PRESS RELEASE

Honb’ble Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley leaves Paro on Monday 13th September 2010 for New York to attend the 65th Session of the United Nations General AssemblyHon’ble

Lyonchhen will be accompanied by the Cabinet Secretary, Foreign Secretary, and Secretary of the GNHC.  Other members of the delegation include officials of the Cabinet Secretariat  and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As Chairman of the RGOB’s delegation, Hon’ble Lyonchhen will speak before world leaders at the UN High Level Plenary Meeting on the Millenium Development Goals.  The Summit event is being conducted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in order to take stock of progress in meeting the eight MDG benchmarks committed to by over 190 Heads of State and Government in 2000, and to catalyze global efforts towards their achievement within the 2015 deadline.  Hon’ble Lyonchhen will also participate in a Round Table on Promoting Sustainable Development during the Summit.

While in New York, Hon’ble Lyonchhen and the Deputy Chairman of the RGOB Delegation, Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, the Hon’ble Foreign Minister, will conduct a series of bilateral meetings with participating Heads of State and Government as well as Foreign Ministers to discuss bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest.

During the 65th UNGA, Hon’ble Lyonchhen will participate in the 2010 UN Treaty Event to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  This is a significant demonstration of the RGOB’s commitment to promote and protect the inherent dignity of all Bhutanese, and in particular the rights of persons with disabilities, to the promotion of an inclusive society, as well as Bhutan’s continued support to the international rule of law.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

THIMPHU, 10th SEPTEMBER 2010