On 1 April 2022, Mrs. Eksiri Pintaruchi, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations attended the Chulalongkorn Model United Nations 2022 (ChulaMUN 2022) as a keynote speaker. Also in attendance was Associate Professor Dr. Ake Tangsupvattana, Dean of Faculty of Political Sciences, Chulalongkorn University.

The Director-General was pleased that the main theme of this year ChulaMUN 2022, “Paving the Way”, placed special emphasis on current challenges such as wealth inequality, climate change, and deglobalization. She further stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic has indeed intensified these challenges with its negative impact on the world’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To find a way forward, the international community must reiterate their commitment to work together with the United Nations at its core in order to respond to these crises.

The Director-General also underlined the efforts of the United Nations in engaging young people in its works. In so doing, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has introduced the report called “Our Common Agenda” in 2021 in which the proposal to establish the UN Youth Office was outlined. In addition to this initiative, Transforming Education Summit has been planned during the High-level Week of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA77) in September 2022. At the same time, the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of Thailand’s Membership in the United Nations on 15 December 2021 is an opportunity for Thailand to underscore the vital role played by Thai youth as a driver of change in building back better. Accordingly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand has been organizing a series of activities with an aim to raising awareness of Thai youth on multilateral diplomacy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ participation in ChulaMUN2022 is part of the aforementioned activities in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Thailand’s Membership in the United Nations. The Ministry attaches great importance to raising awareness on and providing Thai youth with knowledge on the United Nations and multilateral diplomacy. In this connection, the Ministry stands ready to provide assistance to the young generation in their involvement in promoting Thailand’s active roles as a responsible, reliable and constructive member of the United Nations as well as other international fora.