From dialogue to partnership: Bhutan holds first Parliament–CSO meet in Thimphu

The event brought together the Chairperson of the National Council of Bhutan as Chief Guest, the Leader of the Opposition, the Honourable Deputy Speaker, Members of Parliament, Secretariat officials, the Civil Society Organizations Authority (CSOA), representatives from CSOs and eight thematic CSOs.

In his keynote address, Honourable Sangay Dorji, Chairperson of the National Council of Bhutan, described the meeting as a major milestone for democratic engagement. He emphasized that Parliament and CSOs play complementary roles, with each institution reinforcing, rather than duplicating or diluting, the mandate of the other. He also noted that Bhutan’s democratic institutions must continue to evolve while remaining “globally competent but locally rooted in Bhutanese realities.”

The forum opened with briefings on Parliament’s previous summer resolutions and the tentative winter legislative agenda. This gave CSO leaders an opportunity to identify areas where parliamentary priorities intersect with their thematic work and where field-level evidence could contribute to the legislative process. CSOs also shared updates on their governance, sector contributions and operational challenges.

Discussions underscored the complementary roles of Parliament and civil society in democratic governance. While the Parliament carries legislative, representative and oversight responsibilities, CSOs bring community perspectives, specialized knowledge and evidence from the ground.

Ms. Tashi P Tshering, CSO representative to the CSOA Board, said the meeting created an important space for open and constructive engagement.

This meeting has provided a much-needed platform for Parliament and CSOs to engage openly and constructively. We hope that this dialogue will continue beyond this meeting and contribute to a stronger partnership, where the experiences and perspectives of civil society can meaningfully inform parliamentary processes.

The conversation also addressed practical issues affecting citizens and the civil society sector. Participants discussed taxation and GST concerns, including penalties on delayed payments and the treatment of assistive devices, as well as public hearings, legislative timelines, audits, loan recovery and the sustainability of CSOs. They also underlined the importance of timely CSO inputs into legislative and policy processes.

Parliament highlighted opportunities within its own procedures for wider participation. Amendments to the Rules of Procedure now allow all standing committees to conduct public hearings, creating more space for citizens and CSOs to contribute to legislative and policy discussions.

Participants also reflected on the challenges facing Bhutan's civil society sector, including financial sustainability, dependence on external funding, compliance, accountability and public trust, particularly in the context of Bhutan’s graduation from least developed country status.

Although Parliament and CSOs have different institutional roles, we share a common purpose and objective: to serve the people of Bhutan and contribute to a just, compassionate and resilient society,” said Honourable Sangay Khandu, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan.He added that the success of the meeting should be measured “not only by the quality of discussions held, but by the progress achieved before the next meeting.

Participants agreed on the need to institutionalize the Parliament - CSO Meet as an annual forum, with additional engagement when emerging or thematic issues require focused discussion. They also called for stronger committee consultations, thematic engagement, improved information sharing, joint fact-finding and evidence-based advocacy.

A common digital platform was proposed to support information sharing, consultation, research and the preservation of institutional knowledge. Continued communication between annual meetings was also emphasized to ensure that engagement remains active and does not end with a single annual event.

The first Parliament - CSO Meet was moderated by media and communication consultant Mr. Needrup Zangpo. It was supported through ‘Nyamdrel II – Support to CSOs and the Parliament of Bhutan, funded by the European Union and implemented by International IDEA in collaboration with the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy (BCMD) and Bhutan Transparency Initiative (BTI).