Bhoutan

The document provides the main elements for planning for a smooth transition and adjustment to the post-graduation phase of Bhutan’s development. It analyses the development trajectory of the country and discusses the implications of graduation and the ensuing loss of international support measures.

The handicraft textile industry is an integral part of life and culture in Bhutan, employing about half the country’s workforce. However, if the sector is going to succeed in high-end markets, the design and quality of handicraft textile products require further enhancements to be able to compete in Europe or Japan.

Accord entre le Gouvernement des États-Unis d’Amérique et le Gouvernement royal du Bhoutan relatif à la remise de personnes à la Cour pénale internationale. Washington, 2 mai 2003

Bhutan is a small, landlocked country in the eastern Himalayas situated between India and China. The country is almost entirely mountainous; the southern border with India is at an elevation of around 300 meters above sea level, and the northern border with China is more than 7,500 meters above sea level (ADB 2013). Limited access to the global market, together with the rugged terrain that constrains infrastructure development, poses a significant challenge to the country’s development and diversification. Tense diplomatic relations with China, moreover, constrain the country’s ability to overcome its reliance on India. India was the destination of 94 per cent of Bhutan’s exports and the origin of 79 per cent of imports in 2012. India also accounted for 93 per cent of net capital inflows in the 2014–2015 fiscal year.