Kunzang C. Namgyel

Kunzang Chhoden Namgyel became Bhutan's first female ambassador and the country's permanent representative to the United Nations in January 2014.[1][2][3][4][5]

Her Excellency

Kunzang C. Namgyel
In office
January 3, 2014 (2014-01-03) – (2017-08-28)August 28, 2017
Preceded byLhatu Wangchuk
Succeeded byDoma Tshering
Personal details
NationalityBhutanese
ChildrenFour
ProfessionCivil servant

Personal life

Namgyel is a Bhutanese. She is married and has four children, three daughters and a son.

Education

Namgyel pursued her graduation in Arts from Lady Keane College in Shillong affiliated to the North Eastern Hill University, India.[2]

Career

In March 1980, Namgyel joined the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Since then she has held various positions over her career spanning three decades.

Some notable postings are listed as:

  • Director for Bhutan at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, Nepal from October 1995 to March 1999
  • Minister Counselor and Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations, Geneva from July 2003 to July, 2007
  • Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thimphu, from August 2007 to May 2009
  • Director, Multilateral Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thimphu from June 2009 to August, 2011
  • Ambassador Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations, New York from September, 2011 until she was appointed the ambassador and permanent representative [1][2][3]

On January 3, 2014, she became the first woman Foreign Service officer of Bhutan appointed by a royal decree as the ambassador to United Nations.[1] She succeeded Lhatu Wangchuk who was the Permanent Representative from early 2009 to 2013.[6]

In November 2014, Namgyel led the Bhutanese Delegation in the second United Nations conference on Landlocked developing countries in Vienna, Austria. In the conference, Namgyel presided over the third general session of the conference. Through her statement, she highlighted the challenges that Bhutan faces as a landlocked nation. She asked the attendees to enable and promote economic growth so that the nation as a whole can build on its economy.[7]

On April 22, 2016 Bhutan signed the Paris Agreement in New York for climate change under Namgyel's tenure as the ambassador. In her statement, Namgyel shared that Bhutan is vulnerable to the climatic changes and this agreement is a collective fight towards protecting the climate. She said that Bhutan as a nation is committed to the cause and also urged other 174 participating nations who signed the agreement to support Bhutan in this fight.[8]

Her tenure lasted until August 2017 and she was succeeded by Doma Tshering. In August 2017, Namgyel she took the position of the Chief of Protocol in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bhutan.[9][10]

References
  1. India, Press Trust of (10 January 2014). "Bhutan's names first woman ambassador". Business Standard India. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  2. "Her Excellency Kunzang C. Namgyel". washdiplomat.com. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  3. "Ambassador Kunzang C. Namgyel". Bhutan Foundation. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  4. "Bhutan appoints its first women Ambassadors". BBS. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  5. "New Permanent Representative of Bhutan Presents Credentials | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  6. "Bhutan gets two female ambassadors including its 1st". The Bhutanese. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  7. "Press Release – Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  8. "Bhutan signs Paris Agreement on Climate Change | Ministry of Agriculture and Forests". www.moaf.gov.bt. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  9. "Hon. Kunzang C. Namgyel". Bhutan Foundation. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  10. Ngawang. "Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Retrieved 2019-11-29.
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