Thai finance leaders and United Nations experts who participated in a recent discussion co-organised by the UN and the Global Compact Network Thailand (GCNT) said improved cooperation in the country’s financial system and mainstreaming climate finance will get Thailand closer towards a net-zero economy. Participants in the informal Sustainable Financing dialogue earlier in September said committing financial resources to green investments while adhering to higher standards and better reporting will help accelerate the transition to a new bio-circular-green economy, create new jobs, and increase Thailand’s ability to tackle the climate crisis. Priority must be given to aligning the availability of data on investments and their impacts as well as the risk-return equation for ambitious environmental targets, the experts noted. Gita Sabharwal, the UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand, opened the meeting by emphasising that leadership from the domestic private sectors, banks and investors was key for scaling up sustainable financing premised on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles. “Uniting private sector leadership, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), will be critical to unlock the required climate finance,” Sabharwal said. “Sustainability can only happen with the cooperation of all these partners and the sustainable investment ecosystem that we foster to accelerate the green transition” the UN representative stressed. Ruenvadee Suwanmongkol, Secretary-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said the financial sector can use this financial tool to assess ESG-related risks and opportunities in their business operations while benefitting from financial products, information and services needed to promote and support a sustainable business transition. “The financial sector plays a key role in the development of infrastructure necessary for the transition as part of a whole-of-government approach towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Thailand. As regulators, what we can do best is create an ecosystem and serve as role models of SDGs champions,” Ruenvadee said during the roundtable discussion. The United Nations and SEC Thailand have recently launched the SDG Investor Map, a market intelligence tool that highlights opportunities for targeted investments towards accelerating progress on the SDGs in the country. Another participant, Chavinda Hanratanakool, who is chair of the Association of Investment Management Companies (AIMC), presented what steps have been taken and will be taken by institutional investors to scale up financing for green investments. Demand for sustainability-related financial products was increasing, the financial expert said. “ESG funds are thriving and seeing decent returns, which signifies the collective investor voice and bolder targets,” Chavinda observed. Dr. Man Juttijudata, Deputy Secretary-General of the Government Pension Fund (GPF), said that the conditions to raise long-term funds have been improved with notable growth in the ESG bond market which saw a 100% increase in issuance volume from 2020 to 2021. GPF’s ESG bonds investment has been increased significantly from a balance of 9.9 billion baht in 2020 to 32.9 billion baht as of August 2022. The surge in institutional investors looking for companies with an easier transition to the green economy is sending a strong signal that smart financial management can go together with greener investment and environmentally friendly outcomes, Dr. Man said. Adit Laixuthai, Senior Executive Vice-President of KASIKORNBANK, said that the challenges of climate change require bold action. “To drive the Sustainable Finance agenda, we must set the tone from the top. It’s a cultural shift, no longer a nice-to-have agenda, and must be embraced and understood from the boardrooms and be in alignment with shareholders,” Adit said. Giorgio Gamba, CEO of HSBC Thailand, in turn reaffirmed the potential of both shortand long-term green investments, but urged a focus on generating strong returns by investing in companies meaningfully contributing to a more sustainable economy. While being “mindful of greenwashing, we must recognise that sustainability will only happen with the cooperation of our partners,” said Gamba, whose bank has set out to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Yongyut Setthawiwat, Managing Director of Thai Union, noted that more Thai businesses have been embracing green practices, but added that further progress necessitated expanding environmentally-friendly supply chains. “The green economy needs green consumption. As demand for products and investments with sustainability labels increases, so must their supply,” Yongyut said. Nikorn Nikornphan, a representative of the Thai Bankers’ Association, stressed the importance of “a common taxonomy on sustainable finance among Thai banks” as collective efforts were needed for a green transition. Preeti Sinha, Executive Secretary of the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) who was on an official visit to Thailand, spoke of the role of innovative capital markets, including cross-border mobility of private climate finance, in which “Thailand especially has geographical potential.” Responding to the climate crisis requires collective action from all countries, cities, corporations and individuals to ensure prosperity while also protecting the planet, Sinha emphasised. Dr. Netithorn Praditsarn, Deputy Secretary-General of Global Compact Network Thailand (GCNT), pointed out that the financial sector plays a very important role in influencing businesses to enhance sustainability of their operations. One example is the disclosure of ESG information through the SEC’s “One Report” requirement for listed companies, which is in line with GCNT’s principles. He added that GCNT Forum 2022, the organisation’s key annual event, will be held to strengthen the private sector's leadership in addressing climate change, accelerating Thai businesses’ journey towards the goal of Net Zero. Sustainable finance will be a vital part of this discussion, he said. According to the United Nations, Thailand is particularly vulnerable to impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. At the same time, the rich biodiversity of Thailand is a critical resource for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resilience against impacts of climate change, especially extreme weather conditions that are likely to increase within the coming years. “GCNT currently has over 100 members of various sizes from diverse industries. We are committed to reducing our climate impacts. We are rallying our members to speed up their effort in fighting global warming, as well as preserving and rehabilitating biodiversity, which is an essential resource for human well-being and sustainable economic growth. We need to join forces with all sectors. Additional supporting factors such as sustainable financial cooperation from leading Thai financiers will be one of the main themes to be discussed at the GCNT Forum 2022 in November,” Dr. Netithorn concluded. This piece was originally published by the Bangkok Post. Tags: #sustainablefinance #climateaction #biodiversity

The UN Country Team in Thailand consists of 21 UN agencies coordinating joint programmes and tackling a range of multi-faceted priorities and key initiatives on a daily basis — from climate action to gender equality and food security. Our UN agencies are on the ground utilizing innovative approaches to problem-solving to better serve communities, supported by invaluable partnerships with the government, line ministries, local and provincial administrations, the private sector, investors and donors, the media, academia and civil society, including youth and vulnerable communities. Below are some highlights of their work this month. 
