On 4 November 2024, Mr. Paisan Rupanichkij, Deputy Permanent Secretary (DPS) for Foreign Affairs of Thailand attended the 12th Session of the World Urban Forum under the theme “It all starts at home: Local actions for sustainable cities and communities” in Cairo, Egypt. The Forum highlighted the importance of local efforts in tackling global challenges, such as the housing crisis and climate change.

During the Forum, DPS Paisan had a bilateral meeting with Mr. Michal Mlynar, Deputy Executive Director (DED) of the UN-Habitat. Both sides discussed possible ways to enhance collaboration between Thailand and UN-Habitat in the area of sustainable urban development.

DPS Paisan reaffirmed Thailand’s support for UN-Habitat's work in promoting the role of cities in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the local level. DPS Paisan stressed that the Thai Government, through the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), attaches importance in engaging in development cooperation with various countries and international organizations, through South-South and Triangular Cooperation while also viewed that Thailand and UN-Habitat can collaborate in areas of mutual interest.

The UN-Habitat Deputy Executive Director highlighted UN-Habitat’s priorities in promoting adequate housing, access to basic services, and urban resilience for climate change. He expressed UN-habitat's readiness to support Thailand in these efforts.