thailand’s progress on the sdgs
TRANSCRIPT
Thailand’s Progress on the SDGs
17th June 2021
Renaud Meyer
Resident Representative, UNDP in Thailand
TOPICS
• Thailand’s Progress on the SDGs
• Socio Economic impacts of the COVID-19
• Roadmap for SDG Localization in Thailand
SDGs on-track
- Eradication of extreme poverty
- Reduction in both monetary and
multidimensional poverty
measured by official national MPI
and child MPI
- Promoting resilient infrastructure and significantly increasing access to information and communications technology as well as the Internet
- Low maternal & child mortality
rate due to UHC
- UHC benefit package now includes
modern contraception and PrEP
- Fossil fuel subsidy reduced by
half between 2013-2017
- Adoption of 20-year roadmap
(2017-2036) on Sustainable
Consumption and Production
and 5-year action plan
- Progress in economic
diversification, technological
upgrading and innovation
- Still, low unemployment rate might
be reflecting structural challenges
in the labor market
SDGs Needing Acceleration
- While Thailand achieved near
universal basic education,
disadvantaged youth, including
urban asylum-seekers and
refugees, are out of school
particularly at upper-secondary
level
- Skills for employment need
acceleration to succeed in changing
digital society
- Income inequality and social,
economic and political
inclusion remain a challenge, as
inequality by geographical area,
gender, disability, migration
status persists
- Women in leadership needs
acceleration. Representation of
women in parliament still remains
low and even lower in provincial
and local government including
governors
- Urban air quality and waste
management target lags behind,
particularly with increased
concentration of PM2.5
- One of the lowest rate of
undernourishment in ASEAN
countries. However, the biggest
challenges are the prevalence of
double burden of malnutrition due
to an increase in overweight and
investment in agriculture.
- Management of chemicals and waste
shows reverse trend caused by
generation of hazardous waste and
poor management
- Early childhood development has
become a national priority; however
gap still exists in service coverage
among young children, quality and
standardization of services and
parenting skills and knowledge
- Increase in Greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions and CO2 emissions from
fuel combustion. Actions required to
meet the national target of reducing
GHG emissions by 20-25% by 2030
- Youth NEET rate has been trending
upwards. Young people, particularly
women, finding it increasingly difficult
to participate in labour market or to
access education and training.
- Marine pollution increased. RTG to
roll out plastic waste reduction
roadmap from 2020 with private
sector
SDG with a Reversing Trend
COVID-19 offers a glimpse of what is coming It is also an opportunity for change
COVID-19: Unprecedented shock to human development
Source: Global Human Development Report 2020
1.6 billion informal workers worldwide are heavily impacted by COVID-19
Source: ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the World of Work (2020)
Globally, women in the informal sector face higher risks of job disruption from COVID-19 compared to men
High human development means high resource use
Where human development paths landed: high HDI goes with high resource use
Source: Human Development Report Office based on UNEP data.Note: Only countries with more than one million inhabitants are included. Bubble size is proportional to population.
Planetary pressure will only worsen inequality
Note: Ecological threats are defined by scenarios of resource scarcity and disasters linked to natural hazards
Source: Global Human Development Report 2020
Countries with high ecological threats tend to have greater inequality
Ecological Threats
Inequality is undermining human developmentin Thailand and around the world
Source: Global Human Development Report 2020
Multifaceted impact of COVID-19 in Thailand
Source: The United Nations Socioeconomic Impact
Assessment of COVID-19 in Thailand
In Thailand, women face higher risks of job disruption during COVID-19
Source: ILO Brief: COVID-19 Employment and Labour Market Impact in Thailand (2020)
Impact of COVID-19 on Thailand’s most vulnerable population
Poverty Rate for Informal Workers
0
10
20
30
Pre-COVID Post-COVID
10%
21%
13
14
15
16
Pre-COVID Post-COVID
14%
15%
Poverty Rate for People with Disabilities
Source: The United Nations Socioeconomic Impact Assessment of COVID-19 in Thailand
0 20 40 60
Reducedincome
Furlough
Job loss
Obstacles for Affording Children’s Education
14%
15%
41%
% of low-income households
Key priorities for Thailand’s sustainable recovery
Source: The United Nations Socioeconomic Impact Assessment of COVID-19 in Thailand
Short-term
• Support for households, particularly the poor and the vulnerable
• Stimulate employment and job retention, especially SMEs as well as businesses operating in crucial sectors like tourism
• Ensuring sufficient cash flow and financial recovery of the real sector
Medium-term
• Improving the social protection system to protect vulnerable groups, including addressing gender inequality
• Local economy rehabilitation through technology and innovation
Long-term
• Shifting towards a more independent and green economy
• Building a resilient economy, including decentralization and promoting local economy and agriculture sector as cushion
• Moving towards an inclusive society, including reskilling and upskilling of workers for the future
UNDP Thailand Offer 2.0
1. Governance• Direct support to strengthen community resilience
Engagement on livelihoods to improve food security• Promote tolerance and social cohesion• Build holistic financing strategy• Foster SDG progress at the local levels
2. Social Protection• Empower LGBTI, ethnic communities, sex workers• Provide training and equipment for small
entrepreneurs such as barbers and hairdressers• Promote business and human rights• Gender-responsive communication materials • Support Phuket’s inclusive recovery vision
3. Green Economy• Raise awareness on wildlife consumption• Protecting biodiversity/ providing green jobs for
buffer zones communities• Crowdfunding to promote Koh Tao’s “cash-for-
work” scheme for reducing marine debris• Environmental tax and subsidy reforms• Support low-carbon cities• Support climate adaptation and mitigation plans
4. Digital Disruption• Facilitate digital tools for crisis communications and
business continuity• Conduct hackathons, bringing Thai youths together
to create innovative solutions• Capacitate government to form and implement
policy responses with digital tools and platforms
SDG localization has been described as “the process
of defining, implementing and monitoring strategies at the
local level for achieving global, national, and subnational
sustainable development goals.”
