January 7, 2014, at 0930hrs at the Thai Army Club, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Bangkok, Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yingluck Shinawatra presided over a Cabinet meeting.
After the meeting, Government Spokesperson Teerat Ratanasevi held a press conference on the resolution of the Cabinet meeting. Gist as follows:
The Cabinet acknowledged the adoption of United Nation’s World Soil Day as proposed by Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Gist
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives reported that:
1) The Ministry’s Land Development Department organized activities for the World Soil Day on December 5, 2013, with an aim to raise an awareness on the importance of soil for agricultural and nutritional development, as well as food security, both in the domestic and international levels, and to address the challenges of continued world population growth. It was also to honor His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej who has continuously placed importance in and graciously worked on soil resources management and conservation which is concretely acknowledged not only in the country but worldwide.
2) On December 20, 2013, at the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly or UNGA 68th in New York, a resolution to declare 5 December of every year as the World Soil Day and to declare 2015 as the International Year of Soils was adopted.
3) Following the adoption of the World Soil Day and the International Year of Soils, from the year 2014 on, over 200 UN member countries will celebrate the World Soil Day on December 5 of each year, as officially indicated in UN’s working calendar. As for Thailand, the main owner will be Land Development Department in collaboration with the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Rome. Celebration for the World Soil Day and the International Year of Soils will be planned for December 5 of each year, and in the year 2015 respectively.
--Cabinet Meeting (Yingluck Shinawatra) January 7, 2014--