Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade RGOB
H.E. Lyonpo D. N. Dhungyel, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, led Bhutan’s delegation to the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) held in Awaza, Turkmenistan, from 4 to 8 August 2025.
The once-in-a-decade conference, convened at the level of Heads of State and Government under the theme “Driving Progress through Partnerships,” brought together Member States, international organisations, the private sector, civil society, and youth representatives. The programme featured national statements, five high-level roundtables, multiple side events, and several thematic forums.
During the conference, Lyonpo delivered Bhutan’s national statement at the plenary session; attended a press event announcing the establishment of the LLDC Negotiating Group under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); co-chaired High-Level Thematic Roundtable 3 on “Enhancing Adaptive Capacity, Strengthening Resilience, and Addressing Vulnerability to Climate Change and Disasters in LLDCs”; and delivered the keynote address at the side event on “Glacial Melt and Beyond: Unravelling the Climate Challenges Impacting LLDCs.”
On the sidelines of the conference, Lyonpo met with the Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, and also held bilateral meetings with a number of other countries and UN agencies, to discuss areas of mutual interest and cooperation.
The conference concluded with a renewed commitment to advancing the priorities of the Awaza Programme of Action for LLDCs (2024–2034), aimed at mobilising international support and partnerships to address the unique challenges faced by landlocked developing countries.
The Foreign Minister was accompanied by the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bhutan to the United Nations in New York, and other senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan
