On 24 February 2026, H.E. Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, delivered welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony of the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), under the theme “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030Agenda and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all.”

The Vice Minister reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to multilateralism and underscored the important roles of the United Nations, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), ESCAP, and the APFSD platform in bridging global, regional, and national agendas to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs. He also highlighted Thailand’s priorities in driving SDG implementation, namely: (1) political will leading to concrete actions; (2) effective and adequate means of implementation, including financing, investment, and innovation; and (3) partnerships at all levels, including youth. Thailand also presented its candidature to the ECOSOC for the term 2029-2031, with the aim of promoting cooperation that responds to diverse development contexts.

Ms. Cataleya Phatoomros, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, delivered Thailand’s country statement under the Forum’s main theme. She noted that global SDG progress remains slow and uneven, underscoring the need for transformative action with partnerships at its core. She also highlighted Thailand’s progress in areas such as access to safe drinking water, universal electricity access, and urban development, while emphasizing a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to ensure inclusive and sustainable SDG implementation.