On 24 September 2018, H.E. Mr. Virasakdi Futrakul, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, attended the opening of Nelson Mandela Peace Summit along with other Heads of Delegation to the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA73) in New York. The Summit was held to commemorate the centenary birthday anniversary of Nelson Mandela and to promote peace, reconciliation, unity and promotion and protection of human rights, which are the values connected to his legacy. Representatives from governments, private sector, international organisations, academic institutions and civil society organisations were also present at the Summit. 

          The meeting adopted the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit Political Declaration which aimed at enhancing peace, realising the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promoting and protecting human rights, as well as promoting tolerance, understanding and peaceful co-existence and reconciliation. The Declaration also recognised the period 2019 - 2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace.

          A number of Member States reiterated the important issues as follows:

          1. Commending the role of Nelson Mandela as an advocate for reconciliation, forgiveness, dialogue, and human dignity and calling on all Member States to follow his example.

          2. Compatibility between the principles of life of Nelson Mandela and the three pillars of the United Nations system, namely peace and security, development, and human rights.

          3. The Meeting was an opportunity for Member States to reaffirm the significance of multilateral diplomacy as a mechanism for the promotion of peace and sustainable development. 

          On this occasion, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore delivered a statement on behalf of ASEAN Member States reiterating the profound legacy that Nelson Mandela left behind, which has inspired and continues to inspire ASEAN to uphold peace and harmony as well as to build its strength and mutual understanding from cultural and racial diversities. The statement underscored that the legacy will contribute to enhanced peace and security in the region.