Resident Coordinator's Remarks at Asia-Pacific Regional Commemoration of International Women's Day 2023, Bangkok

It is my honour to join this International Women’s Day celebration by moderating the Ambassador for a Day segment. Many thanks to you Ibu Armida and Sarah for bringing us all together again this year!

This initiative is very close to my heart as it speaks to the intergenerational strengths that we can leverage to learn from and inspire one another.

It does this by matching young people who are advancing gender equality with women leaders in Government, Member States, and the UN to be their ‘shadow’ for today to experience diplomacy and sustainable development in action.

We started this journey years ago, at the height of the pandemic, with a clarion call to enlist a new generation for the cause of increased equality where equal participation is an inherent right for all.  

Today we have 40 young people who have emerged as winners of Thailand’s biggest-ever creative contest on gender equality. With us today are emerging leaders, trailblazers, and creative minds, who are championing equality even as we see it backsliding in many parts of Asia and the Pacific. 

Each one of them is a testament to our collective achievement to mobilize young voices to be part of the long arc of history. Their ideations leverage AI, bodily rights, digital technology for advocacy and policymaking. It is this innovative thinking that we need much more of to accelerate the SDGs.

A big round of applause for these 40 “Ambassadors for a Day.” We are all so proud of you.

We will be hearing directly from them and getting a glimpse of their contributions by screening a video montage.

Let me now invite the Australian Ambassador, H.E. Dr. Angela MacDonald, the co-convener of this year’s Ambassador for a Day initiative, to share her remarks.

[Australian Ambassador, H.E. Dr. Angela MacDonald, the co-convener of this year’s Ambassador for a Day initiative, speaks.]

Ambassador Angela, I personally know how committed you are to gender equality. From your perspective what role can digitization play to empower women as part of your government’s strategy on women’s equality and empowerment?

Ambassador Eksiri, let me now invite you to share with us Thailand’s priorities on leveraging digitization in support of gender equality.

[Ambassador Eksiri Pintaruchi. Director-General, Department of International Organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, speaks.]

Let me now invite one of our 40 winners. Khun Sachee, would you mind sharing with us your reflections on how we can leverage digitization to make online spaces safe for all, especially young people like yourselves?

[Sachee Pingsutthiwong, shadow to Australian Ambassador to Thailand, speaks.]

And finally, Khun Ranchida – also a winner. Khun Ranchida, can you share with us the three things that you would recommend that institutions such as the UN should do more of to ensure young people are engaged in leveraging technology in support of green education? 

[Ranchida Rotjanakit, shadow to UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand, speaks.]

Thank you all for your insightful comments.

Now let us continue to be inspired by watching highlights of this year’s winning submissions.

[Screening of Ambassador for a Day 2023 video montage]

As we wrap up our segment, I would like to give the floor to 5 Ambassadors to share with us in ONE sentence the secret to their success. I am sure their insights will be a source of inspiration for the young change-makers who are joining us today.

Let us start with Ambassador Muna of Bahrain.

And next, let me call upon Ambassador Kanchana, Spokesperson of MFA of Thailand.

Ambassador Sarah of Canada, would you like to share the secrets of your success?  

Ambassador Millicent of the Philippines, let me give the floor to you now.

And finally, Ambassador Ana Maria of Columbia.

Thank you, Ambassadors, for sharing your insights. These are small yet important steps towards greater gender equality.

Thank you all again for all your contributions to the event.