UN General Assembly
1999

in a holistic way, through the preservation and promotion of our rich cultural heritage, through the protection and conservation of our fragile mountain ecosystem and through the strengthening and exercise of good governance. In pursuit of an equitable balance between material and spiritual development, the Government has consistently allocated a large share of resources over the last four decades for social services. Almost 30 per cent of the present national budget is allocated to the provision of free basic education and primary health care. To these are attributable a substantial jump in our literacy rate — and the advance in enrolment rate — and an increase in life expectancy for the average Bhutanese by 20 years in two decades. We have realized that balanced development is not always the easiest route to take. It entails considerable contemplation, a cautious approach and a deliberate choice of a measured path. It requires patience, restraint and; indeed, courage: patience to persevere over many years in order to reap long-term benefits, restraint and self-control to refrain from fleeting compulsions and