Honourable Leaders, Excellencies, and Distinguished Participants,

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted our well-being, way of life, and economic livelihood. I believe that now is the time for international solidarity.  All nations must work together to ensure global health security and help lessen the economic and financial impacts, especially for SMEs and their employees, who are most affected by this pandemic.

I would like to propose three important areas for action to help us recover from this crisis:

- Firstly, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of health system preparedness, in particular the need to provide adequate healthcare financing and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).  For Thailand, our UHC and network of Village Health Volunteers have immensely contributed to our capacity to control the spread of infection.

In addition, I believe that in order to tackle the genesis of this pandemic sustainably, the development of vaccines and treatment for COVID-19 has to be considered as “global public goods”, and that we should adhere to the principle of equitable access to vaccines and treatment for all countries.

- Secondly, to minimise the economic impact, Thailand would like to see a global commitment to a trade- and investment- friendly environment, as well as full support for an open and multilateral trading system, so that international trade and investment can serve as an engine for global economic recovery.  We aim to make our economies stronger and more sustainable by: Restarting economic activity ; Rebooting the way we conduct business for a sustainable future; and Reconnecting to the disrupted global value chain. Furthermore, I hope that international institutions, particularly financial institutions, will play a role in ensuring global economic and financial stability while assisting the most vulnerable developing and least-developed countries.

- Thirdly, this crisis presents a unique opportunity for us to work towards a more sustainable world, while adjusting to the “new normal”.  This means that we can do more to protect the environment and manage natural resources efficiently.

- Successful measures to control the spread of COVID-19 need the trust and cooperation of the people. For Thailand, the Thai people have cooperated with public health measures during this difficult period. The Thai Government communicates daily with the public and closely follows advice from medical and economic experts to take us through this crisis and to build back better, especially for our economy and our people’s livelihoods.

- I reaffirm that Thailand stands ready to cooperate with the international community to work together towards global economic recovery and creating an even brighter and more sustainable future for our societies.

- Lastly, I would like to thank the Prime Minister of Canada, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, and the Secretary General of the United Nations for commencing this initiative; especially in this timely moment that we need to cooperate to accelerate the recovery process that truly leaves no one behind. 
I sincerely am looking forward to a successful conclusion of this conference.

- Thank you.