On 27 November 2023, Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Director-General of Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) delivered her Opening Remarks for the Fifth Asia-Pacific Directors General (APDG) Forum on South-South and Triangular Cooperation at the United Nations Conference Center, Bangkok together with Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).  TICA and the ESCAP co-hosted the meeting under the title “Digital Innovation and South-South Cooperation: Driving Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific” during 27-28 November 2023.  More than 100 representatives at the Director-General level and officials from development cooperation agencies of ESCAP member countries attended.  The meeting aimed to foster discussion on the potentials of digital technology and innovation in promoting the SDGs and in improving effectiveness and efficiency of development cooperation and how to address digital divide. The results from the forum will be used as an input for the upcoming 80th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific to be held next year.

In her opening remarks, the Director-General of TICA stressed the importance of digital innovation and technology as a catalyst in promoting the SDGs. The Thai government envisioned the country to transform to “Digital Thailand". As for TICA, digital technology had been incorporated into the Agency’s development work programmes. To successfully reap the benefits of digital technology and innovation, it was important to consider the three factors. First was ‘the willingness to adopt’. There might be some difficulty and hesitation to apply new technology to the traditional way of life. However, technology could improve people’s lives, businesses and production. For example, smart farming techniques had proven to be able to boost productivity with precision. Second was ‘the ability to adapt’. There were no one size-fits-all solutions. Digital innovation and technology had to be adjusted to meet local needs, contexts and priorities. Lastly, it was the ‘opportunity to access’ We had to ensure that technology was affordable and accessible by all and we needed to build capacity on digital literacy in order to bridge the digital divide. TICA had embarked various projects including the knowledge sharing initiative incorporating digital technology for the Mekong sub-region. Moreover, some of the Annual International Training Courses (AITC) offered for 2024 will focus on innovation as a tool to promote sustainable development..

During the forum, the Director-General also joined and delivered her remarks at the launch of the South-South Cooperation Connector with the Executive Secretary of ESCAP. The platform aims to aid the matching of offers and requests of development assistance. In addition, TICA’s 2024 Annual International Training Courses (AITC) had been appended in the platform.

Furthermore, as the co-organizer of the Forum, TICA hosted a reception for all participants as well as the diplomatic corps of ESCAP member countries and development cooperation partners based in Thailand at Vites Samosorn, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  After the closing session, TICA also arranged a field visit for participants at KUBOTA FARM Innovative Farming Experience Center in Chonburi Province to showcase how Thailand incorporates innovation and technology for smart agriculture and sustainable agricultural practices. The participants will also learn about for Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy and Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model at the Center. In addition, TICA also set up the exhibition booth at the UNCC to display TICA’s development cooperation in various areas including human resource development, the dispatch of Thai experts and volunteers to other countires, and the Sufficency Economy Philosophy as one of the approaches to attain sustainable development.