Mr. President,

Mr. Director-General,

Madam High Commissioner,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to be here at the United Nations in Geneva.

I am honoured to be the first Prime Minister of Thailand to address the Human Rights Council.  I am proud of Thailand’s engagement in the Council.  But I am humbled by the many achievements and challenges of those here that are involved in human rights work.

Coming to this august assembly I am reminded of the importance of the Universal of Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted 65 years ago. The words “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” mean that people are born with equal rights that cannot be denied by any government.

Events in Syria and elsewhere show that the reality is somewhat different.

The challenges in realizing people’s rights remain daunting.  But history reminds us that the oppressed will rise, and we who believe in freedom must be united in support. In this day and age of information flows and social media, the oppressed have new tools to express their desire for change. When governments are not responsive to the people’s desire, they must face the consequences of their actions.

In the protection of free will, many place their hopes on the Human Rights Council. And Thailand is pleased to see the Council embrace the challenge on various occasions.

To address pressing human rights situations, it is important that the Human Rights Council express concerns and act in unity. Change cannot be achieved overnight. But governments must be made accountable and take responsible actions. And when they fail to do so, the international community cannot turn a blind eye.

These situations cannot be addressed through resolutions alone.   Words can provide comfort but only action can lead to real change.  Our challenge is how we can make a real impact on the ground and bring about a difference in the lives of people.  This requires serious dialogue and committed engagement.

It is equally true that many countries lack the capacity to ensure respect for human rights. And to prevent violations, we must do more to promote capabilities for governments.

This is why Thailand puts forward an annual initiative to promote technical cooperation and capacity building in the work of the Council.

And for the first time Thailand is making a contribution to the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights. This is in addition to our annual contribution to the work of the Office of the High Commissioner.  We encourage others to contribute and to do more.

In calling on all to do more and do better, I do not mean that we address only core civil and political rights, including freedom of expression.  We must also address social and cultural rights and find ways to increase economic opportunities for all.  Discrimination must not be tolerated.

And here, the Human Rights Council should be proud of what it has accomplished.  The Universal Periodic Review or UPR is the “jewel in the crown” among the tools of the Council to improve human rights work.  The aim is for all countries to be judged by the same standard.  Nobody is perfect but we can work to improve ourselves.

Thailand has undergone its UPR process nearly 2 years ago.  In doing so, we underwent a process of self-reflection. We have continuously addressed the issues identified, and have made progress on the accepted recommendations.  We will do better.

Mr. President,

Like other countries, Thailand has also made a lot of progress to human rights for all, but we are aware that the voiceless and the vulnerable remain around us.

Women and children remain subject to discrimination, unequal opportunities and cruel treatment.  Human trafficking still inflicts suffering upon many in Thailand and around the world. Many persons with disabilities are unable to reach their full potential.

When I took office as the first female Thai Prime Minister, I felt that access to rights and opportunities of the vulnerable groups have been restricted.  So, I promised to work hard to do better for them by proving equal opportunities for all.

I initiated the Women Empowerment Fund to enable women to reach their full potential. The fund provides women in communities around the nation with opportunities to improve their livelihood and create equal opportunities.

We also launched the One Stop Crisis Centres (OSCC) to provide action from concerned agencies for those in need, including those from the sexual abuses, domestic violence and teenage pregnancy.

Our universal health coverage scheme which is the first among developing countries and has been in place for more than a decade, ensures that everyone has access to high quality healthcare.  It continues to be upgraded in terms of coverage and benefits.

In addition, I just came out of a workshop with many international organizations, where we discussed ways to work together to take care of migrant workers and address issues of human trafficking.  The Thai government is encouraging migrant workers to obtain registration so that they can be covered under our health care scheme. Registration will also help protect them from forced labour and trafficking.

For persons with disabilities, I sponsored policies and action to put in place Universal Design in order to reduce physical barriers.  The disabled must be assured of equal access in transportation, social benefits and in earning income.

I should also mention that regional cooperation plays a key role to support the work of the Council and to promote human rights in general, particularly women and children.  Given the diverse challenges from region to region, it is important for the Council to work with regional organizations and human rights mechanisms.

In Southeast Asia, the establishment of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration are a major step forward.

Mr. President,

Human rights lie at the very heart of democracy. And it is in everyone’s duty to uphold democratic principles. We cannot and should not accept any undemocratic changes. And we must continue to support democratic values by protecting people’s rights and liberties.

At the same time,  democracy is not just about winning elections through majority of votes but it is about exercising power in a way that respect the minorities. This means that those in power must not cling onto power and impose one’s will on others. I believe that the work of the Human Rights Council and our cooperation in addressing issues of human rights can help make governments more responsive to the peoples’ needs and thereby ensuring that the power will always remain with the people.

Thailand has also gone through challenges to defend our democracy over the decades. The journey has not been smooth, and even today, I still  have to defend democracy from undemocratic minds.

Indeed, democracy, human rights, justice and the rule of law are universal values that connect people and nations. Thailand recognizes their contribution to placing humans at the heart of development efforts.  We will therefore continue to advocate for an adequate reflection of these themes within the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Mr. President,

I wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Madam Pillay and her organization.

As a woman leader, I share her strong will to fight against all types of discrimination, especially against women and children. There is much we can share with each other and be a force for change.

Over the past three years, Thailand has been an active member and offered a bridge-building role within the Human Rights Council.  Thailand was also honoured to serve as the President of the Council at a critical time of its review.

We will continue to work constructively with the Office of the High Commissioner.  And as an expression of our ongoing commitment to the Council, we have presented our candidature for Council membership for the term 2015 – 2017.

Mr. President,

Our human rights efforts at the national and international levels are key to a country’s path of democracy. This is a process that requires patience and continued commitment to build. It is important that this is home grown.  But all of us can certainly learn from each others.

Thailand means the land of the free, that is why we fully support the Universal of Declaration of Human Rights.  And we Thais are committed to stand with the Human Rights Council and all those who believe that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.

Thank you, Mr. President.