Category Archive: Whats New

• First ever Bhutan Women Parliamentary Caucus launched

  August 21, 2019 9:32 am Leave a Comment

  The political and legislative representation of women in Bhutan marked yet another milestone with the launch of the Bhutan Women Parliamentary Caucus which is a multi-stakeholder, multi-party, non-partisan and inclusive platform to unite and strengthen the voice and visibility of women advocates for gender equality in all spheres of development policies and laws. This is the first ever joint initiative for gender equality by BNEW and NCWC.

  Read more: BWPC article

• International Youth Day

  August 12, 2019 3:00 am Leave a Comment

   

  This year, the UN has identified the theme of International Youth Day 2019 as “Transforming education”, highlighting efforts to make education more inclusive and accessible for all youth, including efforts by youth themselves.

• Zero Waste Hour

  August 2, 2019 10:42 am Leave a Comment

   

  The UN family led by the Resident Coordinator joined the Minister for Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan,representatives from the government and international organizations, Tourism Council of Bhutan and students to observe the “Zero Waste Hour” by cleaning the area around the Changjiji Bazam and Changzamtog area today afternoon.

  The “Zero Waste Hour” was launched by Her Majesty, the Gyaltsuen, on 2 June as an initiative to instill behavior change towards proper waste management and practice sustainable consumption lifestyle leading towards safe, healthy and clean environment.

  The day will be observed for one hour every 2nd day of the month.

• Evacuation drill at the  health ministry

  4:11 am Leave a Comment

  Picture Courtesy: Kuensel

   

  The Ministry of Health (MoH) conducted an evacuation drill in collaboration with WHO Country Office and the UN office on 30 July. The drill was a part of the Health Emergency and Disaster Contingency Plan 2016, which mandates the need to conduct mock or evacuation drills in health facilities including the MoH building. Such drills are expected to help employees respond quickly, calmly, and safely during real disasters. The drill will be conducted twice a year.

   

• Strengthening Justice for Children

  August 1, 2019 2:52 am Leave a Comment

   

  Her Royal Highness Ashi Sonam Dechan Wangchuck graced the opening of the National Stock-taking Consultation on Justice for Children yesterday.

  Bhutan National Legal Institute (BNLI) in collaboration with UNICEF organized the consultation workshop to strengthen cooperation among key stakeholders involved in administering justice for children. The need for specialized procedures for children who come in contact with the law that give primary consideration to children’s protection and are consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other national, regional and international standards, guidelines and rules, are of utmost importance. Strengthening all components of the child protection system, including the justice mechanisms, to operate in the best interest of children is a key priority for UNICEF.

  Over 30 participants from the judiciary, The Office of the Attorney General, Royal Bhutan Police HQs, National Commission for Women and Children – NCWC, Bhutan and CSOs working on justice for children participated in the meeting.

   

• UN commits to ensure sustainable graduation

  July 30, 2019 5:56 am Leave a Comment

  UN commits to ensure sustainable graduation

   

  …would continue its partnership even after graduation

  By Tshering Dorji (Kuensel Issue: July 30)

   

  To ensure sustainable graduation from the category of least developed countries, Bhutan must focus on self-reliance.

   

  However, the UN system in Bhutan will continue its assistance and renew its role even after graduation. The UN system will shift from aid to trade, as Bhutan’s economic index is still vulnerable.

   

  This was the message the representatives of the UN systems in Bhutan conveyed during its press conference on July 26.

   

  Economic vulnerability index is one of the three criteria for graduation. The country has achieved the other two criteria on human asset index and income per capita. A country is eligible to graduate if it achieves two of the three criteria on two triennial reviews.

   

  The UN resident coordinator, Gerald Daly said the country must strengthen its academic institutions to prepare youth to be self-reliant future leaders. This, he said is strengthening self-reliance. He said that the media, civil society organisations and private sector must also be strengthened to achieve self-reliance.

   

  The deputy resident representative, Jurgen Nagler said UNDP would undertake a trade diagnostic study as the country sets out to diversify its economy. “Sustainable graduation has the same spirit as the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

   

  Gerald Daly added that the UN has equal interest in Gross National Happiness and NKRAs as it has in SDGs. While Bhutan is doing well on SDGs, he said it couldn’t be complacent. There are, he shared, examples of growing inequalities, as countries get richer.

   

  When the SDGs are looked at from a child focus, Vandana Joshi from the UNICEF said that the results are not that impressive. For instance, poverty reduction has been substantial but reduction in child poverty has not been progressive. “We need to invest in young ones to bring same level of progress,” she said. “Within that impressive growth, we have to concentrate on where inequality stands and invest. It is not a difficult dream for us” she added.

   

  The UNDP is also helping the government develop foresight methodology and apply it. The UNDP’s report on 10 years of democracy, Jugen Nagler said is to enforce a stronger partnership with the govern ment to ensure sustainable graduation by maximising the progress on SDGs.

   

  The assistant representative of the FAO, Chador Tenzin said that for Bhutan to tighten its vulnerabilities on the economy, a lot has to do with the RNR sector. The sector, he said would bring wider benefit where most of the people are employed. “If we want to attract our youth into farming, it has to be technology driven,” he said adding that this is where the FAO would focus.

   

  As for the WHO, its representative, Dr Rui Paulo de Jesus said that it would always try to make itself relevant. As Bhutan graduates, he said WHO’s role would transform. “We may shift our approach from service delivery to normative function.”

   

  The UNFPA resident representative, Yeshey Dorji said the organisation still has its agenda to continue. In future, he said the UNFPA would focus on policy advocacy and upstream works.

