Resident Coordinator's Message to the Commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Thailand’s membership in the UN

Your Excellency, Deputy Prime Minister Don Pramudwinai, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, friends and colleagues,

I’m delighted to join you today as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Thailand joining the United Nations, which is almost as long as the Organization itself has been in existence.

Let me thank the Royal Thai Government for your generous support. We value your longstanding friendship as well as vital contributions over these many decades.

Thailand has an impressive record over these 75 years, serving as President of the General Assembly in 1956, non-permanent member of the Security Council in 1985, and President of the Human Rights Council in 2010. 

These contributions continue in the present day, with Thailand elected to the UN Economic and Social Council in 2020 and joining the Peacebuilding Commission in 2021.

We’re also pleased to note that Khun Vilawan Mangkla-tana-kul has become the first Thai woman and international lawyer from Southeast Asia to be elected to the UN International Law Commission.

Building on these foundations, it is important to recognize that dynamics in international affairs are changing, and Thailand has both an opportunity and responsibility as a leader among upper-middle income countries.

Regional blocs are increasingly important, including in leading progress towards the SDGs and tackling the major global challenges of our time.

This is being ably demonstrated with Thailand’s leadership in South-South and Triangular Cooperation through TICA, the Voluntary National Reviews and also with Thailand as a founding partner to lead the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund on NCDs and Mental Health.

The United Nations stands ready to lend its full support based on your leadership and initiative in areas that serve the country’s comparative advantages.

The 75th anniversary is an opportunity – to renew our collective commitment, to bring people and communities together, including youth as partners and leaders, and to work towards a more equal, just, and sustainable world.

The recent competition for the logo has symbolized our joint work, with hundreds of submissions leading to the synthesis of Thailand and the United Nations embodied in the current design.

The UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, embodies this collaboration and will guide the UN Country Team’s work, firmly aligned with the NESDP on essential national priorities, such as the transformation towards the Bio-circular green economy, climate action and continued progress on the SDGs.

The UN is committed to keeping the channels of communication open and vibrant, through our longstanding partnership with the Government and by formalizing dialogue with the private sector and civil society.

Thank you for these 75 years, and for this irreplaceable partnership for the United Nations and our work in the region. We look forward to strengthening these bonds in the years to come.