Statement by the Delegation of Thailand

H.E. Mr. Sek Wannamethee, Ambassador and Permanent Representative

at the Clustered ID with the IE for the Enjoyment of Human Rights
by Older Persons and the SR on Water and Sanitation

during the 39^th Session of the Human Rights Council

Monday, 10 September 2017, 13:00-18:00 hrs

at Room XX, Palais des Nations

Mr. Vice President,

Thailand thanks the Independent Expert for her report.

Like many others, Thailand is faced with a low fertility rate.  We are the second most rapidly ageing society in Southeast Asia and will become a full-fledged ageing society in 2021. This will have impacts on the size of the workforce, the provision of social welfare and several areas of public policy.

This is why we support efforts to create a society inclusive of persons of all ages, to protect the human rights of all persons regardless of their age, and to recognize the special needs of older persons required to stand on equal footing with others.

One key strategy is re-employment. Active and healthy ageing will contribute towards social inclusion and respect for equal dignity of older persons. Their participation in the labor market will enhance their self-esteem and income security. Governments and businesses should adopt age non-discriminatory employment policies to ensure the right to work of older persons.

The promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons – and their active participation in all spheres of life – will contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, we should improve the collection of age-disaggregated data to monitor and identify gaps in our SDGs implementation, so that no one is left behind, including older persons.

In closing, Thailand acknowledges the work of the Independent Expert, especially in promoting technical assistance and capacity-building. At this session, Thailand and a core group of countries are putting forward a resolution on enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building, with a focus on the human rights of older persons. This initiative is in line with the Independent Expert’s mandate.

Thailand stands ready to share our experiences and cooperate with all partners to promote and protect the human rights of older persons.

Thank you.