Hon’ble Foreign Minister, Lyonpo D.N. Dhungyel delivered the national statement virtually at the 81st Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific(ESCAP) today.  The 81st Session of ESCAP is being held from 21-25 April 2025 under the theme ‘Regional Cooperation for resilient and sustainable urban development in Asia and the Pacific.’

In his statement, Hon’ble Lyonpo commended ESCAP for fostering regional cooperation and underscored its importance given the shared challenges of the Asia-Pacific region such as climate change, economic uncertainties and technological disruption. Hon’ble Lyonpo affirmed Bhutan’s commitment to resilient and sustainable urban development guided by Gross National Happiness. Hon’ble Lyonpo also underlined key initiatives in the country such as the National Capital Region Strategy and the Gelephu Mindfulness City.

ESCAP is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region with 53 Member States and 9 Associate Members. Bhutan has been a member of ESCAP since 1972.