How Bhutan gained from the Happiness conference in New York

The happiness and well-being conference hosted by Bhutan and led by the Prime Minister, Lyonchen Jigmi Y Thinley is expected to bring more than happiness in Bhutan.

In his most recent address to the nation, the Prime Minister said,”For a small country like ours, the appreciation we are getting from the world is vital for our sovereignty and security.”  He added that Bhutan cannot protect its sovereignty through armed conduct but it can through politics.

The Prime Minister said that since Bhutan would be donor dependant till 2020 the conference would also help Bhutan in getting more donor assistance. Lyonchhen also said that the conference significantly strengthened Bhutan’s standing in the international community. He said that as a result ordinary Bhutanese can be proud to call themselves Bhutanese when they travel outside.

A member of the delegation and the Secretary for the Ministry of Information and Communications, Dasho Kinley Dorji, said “the conference had the best minds in the world discussing about the concept of GNH which comes back to Bhutan giving us a better understanding and a refined thinking.”

He also said that the positive impression that the country’s development paradigm had made in the international community is in itself a huge achievement and would be vital for the country’s status.  Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s office will be forming a commission of experts who will draft an economic policy for the world which in turn will be adopted by other countries.

Lyonchen will be representing Bhutan the UN at the Rio+20 conference which is to be held in June.

There is much speculation about the feasibility of GNH but regardless of economic differences it was more or less accepted by all the nations at New York as an ideal development paradigm.

The  conference was attended by some of the top government representatives, leading economists, spiritual and civil society leaders  offering Bhutan  not only a platform to  express  itself as the first country to introduce GNH but a viable nation defining the core values of peace and co-existence between man and nature.

The government hosted the meeting in direct pursuance of UN general assembly resolution – “happiness; towards a holistic approach to development” co-sponsored by 68 countries;it was adopted by consensus at the 109th plenary meeting on 19 July,2011.

Countries like Costa Rica which is known for its outstanding achievement in environmental conservation also took part  in the happiness and well being conference.