Thailand, 2013

On behalf of

the delegation of the Kingdom of Thailand, allow me

to congratulate the Honourable Mr. John Ashe on his

election to the presidency of the General Assembly at

its sixty-eighth session. My delegation stands ready to

render our full support and cooperation.

I would also like to express our appreciation

to the outgoing President, Mr. Vuk Jeremi., for his

exceptional leadership during the previous session.

I am particularly grateful for his contributions to the

second Asia-Pacific Water Summit, held in Chiang

Mai, Thailand, earlier this year.

Thailand is committed to the United Nations.

Our faith in the principles and values it stands for has

never wavered. The United Nations three pillars of

security, development and human rights continue to

inspire and motivate us. When the 50 founding States

came together in San Francisco in 1945, the world had

high hopes for the United Nations. The United Nations

was created in response to the demands of a different

time, after millions of lives had been lost in a conflict

between States. Today, it is conflict within States that

takes the heaviest human toll, as we have witnessed in

the unfolding events in Syria.

As we look ahead to the post-2015 future, we must

not shy away from asking the hard questions. We must

ask ourselves whether multilateralism has lived up to our

expectations, be it in security, trade or the environment.

We must ask how we Member States can do better in the

face of critical challenges. That is because ultimately,

the success of the United Nations depends on all of us.

With such a diversity of viewpoints, it is all the more

important for us to work together to find the unity and

consensus we need.

The challenges facing us are particularly clear

in the case of Syria. On 21 August, we learned that

chemical weapons had been used against innocent

civilians in Syria. Despite widespread condemnation

and outrage, the United Nations was initially unable

to act and the Security Council was deadlocked. We

therefore welcome resolution 2118 (2013) on Syria,

adopted yesterday by the Security Council. We urge

Syria to ensure the full and effective implementation of

the resolution, and to allow monitoring and enforcement

by the international community. It is our hope that the

Security Council, especially its permanent members,

will continue to work to find a durable political solution

for the sake of the Syrian people.

In setting the stage for the post-2015 development

agenda, we must recognize that development cannot

take root without peace, security, democracy and

human rights. The three pillars of the United Nations

must be developed together and nurtured together. To

strengthen the United Nations, we need to seek ways to

achieve unity and consensus on the issues that matter

most. In the area of security, this means thinking of

new, creative ways to respond to the changing threats.

For instance, when States fail to protect their own

populations, or even cause them harm, all our words

will amount to little unless matched with action.

But what kind of action would make the most

difference on the ground? When and how is it most

effective? There are no simple answers. It is on such

issues that the world looks to the Security Council for

leadership. Too often, however, the Council is paralysed

just when action is most needed. Overcoming deadlock

and achieving consensus must be a central objective of

Security Council reform.

The United Nations is, of course, much more than the

Security Council. Unity and consensus are also needed

on development. Thailand believes that sustainable

development must be at the heart of the United Nations

agenda. The world has made great strides in tackling

poverty and hunger, thanks in no small part to the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but all of

us still need to make a final push on the MDGs. That

would enable us to tackle the deep-rooted poverty that

still afflicts the so-called bottom billion.

Following the MDGs, the post-2015 development

agenda must provide both continuity and a new source

of hope. To build on the MDGs, Thailand believes

that we should place special emphasis on the needs of

the most vulnerable countries. That includes conflict

and post-conflict societies, as well as those of least

developed countries, landlocked developing countries

and small island developing States. If we fail to do so,

millions will be left behind.

The most pressing challenge to sustainable

development that demands our concerted action is

climate change. For a number of countries, particularly

small island developing States, climate change strikes

at the very heart of survival. For much of the world,

climate change is also linked to another important

challenge — food security. Extreme weather can cause

great damage to agriculture. The impact will be felt

not only in food-producing countries, but worldwide.

That is why we need to work together to put in place

systems — better weather prediction technology,

better storage silos and more resilient strains of staple

crops — that will mitigate the impact of climate change.

