On 24 December 2019, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand organised the 3rd meeting of the Open-ended Working Group for Sustainable Development Goals (OEWG for SDGs) for the year 2019. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Rongvudhi Virabutr, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Organisations. Approximately 80 representatives from the civil society, academia, and government agencies attended the meeting.

 

OEWG for SDGs is a mechanism established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand to advance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  It has served as a platform for discussion and exchanging ideas as well as sharing concerns and best practices between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and government agencies since 2018. 

 

During this OEWG meeting, the attendees had an in-depth exchange on ways to promote social enterprises, especially those related to health, sustainable tourism, and education. They also discussed how to promote volunteerism as one of the means to help accelerate and achieve the SDGs.

 

As the participation and partnership of all stakeholders are keys to achieving the SDGs at all levels, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has, therefore, advocated the inclusion of all sectors, especially the civil society, in the process of moving Thailand towards the realisation of those global goals.