PRAYUT CHAN-O-CHA, Prime Minister of Thailand, urged that COVID-19 vaccines and medicines be considered global public goods accessible to all.  To this end, he encouraged the international community to utilize the Bangkok Principles, which provide guidance on the implementation of the health aspects of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Climate action is a priority for Thailand, as it is a country rich in biodiversity with a large agricultural sector, he continued, adding that his country is geared to achieve carbon neutrality by 2065-2070.  It also plans to increase the proportion of renewable energy to at least 50 per cent of the total amount of electricity generated and to increase the use of electric vehicles to 30 per cent of total domestic vehicles.

Stressing balanced and environment-friendly development, he affirmed Thailand’s commitment to the initiative on the Eastern Economic Corridor and emphasized the importance of extending financial assistance and technology transfers for research and development and innovation to developing countries.  In this regard, he said that, as the ASEAN Coordinator on Sustainable Development Cooperation, his country was committed to promoting complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the 2030 Agenda through the promotion of the Bio‑Circular-Green Economy Model.  To this end, the sufficiency economy philosophy was utilized as a guideline.

Turning to Afghanistan, he said that Thailand has pledged $150,000 to support United Nations organizations in the country to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there.  In addition, his Government has also made financial contributions to assist Haiti.  As well, Thailand and other core group States considered the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on 22 January as an encouraging manifestation of the determination of the global community to comply with commitments under the United Nations Charter in promoting a world that is free from nuclear weapons for succeeding generations.  He further stressed his country’s support for fostering peace and reconciliation in Myanmar through multilateral diplomacy, based on the Five-Point Consensus agreed by ASEAN countries.

Noting that Thailand will co-host the Global South-South Development Expo in 2022 in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, as well as host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, he raised three priorities going forward:  facilitating trade and investment; rebooting regional connectivity, particularly in the travel and tourism industry; and advancing sustainable and inclusive growth.