On18 May 2010, Mr. Panich Vikitsreth, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, attended the second day of the Ministerial Meeting of the 66th Session of ESCAP and delivered a country statement on “Key challenges to inclusive sustainable economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific.”
Vice Foreign Minister Panich stated Thailand’s vision towards the challenging issues on inclusive and sustainable social and economic development. He noted that environmental sustainability is a key in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Asia and the Pacific. He also mentioned Thailand’s active role in environmental issue both at national and sub-regional levels. At the national level, Thailand placed the renewable energy plan on its national agenda. At the sub-regional level, the Kingdom hosted the 1st Mekong River Commission Summit, which produced the strategies of future sustainable use of Mekong River in order to improve water quality in priority areas of the Basin. With regard to the sustainable development and supportive financial system, Vice Foreign Minister Panich talked about His Majesty the King of Thailand’s “Sufficiency Economy” philosophy which always taken into the well-being of the people. The issue of economic development must give importance on improvement of education and health systems as well as social safety nets measures for the vulnerable affected by external factors. He further mentioned the Royal Thai Government’s stimulus packages that emphasized the importance of educational reform as well as upgrading health and welfare services via investment programmes to increase and provide greater economic opportunities for all people. He reaffirmed Thailand’s collaboration with the ESCAP member countries to increase opportunities for all people and accumulate efficient measures to solve serious social problems such as human trafficking and HIV/AIDS.
Vice Foreign Minister Panich also reiterated the importance of regional connectivity, which included physical infrastructure, people-to-people and information. Thailand pledged to cooperate with all ESCAP member countries in dealing with challenging issues and achieving MDGs. In addition, Thailand will put its effort to promote an environmentally sustainable economic growth to ensure sustainable economic and social development for the benefit of all people in the future.
On the same day, Vice Foreign Minister Panich attended the “Signing Ceremony of Cooperation Agreement for the Regional, Integrated, Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)” which Thailand and Sweden are the two main donating countries of the so called “Tsunami Trust Fund.” Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, ESCAP Executive Secretary, Mr. Ali Shareef, Secretary of RIMES, and over 50 distinguished guests attended and witnessed the ceremony.
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