On September 26, 2023, Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Director-General of Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), welcomed Mr. Felix Cassanova Cambronero, Deputy Head of the Regional Delegation – Operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to discuss development cooperation at Meeting Room 2, TICA. Ms. Chidchanok Malayawong, Director of Development Promotion and Coordination Division, as well as UNEP and TICA staff also attended the meeting.

The ICRC stated that it was founded in Thailand in 1975 (B.E. 2518), covers humanitarian support in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It mainly focuses on conducting humanitarian works for people affected by conflicts along the border areas, in various fields, including medical and public health, economic security, and organizing workshops on International Humanitarian Law.

The Director-General of TICA shared information on TICA’s works in development cooperation across diverse sectors such as public health, education, and agriculture, especially with neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, at the Government-to-Government (G2G) level. These collaborations involve activities such as supplying medical equipment and laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as implementing Twin Hospital development projects, including support for patient referral systems and cross-border infectious disease prevention training, such as malaria.

Additionally, the Director-General of TICA suggested that TICA and ICRC can work together in their respective areas of expertise, especially in border regions, for instance, rehabilitation and vocational training, skill development for workers, medical services, landmine clearance, and the recovery of victims or people with disabilities caused by explosion. TICA expresses its readiness to cooperate with ICRC, such as providing vocational training under projects to establish a center for victims of human trafficking and at-risk groups in Poipet, Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia. TICA also welcomes ICRC to use the facilities such as hospitals currently supported by TICA's projects or to jointly contribute any needed medical equipment to enhance and sustain humanitarian assistance for people in the border areas as the mutual target group for development.