Statement by the Delegation of Thailand
H.E. Mr. Sek Wannamethee,
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN in Geneva
at the Sixty-fourth Trade and Development Board

Thursday, 14 September 2017

Mr. President,

Mr. Secretary General,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as the President of the TDB. As a current Vice President, I assure you of my full support and I look forward to working closely with you throughout our term. I align my statement with the statements made by Ambassador of Tanzania on behalf of G77, Ambassador of Pakistan on behalf of Asia-Pacific Group and Ambassador of the Philippines on behalf of ASEAN. We are honoured by the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam for sharing with us Viet Nam’s economic dynamism.

Mr. President,

The global economy continues to face challenges, which have an impact on the economic progress of the developing countries, especially on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, we look to UNCTAD for its policy advice, consensus-building, and technical cooperation. 

Since UNCTAD 14, many essential steps on revitalization of intergovernmental machinery have been carried out, especially through the establishment of the two Intergovernmental Groups of Experts. However, much remains to be done. We must step up our efforts in Phase II implementation of Nairobi Maafikiano with the aim of achieving tangible outcomes by the midterm review next year.

Intergovernmental bodies are crucial in creating norms, sharing best practices and generating concrete cooperation, especially for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals which is a key role of UNCTAD as mandated by UNCTAD 14. Thailand believes that sharing best practices on the implementation of SDGs can significantly strengthen the process to generate tangible outcomes from Phase II implementation of Nairobi Maafikiano. Thailand stands ready to share our home grown development model known as Sufficiency Economy Philosophy or SEP which corresponds to all 17 SDGs and welcome any discussions on forming partnerships with member states in this endeavor.

UNCTAD’s focus on digital economy and the establishment of Intergovernmental Groups of Experts on E-Commerce and digital economy are timely and highly welcome. The Thai government is implementing “Thailand 4.0” policy to upgrade our economy from industry-based economy to value-based economy through innovation, technology and creativity. I believe this is a common goal among many of us. Thailand looks forward to sharing our experiences with other members through relevant fora under UNCTAD.

Thank you