Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has urged members of the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) to help find innovative ways to bring about sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.
This was part of his speech given at the opening of the 80th Escap session themed "Leveraging Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific", on Monday in Bangkok.
Mr Srettha said the region is vibrant and dynamic, but at the current pace, it will not achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) before 2062.
"The future is calling for us to find innovative ways to bring about sustainable development. To do so in an urgent manner, we need transformative change, and digital innovation has become a vital tool for us all to achieve that change," Mr Srettha said.
"It can help us do things faster, cheaper and better. At the same time, we must ensure that digital innovations benefit all and truly contribute toward sustainable development."
As such, the prime minister said Thailand would like to propose two approaches to fully realise digital innovation's potential so that it effectively contributes towards sustainable development in the region.
Firstly, he said it is necessary to empower the people and communities through digital transformation by ensuring that digital innovation is people-centric and inclusive.
Mr Srettha said many countries in the region, including Thailand, are agriculturally based and can use digital tools to ensure food security for all.
"We need to leverage digital technologies to promote agricultural innovation. This will help to ensure a sustainable food system, climate-smart farming and environmental sustainability," he said.
In response to such issues, Mr Srettha said that the Thai government had recently launched the "Ignite Thailand" initiative, which focused on eight key areas, including the digital economy, future mobility, financial technology, wellness, and medical technologies.
To succeed in these areas, digital innovation is the main driving force, he said.
Lastly, while the countries need to leverage digital innovation better to achieve sustainable growth, he pointed out that it is necessary to safeguard against risks and negative impacts. He said this includes addressing cyber security threats, bridging the digital divide and working toward a strong framework for cooperation for a safe, secure and equitable digital future for all in the region.
Mr Srettha highlighted Escap's role is more than crucial as it is the active stakeholder in integrating digital technologies to foster sustainable development.
For Thailand, he said the country is standing ready to support the collective effort to make a significant impact on the region.