Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Russ Jalichandra emphasized the need to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and expedite the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), on which Thailand’s efforts have been guided by the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and the Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model.

The Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs on 16 July 2024 delivered a statement at the Ministerial Segment of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2024 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

He also stressed the need to address such issues as financing, addressing the digital divide, social protection, and universal health coverage. As ASEAN Coordinator on Sustainable Development Cooperation, Thailand stands ready to strengthen partnerships for SDG attainment, and also believes that SDGs should be the focus of the Summit of the Future in September 2024.

The Vice Minister also highlighted the linkage between human rights and sustainable development. In this regard, Thailand, as the ASEAN candidate for the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) for 2025-2027, hopes to make positive contributions to the work of the HRC.

Concerning the issue of addressing the digital divide, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, in his address at the opening of the 80th session of ESCAP on 22 April 2024 in Bangkok, stated that transformative change was needed to bring about sustainable development, and that digital innovation had become a vital tool to achieve that change. Therefore, he emphasized the need to exchange knowledge and best practices in order to narrow the digital divide and bring about sustainable development at a faster pace.

The Prime Minister also said that the Thai government had recently launched the "Ignite Thailand" initiative, focusing on eight key areas, such as digital economy, future mobility, financial technology, wellness, and medical technologies. Success in all these areas will depend largely on digital innovation.

This initiative also places great importance on fostering digital literacy and inclusion among vulnerable groups. It aims to empower people and communities and drive sustainable growth.