United Nation Country Team

Event Calandar for 2008

August
12-Aug	International Youth Day
26-28 August	2nd Regional Consultative Meeting on Universal Access to Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support on HIV/AIDS in Low Prevalence Countries	Manila
September
2-4 Sept	The 3rd High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF 3) (Min. of Finance invited).	Accra, Ghana
08-Sep	International Literacy Day
16-Sep	Opening of the UN General Assembly
21-Sep	International Day of Peace
25-Sep	High-level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)	TBD
…..Sept	Submission of CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child) Report for Bhutan	Geneva
October
16-Oct	World Food Day
17-Oct	International Day for Eradication of Poverty
24-Oct	United Nations Day
November
11-Nov	Children’s Day
25-Nov	International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
29 Nov -2 Dec	Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus	Doha, Qatar

About UN System in Bhutan

When Bhutan joined the United Nations in 1971, it broke centuries of self-imposed isolation from the world. Indeed, until that time the only multilateral organization to which the Kingdom belonged was the Universal Postal Union.

Today, Bhutan is a member of 26 United Nations and related international organizations and has been elected twice to the United Nations Economic and Social Council ( ECOSOC: 1993-1995 and 2002-2004) and thrice to the Commission on Human Rights (1995-1997), (1998-2000) and (2004-2006). Of the United Nations organizations to which Bhutan is a member, six have offices in Bhutan namely: FAO, UNDP (which includes UNCDF and UNV), UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.

Relationship between the Royal Government of Bhutan and the United Nations has been intimate and fruitful. The UN system has been associated with almost every sphere of social, economic and human development efforts of Bhutan over the years. The Millennium Development Goals form the framework within which the UN System operates in Bhutan.

Human Rights Day – Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

More than eighty participants from the Government, the private sector, the media and development agencies working in Bhutan attended the discussion on how the two concepts of Gross National Happiness and Human Rights can best complement each other and promote the development process in Bhutan.

The event was organized jointly by the Centre for Bhutan Studies and the UN agencies in Bhutan as part of a series of activities to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Dasho Karma Ura, Director of the Centre for Bhutan Studies spoke on GNH and Human Rights, while Mr. Nicholas Rosellini, UN Resident Coordinator focused on Rights based approach to development and the added value of integrating human rights in development policies.

Prizes were also awarded to the winners of the essay competition on Gross National Happiness and Human Rights which was organized by CBS and the UN in Bhutan. The winning essays can be accessed here.

Solution Exchange – Development Networking for Bhutan:

Solution Exchange is an initiative of the United Nations Country Team in Bhutan that offers individual development practitioners an informal forum to share and benefit from each other’s solutions to day-to-day development challenges. Solution Exchange connects people who have similar concerns and interests, bringing them together virtually and face-to-face towards the common objective of problem solving and development effectiveness. For more details, click http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.bt

UN System Influenza Coordination Unit

Since 2003, a devastating epidemic of avian influenza caused by the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has predominately affected poultry flocks in many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Over a hundred people that mainly had direct contact with infected birds have died; most cases have occurred in previously healthy children and young adults.

The office of the UN System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC) has been created within the UN Development Group to help ensure that the UN system responds to national, regional and global challenges in relation to influenza. Read More...