World leaders, UN agencies and scholars to gather in Thimphu as Bhutan renews its global leadership on Gross National Happiness
Bhutan is preparing to bring the world back to the conversation it helped shape more than a decade ago: that development should be measured not only by economic growth, but also by human happiness and wellbeing.
The Centre for Bhutan & Gross National Happiness (CBS), on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan, will be hosting the Global Summit of Happiness in Thimphu from March 16 to 20, 2027, culminating on the International Day of Happiness.
The timing carries particular significance. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 20 as the International Day of Happiness in 2012 after adopting a landmark resolution introduced by Bhutan in 2011, recognising that happiness and wellbeing should be fundamental goals of public policy.
The 2027 summit is expected to be the largest global gathering ever organised around the principles of Gross National Happiness (GNH), bringing together heads of government from the 66 countries that co-sponsored Bhutan’s historic UN resolution, alongside leaders of UN agencies, international institutions and some of the world’s leading scholars on happiness and wellbeing.
More than 1,100 participants are expected to attend, including 300 international general participants, while official government delegations will attend through invitations from the Royal Government.
A summit linking policy and research
Unlike previous GNH conferences, the summit will combine political leadership with academic research in a two-part programme designed to connect ideas with public policy.
During the High-Level Segment, heads of government will share their countries’ experiences in measuring and promoting wellbeing alongside economic development.
The Academic and Scholarly Congress will bring researchers into direct dialogue with policymakers, creating a platform for evidence-based discussions on some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
The summit will explore how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence affect meaningful work, how digital life influences young people’s wellbeing, and how climate change and biodiversity loss affect health and peace of mind.
Other discussions will examine ageing societies, inequality, loneliness, migration, trust in institutions and the often-overlooked contribution of unpaid care work—particularly by women—to social wellbeing.
While these themes provide a broad framework, the organisers have invited research from across disciplines, welcoming papers on any significant question related to the measurement or promotion of happiness and wellbeing.
The gathering is expected to conclude with the adoption of a Bhutan Declaration on Happiness and Wellbeing, intended to guide international discussions over the coming decade.
Renewing Bhutan’s global role
For Bhutan, the summit represents more than an international conference. It reinforces the country’s longstanding role in shaping the global conversation about development.
Gross National Happiness, introduced by the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, challenged the conventional view that national progress should be measured primarily through Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Instead, it proposed that sustainable development should balance economic progress with environmental conservation, cultural preservation and good governance while improving people’s overall wellbeing.
Over the years, the GNH philosophy has influenced international debates on sustainable development, wellbeing measurement and public policy. Several countries and international organisations now use various wellbeing indicators alongside traditional economic measures.
As Bhutan prepares to welcome world leaders, researchers and policymakers in March 2027, the summit will offer an opportunity not only to celebrate the country’s pioneering role in advancing happiness as a development principle, but also to examine how wellbeing can remain central to policymaking in an era shaped by technological change, climate challenges and evolving societies.
Tashi Namgyal, Thimphu
