Updated

In a forum where world leaders come to be heard, Bhutan's leader has punctuated his U.N. General Assembly speech with moments of silence to honor people afflicted by hurricanes, poverty and terrorism.

Prime Minister Lyonchoen Tshering Tobgay paused for three periods of silence during his speech Friday. He also discussed the international challenges of curbing global warming, reducing poverty and fighting terrorism.

He noted that his tiny, heavily forested Himalayan nation is a rare country that absorbs more of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide than it emits.

Tobgay also said Bhutan has reduced acute poverty by half and aims to cut it significantly more in the next five years.

Bhutan is known for measuring "gross national happiness," instead of traditional indicators of prosperity such as gross domestic product.