For UNDP, which has been working with the Royal Government and people of Bhutan since 1973 as a trusted development partner, this partnership represents a deepened commitment to locally grounded, holistic approaches to development. For GNHCB, established in 2012 and dedicated to advancing GNH values through advocacy, education, and global dialogue, the partnership opens new channels for international influence and programmatic scale.

At the heart of the collaboration is a shared conviction that integrating the principles of Gross National Happiness into mainstream development practice is not idealistic but essential.

Her Royal Highness Ashi Kesang Chodren Wangchuck, President and Patron of the GNHCB, said, “Today marks the joining of two institutions that believe development must serve the people and   planet. The GNH Centre Bhutan has long held that happiness and sustainability are not in competition with progress but are its highest expression. We welcome UNDP as a partner in carrying that truth further into the world.”

Fadhil Bakeer Marker, UNDP Officer-in-Charge for Bhutan, said, “This partnership with the Gross National Happiness Centre Bhutan is a continuation of the 50 plus years of close collaboration with the people of Bhutan and of our shared commitment to further advancing Bhutan’s GNH-based model of development beyond Bhutan. The values and principles of Gross National Happiness are more relevant now than ever in these fast-changing times.”

The Executive Director of GNHCB Mr Lhatu said, “This MOU gives institutional weight to what our work has always called for: genuine collaboration between global systems and local wisdom. The Global GNH Forum, our youth programmes, and our engagement with food systems are all the stronger for having UNDP as a thought partner. We look forward to building something that endures beyond any single initiative.”

In the area of youth empowerment, the GNH Centre Bhutan and UNDP will work together on innovative initiatives that support the development, leadership and well-being of young people in Bhutan. 

GNHCB Executive Director, Lhatu, said, “What excites us at the GNHCB most about this partnership is its focus on young people. Together, we are sending a clear message to Bhutan's youth — and to young people everywhere — that their futures matter and that they have a role in shaping the development frameworks that will govern them. That is the spirit of GNH in action.”

Looking Ahead

The partnership will be guided by a spirit of regular consultation and joint planning. Priority milestones in the near term include the GGF 2026, themed “Traditional Wisdom for Well-Being in an Age of Accelerated Development”, scheduled for November 8–12 in Punakha, Bhutan, which will serve as an early flagship moment for the collaboration.