Country Statement
by
Mrs. Kanchana Patarachoke,
Deputy Director-General, Department of International Organizations,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
at the Asia - Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development,
The Head of State Chamber, Royal Cliff Grand Hotel, Pattaya, Chonburi
19 May 2014
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Mr. Chairman,
Madame Executive Secretary,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

As we are shaping the post-2015 development agenda with“sustainability” at its core, Thailand would like to emphasize that sustainable development can only be accomplished by placing people at the center. At the heart of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Philosophy of “Sufficiency Economy”, which has been our guiding national development principle, is “people-centred development”. Investing in people, in human capital is therefore a way forward. It is investing not only in the present, but in the future.

Thailand has long recognized that the integration of economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development and the recognition of their inter-linkages are significant for achieving sustainable development in all its dimensions. Economic growth without respect for the environment will not be sustainable. Economic growth without proper consideration for the social dimensions and the vulnerable groups will not be sustainable

Economically, the economy should be restructured toward sustained and inclusive growth which allows for equitable distribution of wealth and enables the region to maintain its resilience from external shocks and sustained growth. Thailand sees green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development as the way forward. We also attach great importance to improving food security through sustainable agriculture, which is a core element in overcoming poverty, generating income and promoting human capitals.

Socially, increasing inequality in society is one of the common challenges faced by Asia-Pacific, Thailand believes that people-centred and rights-based development approach should be part and parcel of the post-2015 development agenda. Growth must be inclusive.

Mr. Chairman,

Health is a strong component of the human development.  Investing in the universal access to health services yields positive impacts towards poverty eradication and social equality. Access to health, knowing that one can always receive medical treatment, empowers people. It gives them confidence to work and to lead a normal life. We therefore advocate the inclusion of universal health coverage in the post -2015 development agenda. On education, we support targets on achieving quality education for all, lifelong learning, as well as technical and vocational education.

Environmentally, climate change has far-reaching impacts against development, especially on extreme weather events and natural disasters. Frequent large-scale natural disasters can wipe out our hard-won development gains overnight. Currently, disaster risk reduction and preparedness is not being addressed sufficiently in the ongoing process of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, Thailand calls for a greater emphasis on this issue in the post-2015 development agenda. We also call for promotion of sustainable consumption and production patterns and the implementation of integrated water resources management in the post-2015 development agenda.

Mr. Chairman,

Our visions cannot be translated into actions without the means of implementation. In this regard, Thailand recognizes the significant roles that science, technology and innovation, addressing digital divide, innovative ways of mobilizing resources and global partnership for sustainable development canplay in the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.

We count on the supporting role of ESCAP in facilitating countries in Asia and the Pacific region to gain access to the means of implementation both in terms of financial resource, knowledge and know-how. We support the establishment of various centres of excellence that countries in the region with vast experiences and knowledge on sustainable development can share their expertise and lessons learned. We also call for a new committee of ESCAP on Science, Technology and Innovation, which will help promote sustainable development solutions among countries in the region.

Lastly, we believe that it will be impossible to achieve sustainable development without full respect for human rights, the rule of law, and the functioning of open and accountable institutions.

Thank you.

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