Statement by M.L. Puntrik Smiti, Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Labour of Thailand

at the 329th Session of the Governing Body

under Agenda Item GB. 329/HL/1 on Decent Work

for Sustainable Development

on Monday 20 March 2017 at the ILO HQ in Geneva

Mister/Madam Chair,

For the majority of poor people, work is a major route for escaping poverty. Economic growth, which is a usual focus of most donors, however, does not necessarily generate more and better jobs.

Many poor people in the developing world already have jobs, but their jobs are predominantly in the informal economy, where conditions are often insecure and incomes inadequate.

Eradicating poverty is therefore not only a question of generating economic growth and employment opportunities, but also of making sure that the quantity and quality of available work can lift workers out of poverty.

In Thailand, we adopted the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej as our guiding principle or 'guiding light' for the country. This philosophy helped us to overcome challenges and to move forward on a secure footing. 'Sufficiency' here does not mean to be satisfied with living in poverty, but to live our lives in a balanced manner and in moderation. People can still become prosperous, but in so doing, must not exploit others.

To achieve sustainability, we focus on grassroots development. The Royal Thai Government adopted the "State of the People" policy which aims at creating opportunities for all, particularly the vulnerable, and promoting a public, private and people partnership for sustainable development.

This policy is an important mechanism towards "Thailand 4.0" Model in order to re-structure the country into an innovation-driven society and so graduate from the middle-income trap.

To implement the decent work agenda, the Ministry of Labour of Thailand has initiated and implemented the 8 Labour Reform Agenda which includes zero corruption, reforming the roles of the Ministry, promoting employment, moving forward to brainpower and innovative human resources, improving the working conditions and quality of life in the informal economy, integrating ICT in work environment, enhancing workplace safety, and combatting trafficking in person.

Thailand looks forward to continue working closely with the ILO and stands ready to share our experiences and best practices in promoting decent work for sustainable development with the international community.

Thank you, Mister/Madam Chair.