วันศุกร์ที่ 1 เมษายน 2565
PM meets with UN Deputy Secretary General and UNDP Administrator
PM meets with UN Deputy Secretary General and UNDP Administrator
March 31, 2022, at 0930hrs, at the Purple Room, Thai Khu Fah Building, Government House, Mr. Achim Steiner, UN Deputy Secretary General and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha on occasion of his visit to Thailand to attend UNDP Regional Management Meeting. Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana disclosed gist of the meeting as follows:
The Prime Minister commended Mr. Steiner for his role in sustainable development promotion for over 30 years, and was glad to learn that the latter has fair share of experiences on Thailand and the Mekong sub-region. Thailand has placed importance on inclusive and sustainable development endeavor through the adoption of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) as guidance for advancing the country toward environmental-friendly future. Thailand’s BCG Economic Model, which is in line with UN-SDGs, will serve as an approach for the country’s APEC host year 2022. The Prime Minister also affirmed Thailand’s commitment to provide full support to UNDP and expressed hope that UN and UNDP would continue to promote sustainable development in all the countries in the region for them to cope with current global challenges.
The UN Deputy Secretary General and UNDP Administrator expressed pleasure to meet with the Prime Minister today, which would be a good opportunity to discussed cooperation between UNDP and the Thai Government on sustainable development. He also commended Thailand’s role in promoting sustainable development at the international stage and the country’s sharing and exchange of knowledge, as well as development assistance, with other countries, especially the SEP which could actually be adapted and applied in many countries.
The UN Deputy Secretary General and UNDP Administrator also praised the Prime Minister’s leadership in the grassroots development and his commitment to solve poverty and reduce disparity, which is in line with UNDP’s long-term endeavor. He was of the view that current international conflicts even underscore the importance of multilateral cooperation. As Thailand has placed importance on the cooperation for poverty eradication and sustainable development, UNDP would be pleased to cooperate with Thailand through exchange and sharing of knowledge and experiences.
Both parties came to terms that the COVID-19 situation, international conflicts, and the climate change have significantly impacted international cooperation on sustainable development. UNDP has long supported Thailand’s MDGs and SDGs endeavor, and would be pleased to endorse the country’s 5-year UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) (2022- 2026) which will help Thailand to achieve 3 goals: 1) environmental-friendly development, 2) manpower development, and 3) advancement without leaving anyone behind.
Both the Prime Minister and UN Deputy Secretary General and UNDP Administrator agreed that plastic pollution and marine debris are among the environmental issues that need to be addressed. Sustainable solution to plastic pollution needs cooperation from all countries and sectors in terms of an exchange and provision of related technology and innovation. On the issue, the Prime Minister affirmed that the Government has been working together with the private and people sectors to introduce the concept of circular economy, reduce plastic use, and promote sustainable production and consumption. The aim is to renew 100% of plastic wastes by 2027.
The Prime Minister also thanked UNDP for collaborating with Thai concerned agency in promoting innovative solutions to waste management through community waste bank project, which the UN Deputy Secretary General and UNDP Administrator also commended Thailand for placing importance on and taking as a key regional agenda. UNDP stands ready to continue its cooperation with the Thai Government to address the problem in a sustainable manner.