วันพุธที่ 2 มิถุนายน 2564
Keynote Address by H.E. Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha (ret.) Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand at the 2nd Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 Summit (2nd P4G Summit)
Keynote Address by H.E. Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha (ret.) Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand at the 2nd Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 Summit (2nd P4G Summit)
Mr. Chairman and distinguished guests,
I wish to express my appreciation to President Moon for inviting me to this Summit. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation, it is unfortunate that we cannot travel and meet in person. I do hope that we will be able to do so in the near future, as intended. Having said that, this P4G Summit serves as an opportunity for us to discuss and exchange views towards achieving a truly green COVID-19 recovery.
The COVID-19 has impacted the international community in all aspects and has been a critical obstacle to achieving the SDGs. The pandemic recovery measures should therefore correspond with the implementation of SDGs and the promotion of sustainable development, in particular the “One Health” approach, which takes into account both humans and nature.
In addressing these challenges, Thailand has adopted the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) as a development approach, which focuses on empowering human, building resilience, and promoting balance between humans and nature to ensure inclusive development while leaving no one behind.
Earlier this year, Thailand announced the implementation of the BCG Economic Model or Bio-Circular-Green Economy in a holistic manner, as our national agenda. It serves as one of crucial approaches for the country to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to build Thailand back better and greener by utilising science, technology, and innovation, upgrading industrial capacity, improving productivity, reducing resource loss throughout the supply chains, turning waste into value, and minimising environmental impacts. The model encourages collaboration from all sectors, which is driven by a quadrilateral partnership consisting of government, private sector, academia and the people to achieve recovery alongside balanced and sustainable growth.
I believe that the BCG Economic Model is an approach that well corresponds to the Summit’s purposes and supports sustainable development, a shared goal of humankind. Looking ahead, the BCG Economic Model will be a key agenda in promoting cooperation and building partnerships between Thailand and the international community at all levels, especially in the APEC framework, of which Thailand will assume the chairmanship next year.
On the environmental aspect, the COVID-19 has hampered relevant cooperation in multilateral fora. I therefore would like to take this opportunity to encourage every country to accelerate its efforts in accordance with its commitment under international laws to address all kinds of challenges and to express our collective will to push forward for tangible outcomes at related meetings this year, particularly the COP 26, which will take place in the United Kingdom this November.
An important example of Thailand’s efforts to address these significant challenges is the drafting an Act on Climate Change, a comprehensive law that encompasses all aspects of climate change. This legal framework will provide opportunities for more engagement from the private sector and communities. In the meantime, the Thai government has already set a target of 15 million electric vehicle usage, or around one-third of total domestic vehicles, by the year 2035 to reduce pollution as well. More examples of the Thai government's actions to quickly achieve its goals are setting fair carbon credit pricing, planting 100 million trees to increase forest areas, increasing renewable energy usage, reducing both wastes and marine debris under national strategies and master plans, and supporting trades and green industries by taking into account the human rights principles in doing businesses which consist of respect, protection and remedy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Apparently, the COVID-19 crisis has uncovered wide-ranging gaps of inequality both within and among countries. Therefore, I would like to invite every country to have consultations on new pathways, especially in technology and innovation exchanges, across all levels and beneficial platforms, in order to resolve the ongoing problems and to achieve truly green and sustainable growth.
Finally, I commend the Republic of Korea (ROK)’s New Southern Policy Plus and view that Thailand and the ROK should strengthen our partnership through knowledge and technology exchanges under Thailand’s BCG Economic Model and the ROK’s Green New Deal policy, along with other countries' green recovery approaches through international platforms, including APEC, of which Thailand will assume the chairmanship in 2022.
Thank you.