On 29 May 2025, the Department of International Organizations organized a seminar entitled “Building a Better World: Thailand’s Legacy and Contributions” at Vithes Samosorn.

Ms. Pinsuda Jayanama, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, delivered opening remarks and underlined the objectives of the seminar, which were to raise awareness about Thailand’s development diplomacy and Thailand’s role in providing humanitarian assistance to various groups of displaced persons, as well as to review lessons learned, assess challenges, and determine the future direction of Thailand’s policies amidst a rapidly changing global context.

The first session of the seminar, under the theme “Development Diplomacy: Weaving the Past, Building the Present, Towards a Sustainable Future,” was moderated by Dr. Anuson Chinvanno, Director of the International Studies Center (ISC), and featured four speakers: Mrs. Chulamanee Chartsuwan, former Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Visit-Orn Ratchatanavin, Director of the Knowledge Development and Dissemination Center, Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage, Mr. Wisoot Tantinan, Programme Specialist and Team Leader at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Ms. Ranchida Rachanakit, Thailand’s Youth Representative to the United Nations for 2024. The panelists exchanged perspectives on Thailand’s development diplomacy policies from past to present, and the interlinkage between the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as supporting the role of Youth Representatives in promoting sustainable development at international fora.

The second session of the seminar, under the theme “Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Humanitarian Situation in Thailand and the Region,” was moderated by Dr. Anuson Chinvanno, and featured the following speakers: Mr. Rapee Lochaiyakul, Director of the Internal Security Division, Office of the National Security Council, Mr. Kittiphong Na Ranong, former Ambassador of Thailand to Switzerland, Mr. Kritsada Boonrach, Assistant Secretary-General of the Thai Red Cross Society and Director of the Office of the Administration of the Red Cross Society, Mr. Darren Hertz, Country Director, International Rescue Committee (Thailand Office) and Asst. Prof. Dr. Bhanubhatra Jittiang, Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs and International Affairs, and Director of the Nelson Mandela Center For Conflict Resolution, Atrocity Prevention, and Human Security, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. The panelists shared their perspectives on the humanitarian situation in Thailand and across the region, imparted experiences and provided recommendations on the provision of humanitarian assistance to various groups of displaced persons, aimed at achieving tangible outcomes.