On 21 April 2023, Ms. Busadee Santipitaks, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, met with Ms. Agnès Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International (AI), at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the latter’s visit to Thailand.

AI Secretary-General gave DPS the recently launched “Amnesty International Report 2022/23: The state of the world’s human rights,” as well as briefing her on AI’s activities in Thailand, including the recent public debate co-hosted by AI Thailand on “Human Rights Agenda.” Attended by leaders of 12 political parties, Secretary-General, and the general public, the forum reflected the vibrancy of election campaigns as well as the importance that Thailand attaches to democracy, human rights, and the exercise of free expression. Both sides also highlighted the importance of youth participation in politics, as the votes of the younger generations will be critical and constitute an important part of this upcoming election.

Both sides exchanged views on human rights developments both in the region and in Thailand, including the entry into force of the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance B.E. 2565. They also discussed possible ways to further advance collaboration among AI, MFA, and other government agencies through, for instance, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. Recently, the Department of International Organizations and the Rights and Liberty Protection Department hosted an online workshop in order to engage with civil society organizations, including AI, on the UPR implementation.

Established in 1961, the London-based organization now has around 10 million members worldwide. AI also has 2 offices in Thailand, namely, AI Thailand and AI Regional Office for East and South East Asia and the Pacific.