A/HRC/42/8 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its thirty-third session from 6 to 17 May 2019. The review of Bhutan was held at the 6th meeting, on 8 May 2019. The delegation of Bhutan was headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tandi Dorji. At its 10th meeting, held on 10 May 2019, the Working Group adopted the report on Bhutan. 2. On 15 January 2019, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Bhutan: Argentina, Austria and Bahrain. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Bhutan: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/33/BTN/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/33/BTN/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/33/BTN/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Germany, Portugal, on behalf of the Group of Friends on national implementation, reporting and follow-up, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to Bhutan through the troika. These questions are available on the website of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The head of the delegation commended the work of the Human Rights Council and the universal periodic review in promoting and protecting human rights around the world. Since Bhutan was not a party to many international human rights instruments due to various constraints, it attached great importance to the universal periodic review process as a means to assess the human rights situation in the country. 6. In 2018, Bhutan had completed its first decade as a democratic constitutional monarchy. This had also coincided with the third general elections, and the decade witnessed the election to office of three different political parties. The political system in Bhutan had evolved from a monastic system to the Royal Court of the Kings to a democratic constitutional monarchy. This political transformation was a unique example that had put people at the centre of all public policies and actions. Democracy was taking firm roots in Bhutan, and the nation’s overall goal was to secure the happiness and wellbeing of its people. 7. The implementation of the first Five Year Plan in 1961 had allowed Bhutan to embrace modernization, following centuries of isolation from the rest of the world. The inclusion of Bhutan in the category of the least developed countries in 1971 had ensured wider access to external resources to finance its development plans. Bilateral and multilateral financial and technical resources had enabled it to achieve rapid socioeconomic transformation. Based on the philosophy of gross national happiness, successive development plans had enabled Bhutan to progress without compromising its environment, culture and traditions. Following the adoption of the relevant General Assembly resolution in 2018, Bhutan was set to graduate from the least developed countries category in December 2023, which was a significant achievement. 2