Statement by the Delegation of Thailand

H.E. Mr. Sek Wannamethee

Ambassador and Permanent Representative

Clustered ID with
the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law
and in practice and the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in persons especially women and children

at the 38^th Session of the Human Rights Council

on Wednesday, 20 June 2018

* * * * *

Mr. President,

Thailand thanks the Working Group and the Special Rapporteur for their reports.

Thailand concurs with the Working Group’s views that laws and policies need to be further strengthened to ensure effective elimination of all forms of gender discrimination. Since the adoption of the Gender Equality Act in 2015,
the Government has put efforts to raise awareness of the Act, including its complaint mechanism.

We stress the cross-cutting nature of the issue of gender equality. The said Act also applies to promoting equal treatment in employment and education,
as well as removing barriers to women participation in all dimensions of development. It also cuts across the implementation of SDGs of Goal 5 and related Goals.

Thailand has worked on economic empowerment of women, stressing a paradigm shift on their roles at all levels. This is one of the 5 main strategies of the current National Women’s Development Strategy.

Thailand wishes to learn more on how to effectively tackle the overarching challenges faced by women, also in the context of the realization of SDGs.

On trafficking, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security is working with the Royal Thai Police to increase its effort to enhance the victim identification process as well as protection services to victims.

A victim specialist training programme was conducted with the aim to equip relevant officials with knowledge on investigation techniques, witness and forensic observation, psychology, and social welfare which will help enhance the effectiveness of information collection in the victim identification process.

For regional cooperation, Thailand is currently cooperating with Laos PDR and Cambodia to establish Transit and Reception Centre for Victims of Trafficking to serve as a transit shelter for human trafficking victims and a vocational training centre for the sustainable reintegration once returned.

Thank you.