The cabinet met on Tuesday, October 1, 2013. Some of the decisions are as follows:
The Cabinet agreed with organization of International Rice Congress 2014 (IRC 2014) in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). As proposed by Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ suggestion, Rice Department, Agricultural Research Development Agency (Public Organization) and Office of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) are to be responsible for the organization of IRC 2014.
Gist
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives reported that IRC 2014 is the 4th meeting of IRC and is world biggest meeting of rice related organizations. High level executives, researchers, academicians, educational institutions, private sector, business owners, and importers and exporters from around the world will be invited to attend the congress. IRC 2014 is scheduled to be held on October 27-31, 2014.
The Cabinet approved draft ASEAN Declaration on strengthening social protection, ratified at the ASEAN ministerial meeting on social welfare and development, following Ministry of Social Development and Human Security’s suggestion.
Gist of Draft declaration concerns with promotion and mobilization of existing policies and measures on social protection in ASEAN member countries. It also aims to elevate and strengthen existing measures and to emphasize the significance of measures on social protection as humans’ basic rights serving from birth to death. Measures on social protection must be on the foundation of equality and based on different needs of people. This draft Declaration also emphasizes the significance of family institution as fundamental unit for decent society, and provides measures on social protection which are flexible and adaptable to such situations as natural disasters, economic crises, and climate change. Furthermore, it signifies that policies on social protection focus on investment in human resource, and that each Government should allocate enough budgets and resources to promote human resources development.
Following Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ suggestion, the Cabinet,
1. Approved five documents that will be endorsed or signed at the 23rd ASEAN Summit and other related meetings, to be held in Brunei Darussalam on October 9-10, 2013. Should necessity arise to amend the documents in inessential parts that will not result in the country’s loss of benefit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs may proceed without the Cabinet’s further approval.
2. Prime Minister or an authorized person is assigned as the signatory of the aforementioned documents.
Gist
Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that,
1. Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the 23rd ASEAN Summit and the following related meetings held in Brunei Darussalam on October 9-10, 2013: (1) 16th ASEAN-China Summit (2) 16th ASEAN-Japan Summit (3) 16th ASEAN-Korea Summit (4) 11th ASEAN-India Summit (5) 1st ASEAN-U.S. Summit (6) 16th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit (7) 5th ASEAN-UN Summit and (8) 8th East Asia Summit (EAS).
2. Apart from the ASEAN summit, there will be meetings among ASEAN leaders and important dialogue partners, that is, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, India, and United States of America, as well as ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit, East Asia Summit (EAS), and ASEAN-UN Summit. During those meetings, five following outcome documents will be either endorsed or signed:
2.1 Draft Political Declaration on ASEAN’s Post 2015 Vision which will be endorsed, but not signed, by the ASEAN leaders.
2.2 Draft Joint Statement on Commemoration of the tenth Anniversary of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership which will be endorsed, but not signed, by ASEAN and China’s leaders.
2.3 Draft Declaration of the eighth East Asia Summit on Food Security which will be endorsed, but not signed, by country leaders who attend the East Asia Summit (EAS).
2.4 Draft Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Nalanda University which will be considered for signing by country leaders who attend the East Asia Summit (EAS).
2.5 Terms of Reference of the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) which will be endorsed, but not signed, by the ASEAN leaders.
The Cabinet acknowledged following suggestions from Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
1. Organization of Thai-Africa High-Level Dialogue in the beginning of February 2014 at the International Convention Center, Chiang Mai.
2. Appointment of a ministerial-level working group to be responsible for the organization of the aforementioned Thai-Africa High-Level Dialogue in 1.
Gist
Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that
Ministry of Foreign Affairs will organize Thai-Africa High-Level Dialogue in the beginning of February 2014 at the International Convention Center in Chiang Mai. The purpose is to increase interactions between Thailand and Africa to eventually become strategic partners, and to promote Thailand’s economic interests since Africa is a new market of over 1 billion population. It is also to seek new allies in the international stages, and to further develop Asia-Africa partnership. At present, Africa’s economic growth is one of the world’s highest, and is a source for significant raw materials and energies.
--Cabinet Meeting (Yingluck Shinawatra) October 1, 2013--