Thailand in Focus

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Mr. President,

Please allow me to extend to you on behalf of the delegation of the Kingdom of Thailand our sincere congratulations on your election to the Presidency of the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. You can rest assured of my delegation?s full support and cooperation.

Mr. President,

We live in one of the most challenging times in our history. Like the period before the founding of the United Nations more than sixty years ago, the world is again facing great challenges. Conflicts and tensions remain in many parts of the world; terrorists attack; poverty, disease, hunger still affect many; our supply of traditional sources of energy is dwindling; and climate change is transforming the very environment in which we all live, coupled with this the current global financial crisis, the future seems bleak.

But, like our forebears more than sixty years ago, we also live in hope for a better future. And a large part of this hope today rests upon the United Nations.

Despite criticisms, we must never doubt the fact that the world has been better off with the United Nations than without it. ?I say this because the challenges we have faced and are facing demand multilateral cooperation to overcome. The United Nations has provided a bedrock for such multilateral cooperation as well as being, what the great poet Lord Tennyson coined, a ?Parliament of Man?.? And it is this Parliament of Man which provides a forum for us to meet and discuss remedies to common challenges as well as to respond to the concerns of our constituency ? the global citizens.

Mr. President,

In the interdependent and interconnected world, no one nation can go it alone ? even the biggest and the most powerful.? But at the same time, no one nation should be left behind either in our pursuit of peace, prosperity, and the protection of human rights. ?Just as we join hands to face common challenges, we must also extend our hand to those less fortunate, to pull them towards a brighter future and to give them the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of globalisation.

Thailand stands ready to extend a helping hand. We stand ready to share our experiences and the lessons we have learnt from our own financial crisis in 1997.? ?We believe that our nation?s remedies to our problems can be shared and they should contribute to the forming of international remedies to common global challenges. Central to our belief is that peace and security, development, and human rights are intertwined and must reinforce each other so that all three pillars are sustainable. This view is also central to the United Nations.

Mr. President,

Thailand believes that moderation is the key to sustainability. ?We want to see moderation instead of excessive greed, which is the cause of the economic crisis.? We want to see moderation instead of over consumption which is the cause of environmental degradation.? And we want to see moderation instead of extremism and selfishness which is the cause of conflicts around the world. We must therefore curb our excesses, live within our means, and use our resources wisely. ?This idea of moderation is an important pillar of the ?sufficiency economy? philosophy of His Majesty the King. ?This philosophy should not be understood, or misunderstood, as advocating an ?inward looking? approach. Rather, it teaches us that economic development and modernisation must be better balanced and take into account the well-being of the people, their economic, social, political, and environmental needs, so that the country is resilient and protected from both external and internal shocks.

His Majesty himself has applied his philosophy in practice, initiating numerous Royal Projects for the betterment of his people and country. His Majesty has been rightly regarded by the international community as the ?Development King?. His Majesty has received the UNDP Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his achievements as well as his ?sufficiency economy? philosophy, which has gained increasing resonance worldwide.? And many of His Majesty?s projects are being replicated in many parts of the world.

The recent global financial crisis has shown that ?sufficiency economy? is not merely a philosophy but can also be translated into real action. Due to the lessons learned from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, most of Thailand?s financial institutions escaped the direct impact of this crisis, thanks to the more prudent style of investment. Entrepreneurs have managed to weather the storm through rational decision-making and more careful risk management, two of the key principles which His Majesty?s philosophy suggests.

My Government?s socio-economic policy is guided by His Majesty?s philosophy, which has been incorporated into our National Economic and Social Development Plan. ?Development, for us, is not just about the rate of growth but also the quality of the growth.? Not only have we boosted government spending and investments to jumpstart the economy but we have also cast social safety nets, made education reform a priority, and upgraded our health and welfare services.

We have prioritised the investment programmes and action plan to increase strength and to provide greater economic opportunities for people at grass-roots level.? We have also laid the foundation for long-term growth and competitiveness in Thailand?s various sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, education and tourism. ?In short, we have made Thailand?s development a people-centred approach and Thailand?s economy better immune from external shocks.

As ASEAN Chair, Thailand has led regional efforts to address today?s financial crisis, to create immunity for East Asia as a whole. We are expediting the multilateralisation process of the Chiang Mai Initiative under the framework of ASEAN + 3, comprising ASEAN Member States, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. The aim of this exercise is to build regional financial stability through a region-wide self help substantive reserve pooling arrangement. ?This will come to effect very soon. ??As a region, we have continued to liberalise trade and reject all forms of protectionism. We believe that these efforts can serve as examples for other regions to follow.