Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

On behalf of the Royal Thai Government, I wish to warmly welcome all of you to Thailand and to the High level Meeting of the Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 2019 High-Level Segment on Statelessness. I also wish to express at the outset my appreciation to our host, UNHCR, for the excellent arrangements of this event. In addition, my thanks go to other partners, Member States, international organizations, and key NGOs present here today for your active part to end statelessness worldwide. 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Today there are more than 10 million stateless persons around the world, with more than 40 percent of the known stateless people residing in the Asia Pacific region alone. As this year marks half way of the #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness by 2024, it is timely for us to take stock of our achievement and explore ways to advance further towards its goal. 

 

Preventing and reducing statelessness is a shared responsibility that requires strong commitment and partnership. On Thailand’s part, reducing and ending statelessness has always been high on our agenda. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great  graciously bestowed upon us that all citizens in Thailand, with or without Thai nationality, are entitled to enjoy all rights. That explains why the works of His Majesty the Late King and Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra revolved around improving livelihood of the hilltribes and other stateless people, from promoting sustainable agriculture, managing arable land, and combating opium plantation, to healthcare and education.

 

The Royal Thai Government has adopted policies in line with the royal guidance to allow integration of the stateless, granting them legal status and citizenship to ensure protection through civil registration and providing them with health care and education, and increasingly finding ways to allow them to reside in conservation areas without being criminalized and at the same time conserving the natural environment.

 

Nonetheless, much remains to be explored, particularly in the regional context where lack of development, conflict, displacement, and statelessness go hand in hand with one another. As it so requires, we could learn from one another in many areas, from effective birth certification and status verification, to protecting and promoting the rights of all.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

As a former Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations in Geneva, I had a pleasure of hosting the Meeting of Friends of the #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness back in 2016. It is heartening to witness that the spirit and commitment to end statelessness remain high on our agenda today as it was then. 

 

In closing, I wish to encourage all of us to further our efforts, reflecting on our past practices and preparing our national pledges for the High-Level Segment on Statelessness in October in Geneva. Let us inspire each other to end statelessness and protect the fundamental rights of all people regardless of their races, colours, nationalities, cultures, and beliefs.

 

I thank you.