resources, increased risk of disaster events and sea-level rise, which could trigger coastal erosion, floods and permanent land submersion, he detailed.  In light of this, he reiterated Bhutan’s commitment to carbon neutrality and fulfilment of the Paris Agreement on climate change.  Welcoming the agreement on a loss and damage fund for vulnerable countries, he called for additional climate financing, including to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

On international peace and security, he recalled that since 2014, his country has contributed troops and police towards United Nations peacekeeping operations.  In this vein, he announced that Bhutan deployed its first uniformed contingent in November 2022 to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).  It has also pledged an integrated formed police unit and is ready to deploy it upon the Organization’s request.  Advocating for the reform of the Organization and its Security Council, he emphasized that the latter should give permanent seats to India, Japan and an African Union country as well as expand the number of its non-permanent members.  Regarding internal affairs, he informed that his Government has enacted several reforms to enhance public services, accelerate the economy and sustain the development progress.  Bhutan thus became the first country in the world to adopt a legal framework for implementing self-sovereign identity.