Press Release

Foreign Secretary Pema Choden, is leading the Bhutanese delegation to the 19^th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which is being held in Kampala, Uganda from 19 – 20 January 2024. She is accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade. The theme of the 19^th Summit is Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.

NAM is an international movement, founded in 1961, representing the interests and priorities of 120 developing countries. The Chairmanship of NAM rotates every three to four years and Uganda takes over the Chairmanship from Azerbaijan during the 19^th Summit.

Uganda will also take over Chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China and will convene the Third South Summit under the theme ‘Leaving no one behind’ in Kampala from 21 – 22 January 2024.  The South Summit is the supreme decision making body of the Group of 77, which is a coalition of 134 developing countries that promotes its members collective economic interests at the United Nations. The Group of 77 was founded in 1964.

Membership in Groups such as NAM and the Group of 77 and China have been important for smaller developing nations such as Bhutan in its multilateral engagements. Bhutan became a member of NAM in 1973 and of the Group of 77 and China in 1971.