The Governance Manual: Bhutan-Country Coordinating Mechanism

The Bhutanese concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) is the foundation for development in Bhutan. GNH is based on the principle that happiness constitutes one of the highest of aims to strive for, and without which, sustainable development cannot be achieved. Included in GNH is a “middle path” approach in which spiritual and material pursuits are balanced.

In the light of GNH, Bhutan also acknowledges the requirements and recommendations of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (“the Global Fund”), concerning eligibility and accountability for grants from the Global Fund. The Country Coordinating Mechanism (“CCM”) was established as a national mechanism to represent key stakeholder constituencies for the three diseases in Bhutan, and in response to the requirements and recommendations of the Global Fund.

As a national stakeholder coordination mechanism, the CCM has no legal foundation. The CCM seeks to establish legal authority for its activities by the end of 2012 in order to enhance eligibility for a wider range of funding sources.