Bangkok: The Prime Minister delivered a statement at the opening ceremony of the 81st ESCAP meeting, proposing three concepts of cooperation, emphasizing Thailand’s role as a partner for sustainable development in the region.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister, delivered a special speech at the opening ceremony of the 81st session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). She welcomed representatives from various countries and expressed her deepest condolences to Myanmar, which was affected by the earthquake last month. She also highlighted that Thailand, as a neighboring country, has provided urgent humanitarian assistance and is prepared to take additional actions to alleviate the suffering of the victims. She thanked the international community for showing concern for Thailand during the tragic incident.
The Prime Minister stated that the meeting took place amidst global challenges interconnected across borders, including worsening natural disasters caused by climate change, geopolitical conflicts, economic volatility, environmental recession, and transnational crimes. These have direct impacts on stability, security, and development at both regional and global levels. She emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation at all levels and the need for far-sighted leadership, adhering to international law, international norms, and a commitment to sustainable and inclusive development.
The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, ESCAP, ASEAN, ACMECS, BIMSTEC, and ACD. These play a crucial role in uniting member countries to exchange knowledge, build connectivity, and drive common policies towards achieving sustainable development goals, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite being the source of more than half of the world’s economic growth, the region still faces increasing inequality and severe poverty.
The Prime Minister expressed concern over progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stating that by 2024, more than 84% of the SDGs in the region had made little progress or were regressing. This is a warning sign that member states must come together to adjust their approaches, drive creative policies, and promote innovation in development to achieve the SDGs.
Thailand has implemented development based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, a development approach focusing on people as the center and respecting the balance of nature. This approach is considered an important foundation for driving the SDGs both at the national level and in sharing knowledge with interested countries. Thailand is willing to share this development approach to strengthen the region together.
The Prime Minister then spoke about important strategies that will lead to regional cooperation, including:
‘Kitchen of the World’: Thailand aims to become the ‘Kitchen of the World’ by enhancing food security through transforming the agricultural sector using precision farming technology and innovation to increase productivity and the quality of life for farmers. The development of smart agriculture not only addresses food security but also helps create a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive food system in the Asia-Pacific region.
‘Creative Economy’: Driven by soft power and the development of an economic model focusing on people as the center, Thailand has cultural capital that can be further developed into a ‘Creative Economy’ through cultural industries, innovative design, and health tourism. This includes the concept of ‘De-stress destinations’ and community-based tourism that helps distribute income, reduce inequality, and create new economic opportunities in areas outside the city.
‘Green Transition’: Thailand is moving towards a green economy through the BCG economic policy, which focuses on reducing carbon emissions, using clean energy, and promoting innovation for sustainability. The goal is for Thailand to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2065, which will help build a regional supply chain that is environmentally friendly and highly resilient.
The Prime Minister also addressed the projection that by 2050, more than 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. This reflects the need for sustainable and safe urban development in terms of infrastructure, disaster risk management, and dealing with transnational crimes such as drugs, human trafficking, and cybercrime. Thailand places importance on enhancing digital skills for citizens alongside law enforcement.
The Thai government has introduced the ’20-baht flat-rate electric train project’ in Bangkok as a concrete example of reducing urban inequality. This project has helped reduce travel costs, increase access to economic opportunities, and connect cities to be environmentally friendly. The government intends to expand this measure to other areas in the future.
In closing, the Prime Minister proposed three concepts: 1. Regional cooperation must go hand in hand with national action; 2. Cooperation between the public, private, and civil society sectors is key to inclusive growth; and 3. ESCAP is an important forum for exchanging knowledge and creating cooperation mechanisms to accelerate sustainable development. She confirmed that Thailand is ready to work closely with ESCAP and its member countries to jointly create a prosperous, resilient, and sustainable Asia-Pacific region for present and future generations.