The Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, together with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) organised the 3^rd Workshop on Treaty Body Reporting during 27 - 29 January 2020 at the Mandarin Hotel, Bangkok. The Workshop was attended by 51 government officials in charge of preparing national reports under the country’s core international human rights instruments. The objectives of the workshop include enhancing personnel capacities, particularly through raising awareness and understanding and developing skills necessary for drafting and presenting a national report. This year’s workshop focused on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) as a case study, taking into account that Thailand’s next report under the CEDAW is due in July 2021.

Mrs. Kanchana Patarachoke, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, emphasised in her opening remarks the importance of the United Nations Treaty Body reporting, not only as a State’s obligation, but also as a process to review and reflect upon its efforts to improve the livelihoods of the people.

Ms. Bandana Rana, Vice-Chair of the CEDAW committee, an expert invited by the OHCHR, commended Thailand’s efforts in organising the 3^rd Workshop on Treaty Body Reporting, which reflects the country’s continued commitment to promote and protect human rights including the rights of women and girls. She viewed the UN Treaty Body reporting as an important mechanism to enhance States’ understanding and to monitor their progress in the field of human rights.

During the Workshop, the participants had the opportunity to learn about the UN Treaty Body system including the CEDAW and to prepare themselves for drafting and presenting periodic national reports, as well as to exchange views in groups and through mock sessions. Overall, participants found the Workshop  to be a valuable experience and useful in supporting their work.

This workshop is one of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ efforts to support the work of relevant agencies in the promotion and protection of human rights in accordance with Thailand’s international obligations. The 1^st Workshop was organised during 8 - 10 February 2018 in Chachoengsao Province, and the 2^nd Workshop was organised during 25 - 27 March 2019 in Bangkok.