At the sidelines of the 16th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 28 February — 1 March 2011, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya met with the heads of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to discuss wide-ranging issues which stressed safe passage for Thai workers fleeing the unrest in the Middle East and North African countries, as well as Thailand’s role in the United Nations and Thailand’s commitment to human rights and democracy.
During separate meetings with William Lacy Swing, Director-General of the IOM, Joseph Deiss, President of the UNGA, and Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO, Foreign Minister Kasit made certain that the relevant international organizations would take any possible steps to ensure the safety of passage for Thai workers fleeing the unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, especially Libya. During his discussions with the UNGA President, the Foreign Minister urged that the UN needed to issue a statement or make provisions on safe passage for migrant workers, as well as to acknowledge the plight of workers.
The heads of the IOM, the UNGA, and the ILO all responded positively to the Foreign Minister’s request. UNGA President Deiss said that the UNGA would provide a briefing on the issue of safe passage for migrant workers. Additionally, ILO Director-General Somavia said that he had already issued a statement along the same lines, which noted the importance of safety for domestic and migrant workers fleeing Libya.
Swing, Director-General of the IOM, assured the Foreign Minister that the IOM had already taken steps to assist in evacuating migrant workers, by providing 10 flights to evacuate workers in Libya as well as 3 reception centres based in Tunis, Egypt and Niger. The Foreign Minister expressed his appreciation for the IOM’s efforts, emphasizing that the organization deserved greater recognition in Thailand and promising to work closely with the IOM. He also stated Thailand’s readiness to send medical assistance to help with the IOM’s work as well as rice and canned food.
In addition, during the Foreign Minister’s meeting with the President of the UNGA, the Swiss President expressed his strong appreciation for Ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkaew’s strong chairmanship of the Human Rights Council, which he said, had helped to facilitate coordination between Geneva and New York. He also reminded the Foreign Minister of the UN High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, with Foreign Minister Kasit acknowledging that the Thai Prime Minister already knew about the event and that it was under consideration. On the issue of UN reforms, Foreign Minister Kasit said that ASEAN should be able to come up with an ASEAN position to push forward the reforms.
During the Foreign Minister’s meetings with the heads of the respective international organizations, the Foreign Minister also reiterated Thailand’s commitment to peace with bordering countries, and the government’s success in promoting democracy as well as social equality and welfare through various policies aimed at every sector of society.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th