Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Secretary-General agree to foster closer partnership among stakeholders, particularly youth, to accelerate climate action by creating a ‘Balance of All Things’.

On 25 September 2021, H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, met with H.E. Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG), at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs congratulated Mr. Guterres on his successful re-appointment as UNSG for the second term and reaffirmed Thailand’s active role as a coordinator for ASEAN-UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also commended the UNSG for his vision reflecting in the report “Our Common Agenda” which would be a guiding light for works towards achieving the SDGs for the years to come.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated Thailand’s constructive role as a responsible and reliable member of the United Nations as it celebrates the 75th anniversary of membership in the United Nations in December 2021. Mr. Guterres praised Thailand for working closely with the United Nations on multi-faceted issues such as on peace and security and development, as well as commending Bangkok as the “United Nations’ capital of Asia”.

Both sides discussed various issues of common interest ranging from climate change to the situation in Myanmar. Mr. Guterres said that it is a crucial moment to step up efforts to combat climate change involving all stakeholders, particularly youth. In this respect, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs underscored that the Bio-Circular-Green or BCG economic model will help enhance complementarities between the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) and SDGs as well as harness multi-sector partnership to create a “Balance of All Things” which will be a an overarching umbrella for Thailand in hosting the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in 2022. On the issue of Myanmar, both sides agreed that the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus of ASEAN, particularly the crucial role of the Special Envoy, would pave the way towards a peaceful resolution in Myanmar.

Mr. Guterres has been serving as the United Nations Secretary-General since 2017 and was re-appointed for the second term on 18 June 2021. Before assuming the position of United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres was Prime Minister of Portugal and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.