Those are areas where countries should help one another

by sharing their experiences and know-how.

Thailand believes that, if development is to be

sustainable, it must be people-centred. We welcome

the Secretary-General’s report “A life of dignity for

all: accelerating progress towards the Millennium

Development Goals and advancing the United Nations

development agenda beyond 2015” (A/68/202), which

puts people at the centre of the development agenda.

People need to be given the chance and the tools to

make the most of their potential. This can happen if we

focus more on promoting human security, for instance

through education and health care. On education, we

believe that the Secretary-General’s Global Education

First Initiative is an important contribution to the post-

2015 development agenda and deserves the support of

all stakeholders. Health is also very much a development

issue. When people are unhealthy, it imposes a cost on

State finances and can even undo development gains.

As we look to the post-20l5 future, we must not

limit our goals to specific health challenges. We should

now set our sights on the more general objective of

universal health care. Initiated by the administration

of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra 10 years

ago, Thailand has been implementing a programme

that charges only $1 per doctor’s visit. This universal

health-care scheme is universal in its coverage of

treatments, ranging from common illnesses and

chronic diseases to lifesaving surgeries. Statistics have

shown that through this programme, around 300,000

households have been saved from falling into poverty.

Even non-Thai nationals, especially migrant workers

from neighbouring countries are also benefiting from

universal health care, making it truly universal.

The socioeconomic impact of this programme has

therefore been tremendous. Those who benefit most

from our universal health care have been the poor

and the vulnerable. By working to empower the most

vulnerable among us, we ensure that development

is more inclusive. We believe that the model could

be adapted to other developing countries, and we are

willing to share the lessons we have learned from our

experience.

We also believe that women, children, the elderly

and persons with disabilities must be treated fairly and

encouraged to participate fully in all aspects of life.

Particularly in situations of conflict, vulnerable groups

are often at the greatest risk of violence. We therefore

support the United Nations initiative to end sexual

violence in conflict. We also commend the United

Kingdom for its leadership in realizing the Declaration

of Commitment on this important issue.

To provide an environment that facilitates unity

and consensus, the international community must

also forge a new global partnership. This new global

partnership must rest on a common agenda for action. It

will need to involve States — in particular like-minded

States — the United Nations, regional organizations,

civil society and other stakeholders. In South-East

Asia, the process is well under way. The Association of

Southeast Asian Nations is strengthening its partnership

to become a community of over 600 million people by

the end of 2015. Regional discussions on the post-2015

agenda are also complementing ongoing global efforts.

As a moderate, medium-sized country with an open

society, Thailand is ready to work with all countries

and partners. We want to do our part in helping

bridge the gaps in communication, understanding and

opportunity.

That is why we have put forward our candidacies to

the Security Council for the term 2017-2018 and to the

Human Rights Council for the term 2015-2017. We are

keen to help build bridges to connect all stakeholders

in a more cohesive, action-oriented global partnership.

Building a global partnership means forging a common

agenda for action on our most important challenges. It

means reaching out beyond our borders, beyond our

region and beyond our comfort zone.

Thailand has been building bridges not only within

Asia, but also with Africa and Latin America. We

believe that developing countries everywhere need

to come together in a spirit of partnership to make

their voices heard. What is more, that same sense of

partnership must also cross the development divide,

embracing developed and developing economies alike.

Since the beginning, the United Nations has been

a force for good. As its membership has grown and

the issues have become more complex, we have now

reached a crossroads. Whether the United Nations takes

the right path rests on our ability to achieve consensus

and to act together in a meaningful manner. Now is

the time for us to set aside our outdated assumptions

and our differences. Our common future depends on

our ability to come together to forge consensus on the

new realities before us. The way forward is not through

politics as usual, but through constructive dialogue and

mutual respect. With goodwill and common purpose,

the international community can once again rise to the

challenge. Together, we can fulfil the promise of the

Organization and the loftiest goals toward which we,

the Member States, have always aspired.