The Cabinet met on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 at Command Building 1, Government House. Some of the resolutions are as follows;
Title: Thailand’s membership in the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
The Cabinet agreed on proposals made by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as follows:
1. The Cabinet approved Thailand’s membership in the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
2. The Cabinet ratified GGGI Establishment Agreement.
3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs is assigned to create and submit GGGI instrument of accession to Director-General of GGGI Secretariat, who acts as Agreement Keeper.
Gist of the matter
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment reported that GGGI Institute, founded by the government of Korea, is an international organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development as most vital policy of each country. Headquartered in Seoul, Korea, GGGI’s main mission is to promote a new model of economic growth known as “green growth” and to support other countries towards sustainable and environmentally friendly economic development. GGGI aims to improve economic strength and competitiveness, eliminate poverty, improve employment and reduce social gap. It also focuses on resolving climate change and building capacity in adaptation, biodiversity and gaining access to energy and water resources. The green sustainable and environmentally friendly economic development is in accordance with His Majesty the King's Royal Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy. GGGI Institute officially became an international organization on October 18, 2012 with a total of 24 Member Countries, of which 4 countries are from the Southeast Asian region (ASEAN), that is, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. GGGI is interested and eager to have Thailand becoming its member.
Title: Application for membership in Open Government Partnership (OGP)
The Cabinet agreed on proposals made by Ministry of Finance as follows:
1. The Cabinet agreed on an application for Associate Membership of Open Government Partnership (OGP). Ministry of Finance is to proceed with relevant procedures.
2. The Cabinet approved administration bodies and authority of Open Government Partnership Committee
Gist of the matter
Ministry of Finance reported that
1. Open Government Partnership (OGP) formally launched on September 20, 2011, with the 8 founding governments: Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. To date, 65 countries has joined and endorsed the Open Government Declaration, aiming to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. In the spirit of multi-stakeholder collaboration, OGP is overseen by a Steering Committee including representatives of governments and civil society organizations.
2. Becoming a member of OGP
1.Country, which aims to become a member of OGP, must be evaluated for its disclosure of government principles in four key areas: Fiscal Transparency, Access to Information, Income and Asset Disclosures, and Citizen Engagement. A country is eligible to join the OGP if they meet those criteria measured by objective governance indicators using public data sources. OGP conducts assessment for membership selection annually as well as after becoming membership. To participate in OGP, countries must score at least 75% of the total possible points available to them, with a total of 16 points for their performance against these minimum standards of open government. The average score are up to 12 points. In November 2014, OGP has evaluated countries, that wish to become eligible to join, based on aforementioned areas and 93 countries passed the assessment, including Thailand, which earned 13 pointed for its performance.
2.Submit a letter of intent to join OGP to OGP Steering Committee with a copy to OGP Support Unit
3.Proceed with disclosure of governmental activities
3. Administration bodies and authority of Open Government Partnership Committee
Administration bodies consist of Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Finance as president, and other 11 committee members. Director-General of Department of the Comptroller General acts as a committee member and secretary. Deputy Director-General/advisor, and Chief of Government Procurement Policy Division are committee members and assistant secretaries.
Authority: 11 areas of authority, such as developing draft plan for governmental activities disclosure, drafting plan for Thailand’s governmental activities disclosure, determining operating direction according to the plan for Thailand’s governmental activities disclosure, and setting guidelines for the annual self-evaluation report, and etc.
Title: Request for approval on Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on development of rail system in the Southern Economic Corridor between Ministry of Transport of Thailand and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan
The Cabinet approved proposals made by Ministry of Transport as follows:
1. The Cabinet agreed on Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on development of rail system in the Southern Economic Corridor between Ministry of Transport of Thailand and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan. Ministry of Transport is authorized to amend the draft document where necessary, if not affecting gist of the document or the benefits of Thailand, without further Cabinet’s consideration.
2. Minister of Transport or his representative is authorized to endorse the draft MOU on behalf of Thailand.
The Memorandum of Understanding aims to identify extent of the cooperation on the development of railway system, particularly in the Southern Economic Corridor. It will also be the operating framework and guideline for future cooperation between Thailand and Japan, and a framework for acceleration of related implementations, which is,
1) development and improvement of rail system in the Southern Economic Corridor;
2) rail transport;
3) human resources development, and
4) exchange of experts on rail system.
Title: Endorsement and signing of New York Declaration on Forests
The Cabinet approved for Thailand’s endorsement and signing of New York Declaration on Forests at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP21) in December 2015 as proposed by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Ministry of Foreign Affairs is authorized to proceed according to the set protocol for the endorsement and signing of New York Declaration on Forests
Gist of the New York Declaration on Forests
1. Non-Legally Binding Political Declaration
2. Countries signing the Declaration are committed to cut the loss of forests in half by 2020.
3. To set aspirational goal to end natural forest loss by 2030
4. To promote restoration of 350 million hectares of degraded landscapes and forestlands (an area larger than India)
5. To link with the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and biodiversity preservation under Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) operating framework
6. The Declaration which aims for conservation and reforestation can contribute to economic growth, poverty alleviation, strengthening of Rule of Law, food security, geographic flexibility and biodiversity. It also helps promote the participation and decision-making of all sectors
Title: Vientiane Declaration on Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation
The Cabinet agreed and approved proposals made by Ministry of Foreign Affairs as follows:
1. The Cabinet agreed in principle on Vientiane Declaration on Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. Ministry of Foreign Affairs is authorized to amend the draft document where necessary, if not affecting gist of the document or the benefit of Thailand, without further Cabinet’s consideration.
2. Minister of Foreign Affairs or his representative is assigned as head of Thai delegation to attend the 12th High-Level Round Table Meeting 2015 (HL RTM) and endorse the Declaration on November 27, 2015 in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic. Gist of the Declaration includes:
1. Enhanced Partnership Declaration
2. Ownership
3. Alignment
4. Harmonization and Simplification
5. Inclusive Partnerships for Development Results
6. Transparency, Predictability and Mutual Accountability
7. Domestic Resource Mobilization
8. South-South Cooperation, Triangular Cooperation, and Knowledge Sharing
9. Business as a Partner in Development, and
10.The Way Forward.
--Cabinet Meeting (Prayut Chan-o-cha) November 24, 2015--