   

  Innovative financing

   

  One direct impact of the graduation is on the official development assistance (ODA).

   

  Gerald Daly said that Bhutan must look at finding innovative solutions. He said that one way is to look at internal revenue built up from providing benefit to the vulnerable group. For instance, taxes on alcohol, sugar filled drinks can raise revenue while the most vulnerable group can benefit from the impact.

   

  Vertical climate fund is the biggest source of external financing. He said two UN agencies are already accessing Global Climate Fund (GCF) to invest in smart agriculture.

   

  During the upcoming Climate Action Summit in September, he said the UN secretary General’s main priority is to increase the capital base of green fund.

   

  The UN’s assistance to replace 300 taxis with electric vehicle, he said is another example. The international community is providing the finance. Taxi owners take loan with the help of financial institutions and they take loan only if they believe that they can repay. So this initiative will strengthen the private sector, reduce pollution and curb import of fossil fuels. “The UN would like to see more of such innovative projects,” Gerald Daly said.

   

  “It is a combination of what we ourselves can do and what the international community can do,” he said in relation to the financing.

   

  Jurgen also added that the recently launched crowd funding has the potential to tap into growing market of impact investment.

   

  Vandana Joshi said UNICEF’s intent is to see how smartly resource could be used in programme such as investing in prevention of NCD to reduce the burden of treating it to get the best value of the money. “Saving money is also raising money,” she added.

• Values and Equality in the 21st Century

  July 23, 2019 5:35 am Leave a Comment

  Speaker : Swami Agnivesh

  Swami Agnivesh, an activist based in New Delhi, India. Swami Agnivesh a powerful

  communicator in Hindi and English, has worked on many social issues nationally and

  internationally. First International Anti Slavery Award was given to him in London in

  1990, Freedom and Human Rights Award in Berne, Switzerland in 1994, Rajiv Gandhi

  National Sadbhavna Award in 2004 and Right Livelihood Award ( Alternative Nobel for

  Peace in 2004.)

  Host: Dr. Karma Phuntsho

  The Founder and President of Loden Foundation, a development organization that promotes

  education, social entrepreneurship and Bhutan’s culture and tradition as well as the Shejun

  Agency for Bhutan’s Cultural Documentation and Research.

  Add on session by Pushpa Chhetri:  A social Entrepreneur and a founder of BMCI

  TOPIC: Social Entrepreneurship

  Pushpa Chhetri founded Bhutan Media and Communications Institute in 2011, the first

  private institute of its kind in Bhutan to contribute towards a professional development

  of Media and Communications Industry. She was awarded Loden’s best Entrepreneur

  Award in 201. She also serves as a Trustee of Loden Foundation,Executive Board member

  of Bhutan ICT and Training Association (BICTTA), Executive Member of SCWEC through

  BAOWE and a mentor for The DHI Business Acceleration Program (DHI BizAP).

  DATE: 8 August 2019

  VENUE: UN House, Kawajangsa, Thimphu

  TIME: 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

  PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK TO REGISTER: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bhutan-dialogues-values-and-equality-in-the-21st-century-tickets-66350846167?aff=erelexpmlt

• Bhutan Economic Forum for Innovative Transformation

  July 16, 2019 6:35 am Leave a Comment

  The second Biennial three-day Bhutan Economic Forum for Innovative Transformation (BEFIT) Summit with the theme ‘Catalyzing Small and Cottage Industries to Drive Bhutan’s Economic Diversification ‘ started today at the Royal Thimphu College.  The UN in Bhutan is a proud partner.

• Celebrating World Population Day 2019: ICPD at 25 years

  July 10, 2019 3:59 am Leave a Comment

   

  World Population Day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, established as the Day the world population reached 5 Billion on 11 July 1987.

  It is the most important day in the UNFPA calendar, taking on extra significance this year when we mark the 50th anniversary of UNFPA’s founding, as well as the 25th anniversary of the Programme of Action that emerged from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, which has served as the foundation for all that UNFPA does the world over.

• Social Media: Emerging Patterns & Discourses

  July 2, 2019 9:05 am Leave a Comment

  Speaker: Dorji Wangchuk

  Dorji Wangchuk is currently a researcher, PhD candidate and teaching associate at the University of Macau –

  with research focus in social media, sociolinguistics and discourse studies.
  He worked in the Bhutan Broadcasting Service from 1986 to 2006 and then from 2009 to 2013 he served as

  the Director of Royal Office of the Media under His Majesty the King’s Secretariat.

  Host: Gerald Daly

  Gerald Daly  is the Resident Coordinator of the UN in Bhutan . Prior to his appointment as RC for Bhutan,

  he served as Policy Adviser and Team Leader of Programme, Joint Funding and Business Operations in the

  UN Development Group. His focus areas included ensuring cross-UN ownership and development of Delivering

  as One at both strategic and operational levels along with

  funding/implementation of integrated policy work.

  Date: Wednesday 10, 2019

  Venue: UN House, Kawajangsa, Thimphu

  Time: 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

  ADD ON SESSION by Pema Euden, a Mathematician, and an author

  Topic: How to Succeed Academically 

  Pema Euden is the author of Coming Home(2008) and Lomba(2016). She was the youngest author of Bhutan

  in 2008. Pema graduated with Highest Honors from The University of Texas at El Paso(UTEP)in 2018.

  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Mathematics.  She was awarded the Academic and Research Excellence

  Undergraduate student in Mathematics by the College of Science, UTEP.

  Please click on the link to register

  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bhutan-dialogues-being-the-change-changes-the-being-tickets-62633004001