H.E. MR. SONGSAK SAICHEUA, AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THAILAND TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN VIENNA, AS PART OF THE THAI DELEGATION, ATTENDED THE 7TH UNCAC COSP

Between 6 – 10 November 2017 H.E. Mr. Songsak Saicheua, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations in Vienna, as part of the Thai delegation, attended the 7th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption at the Vienna International Centre. The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand in his capacity as the Chair of the Asia-Pacific Group delivered the Group’s statement. He stressed the devastating effects corruption has on different facets of society. In this regard, the Group firmly believes that our collective efforts in preventing and combating corruption will also greatly contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially Goal 16 which aims at promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. The Group is pleased that the Implementation Review Mechanism, which is designed to assist States Parties to effectively implement the Convention, has performed satisfactorily. However, substantial challenges remain for States Parties to implement the Convention due to various degrees by lack of resources and training, technical expertise, and experiences. In this connection, the group welcomes the UNODC's efforts, and emphasizes that the office should remain responsive to States Parties' needs by providing appropriate and necessary technical assistance and capacity building to States Parties, upon request, by taking into account country-based and country-led, integrated and coordinated delivery at the national, regional, and global levels to ensure synergies and efficiency.