Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade RGOB
United Nations
Bhutan was admitted as a member of the United Nations on 21st September 1971 and this could be regarded as one of the most important foreign policy initiatives taken by the Royal Government. As a small country located in a geo-politically sensitive region, Bhutan’s admission as a member of the UN reaffirmed its status as a sovereign independent country and laid the foundations for cooperation with the UN and its specialized agencies.
For Bhutan, the UN is extremely important both politically as well as economically. Politically, as an organization based on the principle of sovereign equality of its members, it provides a forum in which Bhutan can express its views and concerns on a wide range of issues on the international agenda.
Economically, the UN and its specialized agencies are an important source of financial and technical assistance to the process of socio-economic development in Bhutan. Assistance from the UN and its specialized agencies has played a vital role in the process of modernization in Bhutan since 1973. Bhutan’s Permanent Missions to the UN in New York and Geneva are the channels through which Bhutan’s foreign policy objectives vis-à-vis the UN and it subsidiary bodies and specialized agencies are implemented.
Over the years, Bhutan’s status as an active and responsible member of the UN has gained prominence through its involvement in the numerous bodies of the UN. Bhutan has served on many important posts such as the Vice President of the UN General Assembly (New York), President of the Trade and Development Board, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD, Geneva), two terms as member of the UN Commission on Human Rights (Geneva), two terms as member of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC, 1993-1995), Executive Board of UNICEF and WHO, Chairman of the Third Committee during the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the UN (New York, 1995).
| I | UNITED NATIONS AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS | ADMISSION |
| 1) | Universal Postal Union (UPU) | 1969 |
| 2) | United Nations | 1971 |
| 3) | United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | 1971 |
| 4) | Group of 77 | 1971 |
| 5) | United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific (ESCAP) | 1972 |
| 6) | International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) | 1978 |
| 7) | Asian Reinsurance Corporation (ARC) | 1979 |
| 8 ) | International Monetary Fund (IMF) | 1981 |
| 9) | World Bank | 1981 |
| 10) | International Development Association (IDA) | 1981 |
| 11) | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | 1981 |
| 12) | World Health Organization (WHO) | 1982 |
| 13) | South East Asia Regional Organization of WHO (SEARO) | 1982 |
| 14) | United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) | 1982 |
| 15) | United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) | 1983 |
| 16) | Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) | 1983 |
| 17) | Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD | 1985 |
| 18) | International Telecommunication Union (ITU) | 1988 |
| 19) | International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) | 1989 |
| 20) | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | 1994 |
| II | OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS | ADMISSION |
| 21) | Colombo Plan | 1962 |
| 22) | Non-Aligned Movement | 1973 |
| 23) | South Asian Co-operation Environment Programme (SACEP) | 1982 |
| 24) | Asian Development Bank | 1982 |
| 25) | World Fellowship of Buddhists | 1984 |
| 26) | South Asian Association for Regional Corporation (SAARC) | 1985 |
| 27) | International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) | 1985 |
| 28) | International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) | 1987 |
| 29) | Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific | 1988 |
| 30) | Office International Des Epizooties (OIE) | 1990 |
| 31) | Asian Institute of Transport Development | 1991 |
| 32) | International Telecommunications Organization (INTELSAT) | 1992 |
| 33) | International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) | 1994 |
| 34) | Global Environmental Facility (GEF) | 1995 |
| 35) | Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA) | 1996 |
| 36) | Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU) | 1997 |
| 37) | Constitution of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) | 1998 |
| 38) | Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific (APHCA) (applied for membership) | 2000 |
| 39) | Asian Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development | 2000 |
| 40) | Asian Clearing Union | 2000 |
| 41) | Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) | 2000 |
| 42) | Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia (REAAA) | 2002 |
| 43) | World Road Association (PIARC) | 2002 |
| 44) | World Customs Organization | 2002 |
| 45) | International Finance Corporation | 2003 |
| 46) | World Meteorological Organization | 2003 |
| 47) | Regional Intelligence Liaison Officer (RILO) for Asia & Pacific Region | 2003 |
| 48) | Asia Pacific Education & Training Institute in Tourism (APETIT) | 2004 |
| 49) | BIMST-EC | 2004 |
| 50) | Association of Government Accounts Organization of Asia (AGAOA) | 2004 |
| 51) | Asian Cooperation Dialogue | 2005 |
| 52) | International Standardisation Organization (ISO)(Correspondent member) | 2005 |
| 53) | Asia Pacific Rural & Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA) | 2005 |
| 54) | International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) | 2005 |
| III | INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS | ADMISSION |
| 1) | International Olympic Committee | 1983 |
| 2) | Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) | 1983 |
| 3) | South Asian Sports Federation (SASF) | 1983 |
| 4) | International Amateur and Asian Amateur Athletic Federation | 1983 |
| 5) | International Archery Federation and Asian Archery Federation | 1983 |
| 6) | International Boxing Federation and Asian Boxing Federation | 1983 |
| 7) | International Basketball Federation and Asian Basketball | 1983 |
| 8 ) | International T.T. Federation and Asian T.T. Federation | 1983 |
| 9) | International Volleyball Federation and Asian Volleyball Federation | 1983 |
| 10) | International Tennis Federation and Asian Tennis Federation | 1985 |
| 11) | World Taekwondo Federation and Asian Taekwondo Union | 1985 |
| 12) | Association of National Olympic Committee (ANOC) | 1988 |
| 13) | FESPIC Games Federation | 1988 |
| 14) | University Games Federation (FISU) | 1988 |
| 15) | Asia Pacific & Oceana Sports Assembly (APOSA) | 1990 |
| 16) | International Badminton Federation and Asian Badminton Fed. | 1997 |
| 17) | Asian Golf Union | 1998 |
| 18) | International Football Federation and Asian Football Confederation | 2000 |
| 19) | International Cricket Control Board | 2001 |
| 20) | Asian Cricket Control Board | 2002 |
| 21) | International Shooting Sports Federation and Asian Shooting Sports Federation | 2002 |