UNUSG launches Bhutan’s MDG report (Economy)

Thimphu, November 22: UN Assistant Secretary General for Asia and the Pacific Ajay Chhibber launched Bhutan’s progress report on meeting the Millennium Development Goals here in Thimphu on Friday.

The report is jointly prepared by UN system in Bhutan and the Royal Government of Bhutan. The reports states that nutrition problems in Bhutan have dropped to 10-15 percent, water scarcity to 19-22 percent and sanitation to 10-12 percent.

The report said Bhutan is among the few countries that have been making good progress in achieving the MDG adding it has already achieved three of the MDG indicators and is on track to meet most of the other targets by 2015.

Addressing the function Chhibber emphasized the need to “deepen and strengthen democracy to the grass root level and empower people” which will not only help achieve the MDGs but also strengthen the democratic process.

He highlighted the need for targeted programs that will deliver development benefits directly to the poor, enhancing their human development and addressing the root causes of their impoverishment.  Such intervention, he said will help address the contrasts across districts on a number of MDG target areas such as poverty incidence, child malnutrition, food security, net primary education enrolment and access to safe drinking water.

Minister for Education Thakur Singh Powdyel said there are certain areas that need to be addressed in poverty, gender parity at tertiary level of education, youth unemployment and women’s participation in decision making to meet the MDG.

The UN Resident Coordinator Nicholas Rosellini said that Bhutan’s success on the MDGs is attributed to the strong political will and commitment of the Government in integrating the MDGs into the national planning framework but underlined the challenges ahead. Bhutan News Service