The United Nations office in Bhutan plans to align its key priority areas of its Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2024 to 2028 to Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan. Speaking to BBS, the regional director of the UN’s Development Coordination Office for the Asia Pacific Region, who is on a six-day visit to Bhutan said, the UN has to revaluate its programmes to meet Bhutan’s needs as the country gears up to graduate out of least developed country status this year.
The United Nations bases its implementation of development activities at the country level on its Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
The regional director, David Mclachlan-Karr says the UN’s next plan should be evidence based on the realities of the challenges facing the country.
“We must make sure that there is an alignment and sequencing of the programming. One very important thing is that the UN country team here has been working on what’s called the common country assessment. That is to take stock of the economic profile and the social profile of the country.”
Transition into the 13th five-year-plan is scheduled for later this year. The plan document has yet to be finalised.
“We need to have the 13th plan finalised so that we can then make sure that our cooperation framework is oriented towards and in alignment with your priorities. We have been informed by the foreign minister and the prime minister that sometime towards the end of March, the middle of the year, the plan will be ready,” said the regional director.
The regional director also added that it is important for the UN to align its programming to Bhutan’s national priorities for development.
While in the country, the regional director met with senior government counterparts, members of Civil Society Organisations, and other development partners to assess how best the UN can serve the country.
Sherub Dorji
