On 14 September 2020, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) elected Dr. Seree Nonthasoot from Thailand to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) for the term 2021-2024.

Dr. Nonthasoot and the other members-elect from Romania, Azerbaijan, Suriname, China, Egypt, Morocco, Germany and Spain will assume their duties from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2024. The Committee is entrusted to monitor implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Under the ICESCR, State Parties are obliged to submit periodic country reports, and receive recommendations from the Committee.

Dr. Nonthasoot is committed to promoting effective implementation of the Covenant by State Parties, through the development of a platform of knowledge comprising practices and innovations from the Committee and State Parties. His aim is also to encourage the use of technology in the Committee’s work, and raise public awareness and understanding of economic, social and cultural rights through their link to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular those related to climate change, gender equality, poverty reduction and education.

Dr. Nonthasoot is a human rights expert whose work has been widely recognised both in Thailand and ASEAN. He served in the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) as Thailand’s representative from 2013 to 2018, during which he pioneered AICHR’s work on business and human rights and supported engagement with civil society.

Currently, Dr. Nonthasoot holds a number of prominent positions in the public and private sectors, such as: Senior Executive Vice President of the Institute of Research and Development for Public Enterprises (IRPD); Governor and Chair of Legal Committee of Stock Exchange of Thailand; Director and Chair of Audit Committee of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank); Advisor to the Department of Rights and Liberty Protection, Ministry of Justice; and Advisor to the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.