24 October 2021: The year 2021 is a special year for the United Nations (UN) family in Bhutan as we mark the country’s 50 years of membership in the UN. The partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) began from the very beginning of its membership with the development of the country’s human development, tourism and energy sectors. Our partnership was consolidated through the establishment of UNDP Bhutan Country Office in 1973. Over the years, the partnership has grown and diversified as we joined hands in addressing complex development challenges in the areas of poverty reduction, environment conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and inclusive governance.

Throughout our presence, UNDP has walked with Bhutan side by side to facilitate the attainment of its development aspirations as a nation of Gross National Happiness. Early examples of the fruits of our partnership include the launch of Bhutan’s first airline, Drukair, in 1981 and the establishment of the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTFEC) in 1996. 

UNDP has also ensured optimal access for Bhutan to global climate financing and mechanisms through the design and implementation of adaptation and mitigation projects. Examples of recent joint efforts include the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and the climate adaptation projects in the agriculture sector. Some of the outcomes of the NAPA projects include stabilization of four critical landslide-prone areas in Rinchending, Phuntsholing, and protection of Bhutan’s largest industrial estate in Pasakha from recurrent flooding, thus securing our main economic corridor. These interventions have also helped strengthen community resilience to drought in four districts through water harvesting system installations. Furthermore, the partnership has contributed towards mitigation of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) risks in Lunana between 2008 and 2013. Similarly, UNDP supported the formulation of the National Disaster Risk Management Framework. Under the ongoing agriculture adaptation projects, close to 40 climate-resilient irrigation schemes will be completed, securing lifeline water supplies to agricultural communities in the wake of climate change.

Our recent strong partnership with the Royal Government in building a solid scientific basis to design the even more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions and Low-Emission Development Strategies, ahead of the COP 26 is an example of UNDP’s continued commitment to further strengthening Bhutan’s global climate leadership.  

As the international community finds ways to recover from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of sound governance institutions is felt more than before. Building on past efforts to consolidate democracy and strengthen systems of governance, such as the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in 2006 and the Justice Sector Strategic Plan in 2018, UNDP continues to work with all three arms of the state and civil society as an indispensable mechanism to reach out to the vulnerable groups and deliver essential services. The achievement of SDG 16 is a necessary bedrock for sustainable and inclusive development.

Accelerating efforts towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) attainment before 2030 remains a priority as UNDP continues to work with the Royal Government through innovative partnerships, cutting-edge global knowledge, technical and financial assistance.

But in moving forward, the partnership must evolve in tune with the fast-changing world. The challenge of reaching Agenda 2030, which was momentous already before the COVID-19 pandemic, has now been amplified. The human development index has plummeted for the first time since records began. Although the number of people living in extreme poverty dropped from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 689 million in 2017, across 107 developing countries, 1.3 billion people, or 22% of the population, live in multidimensional poverty. Since 1990, inequality has increased in most developed countries and some middle-income countries, home to 75% of the world’s population. The crisis has exposed multiple dimensions of inequalities, be it in digital space or vaccine access. In Bhutan, the extraordinary leadership, fast actions by the Royal Government, and community support have all contributed to effective containment of the virus, but we are all aware of the increasing prevalence of mental illness, suicides, gender-based violence, and youth unemployment. This virus has spared no one. 

Although COVID-19 has illuminated the challenges the world is faced with, it has also demonstrated the scope for choice in how and where to address those challenges. It certainly triggered renewed interest in policies previously considered impracticable, such as temporary basic incomes. Many governments launched bold and massive green economic recovery plans. The crisis presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset the unsustainable development pathways that the global community was pursuing and achieve structural transformation, particularly green, inclusive, and digital transitions. 

The world community continues to be confronted with complex challenges that require whole of society efforts and integrated approaches. Our world today is, in so many ways, a different world from what it was when UNDP was established in Bhutan over four decades ago. The world, and certainly Bhutan, need a new set of solutions, and to help deliver those, we in UNDP must also evolve.

The COVID-19 crisis taught us valuable lessons. One defining lesson is the importance of the Triple A (being Agile, Anticipatory, and Adaptive). The states around the world also realized the importance of building the capabilities and resilience required to respond to systemic uncertainties and risks.

In recognition of this reality, UNDP recently launched a network of Accelerator Labs. This facility goes beyond the traditional parameters of projectised partnerships and allows us to apply the Triple A principle. The Lab offers a platform to co-create agility and adaptiveness in operations and practices and aims to ensure that capabilities are built to understand the complexities of 21st century problems. The lab does this by firstly adopting systems thinking approaches, and secondly, rapidly testing and experimenting ideas to accelerate learning on a small scale before making expensive mistakes. As part of a globally integrated network (115 labs serving 117 countries), each lab connects and collaborates, drawing ideas and practices from one another in real-time. In Bhutan, the lab is focusing on three frontier challenges; to bring about a systems approach to overcoming barriers in the youth unemployment landscape, to apply behavioral insight interventions in waste management, and to build a public sector innovation ecosystem in the country. The lab is currently exploring the potential for enhancing foresight capabilities in the public sector. We all recognize that public service reform is a prerequisite for many of the reforms that are urgently needed in Bhutan. Facilitating digital solutions is an integral part of addressing all three frontier challenges that our Accelerator Lab is focusing on.

Another valuable lesson from the pandemic is that there is no development problem that does not have a global face. From air pollution to unemployment, multilateral cooperation will be vital in resolving these shared predicaments that cross boundaries of geography and time. These include more diverse alliances of governments and businesses, regions, and cities collaborating to find solutions to common concerns. 

While development challenges are becoming ever more inter-connected and multi-faceted, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement bring clarity of purpose to this complex, uncertain world we operate in. As we mark 50 years of Bhutan’s membership in the UN, it is time for UNDP to step up and reaffirm our commitment to remain Bhutan’s trusted development partner, a partner who brings new solutions and connects Bhutan to the global network of knowledge and thought-leadership.

Blog by UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota