On 24 March 2022, H.E. Urawadee Sriphiromya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to ASEAN, attended the 10^th ASEAN-Canada Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting via videoconferencing. At the Meeting, Ambassador Sriphiromya gave a briefing on the progress of sustainable development cooperation in ASEAN, particularly the work of the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD), which was initiated by Thailand in 2019, the convening of the High-Level Brainstorming Dialogue on Enhancing Complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLBD) in collaboration with UN ESCAP since 2017, as well as Thailand’s plan to host the ASEAN BCG Knowledge Sharing Series throughout this year to advance the concept of Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model. Ambassador Sriphiromya also took this opportunity to invite Canada to explore cooperation on sustainable development with the ACSDSD in areas of mutual interest such as women empowerment and green growth.

Both sides also exchanged views on ways to strengthen ASEAN-Canada cooperation, including through accelerating post-COVID-19 recovery, establishing an ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement, promoting MSMEs in ASEAN, empowering women and enhancing people-to-people connection.  All of the aforementioned issues are promoted by Thailand.

This year marks 45^th Anniversary of ASEAN-Canada Dialogue Relations.  A short video highlighting ASEAN-Canada cooperation on the occasion of the 45^th anniversary of ASEAN-Canada relations can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=987163705507592

Photo Courtesy of the ASEAN Secretariat