Thailand elected to U.N. economic and social council

United Nations member states elected Thailand last week to a two-year term on the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), tasked with driving forward the Sustainable Development Goals, as the Kingdom garnered more votes than any other country in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Our candidature to the ECOSOC reflects the strong commitment of the Royal Thai Government to drive forward the Sustainable Development Agenda both domestically and internationally,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai.

The minister added that serving on the council “provides a great opportunity for Thailand to work with other countries to promote an inclusive ECOSOC to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that leaves no one behind.”

ECOSOC is one of the six central bodies of the United Nations. The council is the critical platform for policy review and recommendations on economic, social, and environmental issues to achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Thailand is firmly committed to achieving the SDGs, and the government had made sustainability a priority policy. The government and several leading corporations are promoting a transition to a circular economy to protect the environment and natural resources.

The Kingdom last served on the council 12 years ago during the 2005-2007 term. A total of 54 countries serve on the council to ensure it is broad-based, global, and inclusive in its nature and work.

Four countries from the Asia-Pacific region were elected to serve during the next term that runs from 2020-2022. The other three countries are Bangladesh, China, and South Korea.

The president of the U.N. General Assembly congratulated Thailand on its election to the ECOSOC and commended Thailand’s role in advancing the SDGs during its G77 chairmanship in 2016.