Minister of Foreign Affairs thanks Thailand for being elected to the HRC for the term 2025-2027

Minister of Foreign Affairs thanks Thailand for being elected to the HRC for the 2025-20 term, confirms that it will be a bridge to bridge differences among member states, find solutions through Thailand's progressive strengths, understand diverse contexts, and show commitment to promote Thailand's democratic status and human rights to be accepted. Mr. Maris Sengiampong, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is attending the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related summits in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, or Lao PDR, spoke about Thailand's election to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) for the term of 2025 to 2027, or 2568 to 2570, which was voted last night (9 October) in New York City, United States last night (9 October, Thailand time). He said that Thailand is very honored to be elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the term of 2025 to 2027, and would like to thank the member states of the United Nations, especially the ASEAN members, for their support and trust in Th ailand in carrying out its duties. This position reflects confidence and acceptance of Thailand's role on the world stage. The Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that Thailand will be a bridge and bridge differences in the positions of member countries to help find solutions and consensus, using Thailand's strengths in having progressive perspectives on many issues, while also understanding the social, religious and cultural contexts of developing countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that Thailand will take Thailand's good practices, such as the Universal Health Coverage Policy and the Education for All Policy, which have been internationally recognized, to disseminate and exchange with foreign countries and various partners, which will help promote Thailand's status to be accepted and popular in the international community, and raise Thailand's standards in terms of democratic processes and human rights, including adapting international democratic processes and human rights to be co nsistent with the Thai context. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also assured that the government led by Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the Prime Minister, places importance on and is committed to promoting and protecting the human rights of the Thai people in the country and internationally, including efforts to amend the constitution to create a democratic people's constitution, revoking NCPO orders, amending the civil code to create equal marriage, extending the 30-baht universal healthcare project to the 30-baht universal healthcare project to allow people to access healthcare rights, removing obstacles and improving laws to facilitate doing business in line with the changing economic and social conditions, and increasing efficiency in facilitating people in requesting permission and services from government agencies, including providing humanitarian assistance to friendly and neighboring countries, etc. In addition, the issues that Thailand prioritizes and intends to push forward as a member of the HRC th is time will include participating in determining the role and reviewing the direction of the HRC's operations so that the HRC can respond to global challenges and new challenges in human rights in a changing global context, including supporting the HRC to be transparent and effective in its work, in order to lead to real progress and development in human rights in the area. The HRC has 47 members from various regional groups: 13 from Africa, 13 from Asia-Pacific, 6 from Eastern Europe, 8 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 7 from Western Europe. Currently, the HRC members from the Asia-Pacific region include Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, the Kyrgyz Republic, Malaysia, the Maldives, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. Thailand has applied to be elected as a member of the HRC for the term of 2025-2027 or 2025 to 2027, which will have to compete with 6 countries: Marshall Islands, Cyprus, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Thailand for 5 vacant positions. Th e person who is elected must receive no less than half of the votes of all member states or 97 votes and must receive the top 5 votes of the regional group. However, in the past, Thailand was a member of the HRC from 2010 to 2013. Thailand was the HRC Chair from June 2010 to June 2011, during which time the status and work of the HRC were reviewed. As Chair, Thailand led discussions and negotiations until a consensus was reached on the matter. In addition, Thailand, as a member of the HRC since 2011, has initiated the proposal of several annual resolutions, especially on the enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity building in the field of human rights within the HRC framework, of which Thailand remains a penholder to this day Source: Thai News Agency