Mrs. Gita Sabharwal, United Nations Resident Coordinator, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, on the occasion of her assumption of duty in Thailand.

On 23 September 2020, Mrs. Gita Sabharwal, the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) in Thailand, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, on the occasion of her assumption of duty at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

DPM/FM Don welcomed the UNRC who officially assumed her duty in Thailand on 16 March 2020, and extended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ support during this challenging period of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. DPM/FM shared Thailand's approach to tackle the outbreak since its early days as one of the keys to Thailand’s effective response to COVID-19, and further highlighted the various upstream, midstream and downstream measures taken by the Royal Thai Government, including open communication with the public. The UNRC praised Thailand’s effective response to COVID-19 and mentioned that the United Nations has been following Thailand’s policies closely and believes that lessons could be drawn upon and shared with other countries, particularly on the country’s robust public health system and whole-of-society approach, notably the active engagement of health village volunteers nationwide.

The UNRC shared the United Nations’ priorities in Thailand which include supporting the country in responding to and mitigating the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 with a focus on building back better, as well as in bridging the digital divide and promoting South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Both sides expressed readiness to work together in raising awareness amongst the Thai public on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in the contexts of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations this year, and the celebration of 75 years of Thailand’s membership of the United Nations in 2021. They also agreed on the importance of promoting the engagement of children and youth on the SDGs.

The UNRC plays a leading role in moving forward the work of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Thailand which comprises 19 agencies in supporting the advancement of Thailand’s development aspirations and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda based on the implementation of the current United Nations Partnership Framework (UNPAF) 2017 - 2020.