The Tibet Bureau in Geneva is the official agency of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Government in Exile (Central Tibetan Administration), based in Dharamsala, India, for Central and Eastern Europe.
The Tibet Bureau, opened in 1964, has as its main objective a better understanding of the situation in Tibet and to raise public awareness of the non-violent struggle of the Tibetan people.
It represents His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in exile in the following countries: Switzerland, Germany, Principality of Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, Malta, Greece, Turkey, San Marino, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia & Montenegro , Bosnia Herzegovina, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania
It works in close cooperation with the United Nations and other international organizations.
The Tibet Bureau provides administrative assistance to the Tibetans living in the countries mentioned above.
It organizes the visits and travels of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and representatives of the Tibetan Government in exile in the above mentioned countries.
Its Main Functions are:
- Preparing visits of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and officials of the Central Tibetan Administration
- Look after the welfare of Tibetans living in Europe and to strengthen their relationship with the Central Tibetan Administration
- Support the preservation and promotion of Tibetan culture, religion and language
- To inform and seek support from governments, parliamentarians, international institutions, NGOs and interested individuals about the situation in Tibet and the Tibetan issues.
- To maintain contact with Chinese in Europe including from mainland China to explain His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s position to resolve the Tibet issue through non-violence
- To raise the Tibet issues in UN Human Rights Council sessions
- Seek funds for education, health and other social developmental projects
Present Representative- Ms.Thinlay Chukki.
Thinlay Chukki formally took charge as the Representative of His Holiness the Dalia Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration for Central and Eastern Europe on 30 June 2022. Prior to this, she was the Special Appointee for Human Rights at the same office from September 2019 to August 2021. She also worked as a researcher at the UN, EU and Human Rights Desk of the Central Tibetan
Administration (CTA) in Dharamshala, India.
She is a Harvard Law School graduate with an LL.M degree (2018), a National Law School of India Graduate with an LL.M degree in Business Laws (2012) and has LL.B degree from SDM Law College, Mangalore University with distinction and several gold medals.Thinlay Chukki is a Harvard Law School graduate. She served as the Special Appointee for Human Rights at the Tibet Bureau in Geneva from September 2019 to August 2021.
A brief ceremony of handing over from outgoing Representative Chhimey Rigzen to the new Representative Thinlay Chukki was held at the Tibet Bureau on 30 June 2022. Representative of Office of Tibet, Brussels, Genkhang Rigzin Choedon officiated the handing over from 29 – 30 June.