(UN Development Group. 2014. Localizing the Post-2015 Agenda: Dialogues on
Implementation. New York. p. 6.) UNDP, UN-Habitat, Global Taskforce
Localizing the SDGs
Overall Structure of SDGs Governance System
NCSD
Chair (PM)
Private Sector
Federation of Thai Industries, Thai CoC,
4 Experts
Research Institute
ChulabhornResearch Institute, TEI, GESI, TDRI, TIJ
Line Ministries
19 Ministries
MoI w/t related
authorities
9 Provinces & 5 LAO
Secretary
NESDC
Deputy Chair
(Deputy PM)
Deputy Chair
(Minister of PM’s Office)
SDGs Localisation
Yasothon
Lopburi
Nan
Phetchaburi
Kalasin
Loei
Chachoengsao
Surat Thani
Narathiwas
SDGs Pilot Sites
Krabi Provincial Administration (Krabi)
Si Saket Town Municipality (Si Saket)
Surat Thani Municipality
Ban Rai Sub-district Municipality (Uthai Thani)
Wang Pai Sub-district Municipality (Chumphon)
9 Provinces5 LAOs
Roadmap for SDG Implementation in Thailand
Awareness
Raising
Integrated
Planning
Institutional
Arrangements
Costing
&
Financing
Monitoring
& Reporting
Implementation
Sub-national Level
CitizenGovernorsMayorsProvincial AdministrationRepresentative of Line MinistriesCivil SocietiesStudents & YouthsLocal BusinessesChamber of CommerceAdademia & Media
Institutional Arrangements
Aligning subnational levels institutions with the SDGs
The governors to lead and assign a focal person, who do the overall coordination
Produce coordination mechanisms at the level of governors' office that represents the key stakeholders of those who going to be involved in the SDGs implementation
Integration of SDGs indicators in sub-national statistics, systematic use of SDG indicators
Introduce a “Leaving No One Behind” lens – gender/human rights/etc.
SDGs Integrated Planning
Integration of SDGs into Provincial/Municipal Development Plan
Accelerate the Implementation of the SDGsDesign and promoting SDG-based plans
Localising SDGs through the SEP
To develop an integrated provincial/municipal SDG financing framework: • Identify most realistic and
relevant sources of financing to meet the cost – domestic resources, ODA, FDI, private resources, etc.
Identify the financial needs to fully achieve the SDGs1. Assess the current status of the province/municipality against the SDG targets and identify gaps2. Review the financing flows in support of the SDGs and cost the financing gap
SDG Provincial/Municipal Dashboard
SDG Provincial/Municipal
Report
Use of Big Data &
Data Innovation
UNDP Thailand Projects (Examples)
Promoting Wildlife Conservation, Climate Action, and a Green Environment (TIGER)
• WEFCOM Areas 6 Provinces
Low Carbon Cities
• Chiang Mai• Nakhon Ratchasima• Khon Kaen• Koh Samui
UNDP Thailand Project Areas
Take Away Messages:
1. Five years into implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
Thailand had been making a significant progress on various aspects of the SDGs but
overall, action to meet the Goals is not yet advancing at the speed or scale required.
2. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on all 17 Goals, showing that what began as
a health crisis has quickly become a human and socioeconomic crisis.
3. COVID 19 is not only jeopardizing the gains achieved but also further highlights the need
for INTEGRATED solutions and a better balance between PEOPLE & PLANET.
4. SDG Localization efforts are more relevant now than ever before. Subnational
governments are going to be essential in managing the long-term socioeconomic
impacts of the crisis and enabling a sustainable response to and recovery from COVID-
19.