UN partners with depa to launch ‘Decade of Action, Decade of Innovation’

Bangkok, Thailand – 8 June, 2021: The United Nations Thailand (UN Thailand), in partnership with the Department of Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), has launched ‘Decade of Action, Decade of Innovation’, a campaign that promotes the use of technological and innovative solutions to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are critical to the future development of the world. 

The SDGs are a collection of 17 interlinked Global Goals designed as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. 

In country, the UN’s work is contributing towards the achievement of the SDGs and in alignment with the draft 13th NESDP which prioritizes transformation towards a high-value sustainable Thailand. UN Thailand is partnering with depa during this campaign with the belief that digital technology has the power to reduce inequality, produce innovative urban living solutions, and create opportunities for individuals and organisations to prosper in the digital economy. depa will provide localized knowledge and expert input on topics as diverse as e-learning, e-agriculture and digital transformation for SMEs to support awareness of the Global Goals and inspire people from all walks of life to innovate and play their part in solving the world’s future development needs.

“Achieving the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs is an ambitious and yet vital undertaking which requires all sectors of society to come together, including government, private sector and civil society, media, youth, academia, and other development partners, to deliver on these goals. As innovation plays such a crucial part in achieving the Global Goals, our partnership with depa to promote technological and innovative solutions is key to raising the awareness of the SDGs themselves,” said Gita Sabharwal, the UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand.

“This decade has already given us many challenges and it’s more important than ever that we embrace technology to find solutions to our challenges. Over the past year we have seen how going digital has been a savior to many businesses, and we now have to expand and accelerate adoption and innovation to spread these benefits to all corners of the country. By the end of the next decade, growth, productivity gains, and human development will be determined by levels of integration into the digital economy, and it’s important that no-one is left behind,” added Asst. Prof. Dr.Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President/CEO, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa).

The campaign has four broad themes based on the 17 global goals: People, Planet, Prosperity and Partnerships.

‘People’ looks into how we are affected by an ever-changing world and how technology can contribute to better health and well-being, as well as discovering how we can close the connectivity gap and reduce inequalities that may be amplified by lack of access to technology. E-learning and e-literacy to support lifelong learning will also be highlighted as ways in which we can close the digital divide and create an inclusive digital society.

‘Planet’ focuses on topics such as climate action and responsible consumption, and how we can leverage digital technology and innovation to make cities in Thailand sustainable, with a focus on the environment. From looking at how we transform the way we build and manage our urban spaces, to improving public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and inclusive ways.

‘Prosperity’ tackles the issues faced by many industries and businesses in Thailand as it transforms into a digital-led economy. This means including all groups in society, particularly those that provide the backbone of the Thai economy, such as tourism and agriculture. Finding out how sustainable tourism can be created post-pandemic, and how digital transformation applies to agriculture will be just as important as developing further growth of e-commerce and digitizing the workplace.

‘Partnerships’ recognizes the importance of diverse groups working together to achieve shared goals, and aims to illustrate that when different types of people, businesses and organizations collaborate the results exceed expectations. The ongoing pandemic has countless examples of how public and private sectors have aligned in their efforts to serve the whole community.

The campaign, which runs until the end of July, aims to increase awareness about the SDGs in Thailand and inspire people to think about how they can contribute to their community and Thai society to address current and future issues. Throughout the campaign Facebook Live events will be held to discuss the key challenges faced under each theme, and passionate influencers who are already taking action will post on their social media channels using #SDGs.