Thailand Statement

General Debate of the 69th Session of the UNGA in New York

Theme: Delivering on and Implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda

  Mr. President, I am here to pay my country’s highest tribute to the United Nations for the work it has done to improve the lives of people around the world. Thailand is fully committed to what the United Nations stands for and the hopes and aspirations that we all have in the United Nations. We are also firmly committed to fulfilling our responsibilities as a member of the United Nations.  Because it is only when we act together in unity can the United Nations achieve its vision. This year, the theme is the post-2015 development agenda and how to truly make a difference in the lives of the people on the ground. Many countries have achieved many of the MDGs.  For example, they have succeeded in reducing poverty.  And they have achieved their education and healthcare goals. But for many other countries, achieving the MDGs has not been easy. So as we move towards the post-2015 development agenda, we must renew our commitments to make sure that no one is left behind. Mr. President, For Thailand, development is not just about GDP. To be sustainable, development must go hand in hand with democracy, human rights and peace and security – the pillars of the United Nations.  And it must be allowed to grow in an environment that is free from conflict. Building a strong and robust democracy is the challenge that many of us face. As in many countries, Thailand has learned the lesson that democracy is more than having elections. Democracy must be based on respect for the rule of law.  And it must be about good governance, transparency, accountability and equal access to justice. This was not the case of my country before May 22nd. Before May 22nd, we were at a political impasse.  We had a dysfunctional democracy.  We were in danger of more turmoil.  And there was a very real possibility of bloodshed. The opposing political parties were given the chance to save democracy, but they failed because they were unwilling to compromise for the sake of the country. This chain of unfortunate events made the military intervention necessary.  

We all wished that things did not have to turn out that way.  But if the situation was allowed to continue, Thailand’s democracy would have been torn apart. This would have undermined Thailand’s stability and the stability of the region. Thailand is now going through a period of transition.  We remain fully committed to democracy and human rights.  And we know that we cannot go against the tide of democracy. Thailand needs a real and functioning democracy, one that delivers on the aspirations of the people. Let there be no doubt that Thailand is not retreating from democracy.  But we do need time and space to bring about reconciliation; to undertake political reform; and to strengthen our democratic institutions.  We do not wish for a repeat of what happened on May 22nd. In addition to implementing our Road Map to return to full democracy, we are also getting our economy moving again.  Confidence has returned. And growth has been restored. Mr. President, Thailand is committed to playing an active role together with our ASEAN partners to build an ASEAN Community of peace and prosperity. We are committed to working with our partners in the international community to address the many global challenges we face, such as climate change; transnational crime; pandemics; and human trafficking. And most of all, we are committed to working with our partners to realize the development agenda because real and lasting peace is not based on state-centred security, but on people-centred security. Mr. President, Development must transform people’s lives and open the door to a better future for all. Development must empower the individual; communities; and societies. This is the heart of the Sufficiency Economy philosophy of His Majesty the King of Thailand.  And this philosophy has guided our development efforts for decades. Sufficiency Economy is about promoting the right values.  It is about drawing on the inner strength of each community and building resilience from the grassroots level up.  By doing so, we are able to lay a solid foundation for sustainable economic development at the national level. But in today’s world, no nation can be an island of prosperity unto itself. More than ever, we need strong global partnership, whether to realize the post-2015 development agenda or to meet common challenges. First of all, this partnership must meet the challenge of human security, which is the pressing challenge of our time. Human security is about human dignity; human rights; equity, equality and social justice; the promise of a better future for all; and ensuring that, in our rush for development, we do not sacrifice the environment that sustains us. And ensuring human security should be at the heart of sustainable development. But while we advance the development agenda, however, we cannot ignore the immediate threats, which require our concerted action. Today, we are confronted with very real and immediate threats to the global partnership, such as the Ebola Crisis and the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, Syria, Libya, Iraq and the Gaza Strip. It pains us to witness the senseless death of civilians, especially children, in the conflict in the Gaza Strip. This demands that we work even harder to bring lasting peace to the Palestinian people and their aspiration for statehood as well as to the legitimate rights of the Israeli people to security. As the situation in the Middle East unfolds, we are also deeply concerned about the rising threat of radicalism and extremism.  There can be no justification for the brutalities and atrocities that we have seen. We must rise up to this challenge to peace; the livelihood of our people; and the economic and social development gains that we have made. Indeed, certain radical and extremist movements have been able to draw recruits from all parts of the world. In fact, their mission is nothing more than terrorism and the use of fear to advance their objectives. So, Mr. President, our peace and security and development are all connected.  To this end, we must all seek to contribute as much as we can.  All of us must seek to meet our international responsibilities to the best that we can. Some of us may have the capacity to do more than others.  But if we all do our part, then we can make the world better and safer. That is why Thailand has sent volunteers to our neighbouring countries to work in health and education.  We also sent our medical teams to Japan in 2011 as part of the relief efforts following the earthquake and tsunami. The Thai flag and Thai personnel have been associated with peace-keeping operations in many places around the world.  

We were in Timor-Leste.  We were in Sudan and along the India-Pakistan border.  And we were part of the coalition to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. The role of the military, however, is not limited just to war and conflict.  Even in times of peace, the military plays an important role – especially now when many challenges confront us, such as natural disasters. That is why Thailand is promoting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief cooperation in the ASEAN region and beyond.  And perhaps the time has come for ASEAN to begin to explore the idea of a regional HADR Task Force. Indeed, as members of the international community, we all must share in the responsibility to stay true to the original promise of the United Nations – and that is to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom for the peoples of the world. It is because of Thailand’s commitment to the United Nations that we have submitted our candidature for a seat in the Human Rights Council for the term 2015-2017 and the Security Council for the term 2017-2018.  We hope that our friends will give us, once again, their trust and allow us to serve. Mr. President, So whether it is democracy, development or peace, we all must assume our responsibilities because we are, after all, a family of united nations. Thank you, Mr. President. (Source: www.mfa.go.th)