Mr. Chutintorn Gongsakdi, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs delivered opening remarks at the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Workshop on Human Rights, SDGs, and ASEAN Recovery from COVID-19 which was held on 8-9 November 2021.

The initiative was spearheaded by Dr. Amara Pongsapich, Representative of Thailand to the AICHR, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and (United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The workshop aimed to raise awareness, enhance capacity, and build network for relevant stakeholders within ASEAN, for the effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of post COVID-19 recovery.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary underscored that progress on SDGs and human rights must be proportionate and stressed the importance of pursuing SDGs in order to achieve post COVID-19 recovery through the promotion of the Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG), business and human rights and “partnership for sustainability”. He also encouraged utilizing the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD) in Bangkok as a platform for conducting research, building networks, implementing projects with partners as well as promoting complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Some of the key recommendations from the 2-day workshop include empowering MSMEs to create jobs while promoting digitalisation, corporate social and environmental responsibility as well as good governance in order to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights and the implementation of the SDGs alike in order to achieve the goal of a people-centred and people-oriented ASEAN Community that leaves no one behind.