  Our UN team in Thailand, led by Resident Coordinator Gita Sabharwal, is helping authorities to boost green technologies and production. Through the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), we are partnering with nearly 300 companies to cut food waste by up to 10 per cent, improving food production chains in key sectors, including livestock, fisheries, and rice production. With 15,000 young Thais, we developed a real-time tracker to keep organic waste in check. To cut emissions, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and 70 large and medium-sized companies are improving resource efficiency and clean production processes in the main polluting industries. UNIDO is also incubating nearly 50 entrepreneurs, mobilizing over US$13 million to innovate on low-carbon technologies from biogas to low-carbon housing and plant-based foods. For its part, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is projecting benefits of over USD 400 million if organic rice area in Northeastern Thailand is increased by as little as 10 per cent. Meanwhile, the International Trade Centre (ITC) is supporting organic agriculture by strengthening the capacities of public and private certification bodies (through the capacity building of 87 officers to date) and increasing market export knowledge among organic operators in the organic rice and organic mangosteen production sectors. We have also brought together 43 banks and investors with total assets of USD$1.3 trillion, to commit to the Sustainable Development Goals, including on climate action.

I know children and adolescents to be incredibly resilient, as a mother of three and in my work with Unicef. But their mental health has seriously suffered from the grief, uncertainty, isolation and stress over the past years of Covid-19 and well before that. As recent tragic cases of youth suicide in Thailand show, without early detection and access to services and support, they are in fact very vulnerable. For 10-19 year olds in Thailand, a worrying 15% of the burden of disease (or the impact of living with a health problem) is attributable to mental disorders and self-harm, based on Global Burden of Disease's modelled estimates revealed in a new report by Unicef, the Ministry of Public Health, the Institute for Population and Social Research and Burnet Institute. Even more worrying is that the data fails to capture the true extent of all psychosocial distress felt by the 14 million children and adolescents across the country and its serious harm to their lifelong health, as mental disorders are common yet undertreated due to stigma and lack of access to screenings and support. Many millions may not meet the diagnostic criteria for a disorder, but their suffering is just as real. Poor mental health impacts a child's ability to learn and grow in the classroom and in life, as they will struggle to pay attention, engage with their peers and cope with intense emotions. It can cost them years in critical developmental milestones and, too often, their lives. Suicide is the third leading cause of death of 15-19 year olds in Thailand. In the 2021 Global School-based Student Health Survey, a tragic 17.6% 13-17 year olds in the country had recently seriously considered suicide. Thailand has made immense and important efforts for mental health through school programmes and health and social services, but access is far from where it should be. Government expenditure must further expand if it is to address the substantial burden of mental disorders on child and adolescent well-being. Covid-19 disruption over the past years has only heightened the mental health needs of the most vulnerable, who faced violence, bullying, loneliness and worry when isolated from family, friends, classrooms, play and any certainty of their future -- key elements of childhood and adolescence itself. With half of all mental disorders developing before age 15, we cannot afford to fail the next generation of Thailand. It is time to amplify our whispers about their mental health needs to a collective call for the country and for society to invest further in their well-being, prevent poor mental health and the damage it can do to individuals and to society, and ensure access to quality services. The support they receive from us now in navigating these mental health challenges will shape their abilities and productivity as adults, parents and citizens of Thailand for years to come. Unicef calls for and is ready to support a whole-of-government and whole- of-society mental health response for Thailand's young generation and those most vulnerable, who must receive the right quality of care at the right time. This means a common vision and plan, urgent investment and interventions for prevention, promotion and care -- across education, social welfare and justice sectors, not just in health. Thailand's Mental Health Act provides a strong legislative and policy foundation for such a mental health response. We must also strengthen and invest in the mental health care workforce, whether they are physicians, social workers, judicial workers or school counsellors, to ensure that enough are trained and available to reach every child and adolescent in need without delay. The mental health challenges and lived experiences of children and adolescents, especially those who are marginalised, migrants or in conflict with the law, must also be heard and taken seriously by the adults in their lives and by policymakers. Their well-being must be protected both at home and in school -- starting with open, honest conversations with parents and teachers about issues that have been stigmatised for far too long. It means supporting parents, caregivers and children themselves with mental health literacy and equipping