Thailand and the United Nations will be working closely together to realise the sustainable development goals (SDG) outlined in various economic development plans, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Tanee Sangrat.

He said that, at the end of December, the Thai Cabinet endorsed the draft United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2026, between the Thai government and the UN, as submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The UNSDCF will guide the cooperation between Thailand and the UN Country Team over the next 5 years in delivering on the SDGs.

According to the framework, special emphasis is being placed on its alignment with Thailand’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP), 20-Year National Strategy and the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) draft. The framework also supports Thailand’s efforts in sustainable economic growth through the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy model.

The three strategic outcomes of the UNSDCF will reinforce Thailand’s efforts in transitioning to an inclusive and sustainable low-carbon economy and society.

It will also support Thailand’s response to present and emerging challenges, such as climate change and pandemics, which require cooperation from all sectors. Partnership with the UN will help the country’s efforts to build resilience for communities and societies.

Development cooperation between Thailand and the UN had been guided by the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and, subsequently, the United Nations Partnership Framework (UNPAF).

These frameworks helped ensure that UN agencies based in Thailand deliver concrete, effective and coherent development support to their host country. The current UNPAF, for 2017 through 2021, will be succeeded by the UNSDCF for 2022 through 2026, which will place stronger emphasis on sustainable development and the attainment of the SDGs.

Thailand recently commemorated the 75th anniversary of its membership of the UN. Throughout the past seven decades the country has been a strong supporter of UN programs and activities, especially those in ‘South-South’ cooperation, developmental programs, gender empowerment and peace-keeping operations.