schools with adequate resources to identify and help students facing violence and bullying in classrooms or online. Since the start of the pandemic, Unicef has supported free online counselling for more than 40,000 adolescents in Thailand on issues affecting their mental health. Furthermore, Unicef recognises the enormous value of child and adolescent participation in healthcare. We work with partners to carve youth-friendly spaces and opportunities for them in decision-making and to build their skills in peer counselling, so they can support each other. Within Unicef, we draw on the strengths, potential and creativity of our Young People Advisory Board, formed from diverse groups from all over Thailand, to inform our projects on mental health to be more relevant and effective for the population we serve. These examples can be replicated across sectors to ensure that policies -- from design to delivery -- meet the mental health needs of the young generation, who will very soon bear the consequences of these decisions. A comprehensive mental health system that meets these needs and reaches every child and adolescent in their homes, schools and communities must be a national priority. For such a critical element of their potential and Thailand's future, there needs to be a decisive, coordinated change from all of us -- for more understanding, more investment and more commitment. This piece was originally published on the Bangkok Post. Kyungsun Kim is Unicef Representative for Thailand.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Thailand and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Office for East Asia and Pacific held a three-day Regional Training Workshop on Sustainable Reintegration Services in Asia on 19, 20 and 21 July 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand. Around 35 government and non-government participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Mongolia, Thailand, and Viet Nam gathered to learn about challenges and best practices and discuss how to strengthen the coordination of services to support the sustainable reintegration of migrant returnees. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have been significant for Asian countries, in particular for migrant workers and their families. The pandemic led to exacerbated vulnerabilities for migrants due to a multitude of factors including socio-economic, logistical, and health issues. Some migrants became stranded due to mobility restrictions, while others lost their income because of unemployment and unfavourable market conditions. Authorities of the seven participating countries discussed existing practices as well as challenges faced in organizing the return and reception of migrants, as well as responding to the needs of victims of trafficking and those in exploitative situations. Children traveling with their families or unaccompanied are especially vulnerable in the context of returns and reintegration: the key principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, most notably the principle of the best interests of the child, must be applied, which calls for advanced coordination between governments and their partners to ensure adequate support. Underlying the complexity of the reintegration process, the training focused on the importance of an integrated approach to reintegration, taking into account social, economic and psychosocial dimensions.   “Children are often overlooked in return and reintegration processes. If children’s rights, needs and concerns are overlooked, then reintegration will not be sustainable. Understanding the principles that underpin child-sensitive return policies, as well as the safeguards that are required to protect children during returns processes, is therefore key,” explained Eri Mathers Suzuki, Acting Regional Advisor for Child Protection for UNICEF East Asia and Pacific. Géraldine Ansart, Chief of Mission at IOM Thailand adds, “We are looking forward to the fruitful exchanges of best practices between the representatives of these governments and their civil society partners. IOM missions are working constantly to share methodologies and integrated approaches for sustainable reintegration as well as develop successful partnerships, with support from our Regional Office and Headquarters. Bringing in the expertise of UNICEF is a valuable collaboration to ensure reintegration services are attentive to the needs of migrant children as well as children who remain behind when their parents migrate.” The training was organized with the support of the European Union (EU) through the EU-IOM Knowledge Management Hub initiative, as well as the United States’ Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. UNICEF’s engagement was made possible through the EU/UNICEF co-funded cross-regional programme “Protecting Children Affected by Migration in Southeast, South and Central Asia”. The EU-IOM Knowledge Management Hub was established in 2017 under the Pilot Action on Voluntary Return and Sustainable, Community-Based Reintegration funded by the European Union. It aims at assisting the implementation of the EU-IOM Actions in support of migrant protection and reintegration by ensuring coherent voluntary return and reintegration approaches, including through capacity-building activities and cross-regional experience sharing workshops; harmonising monitoring and evaluation activities; setting up knowledge management tools; and producing knowledge products. As part of this, it is rolling-out a reintegration training programme, based on the Reintegration Handbook. For more information, contact Yvain Bon ybon@iom.int and Caroline den Dulk cdendulk@unicef.org This piece was originally published by IOM Thailand. Tags: #migrants #decentwork #socialprotection