On 2 July 2026, Ms. Suchada Maktara, Deputy Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs participated in the opening ceremony of an international conference, on “ASEAN Youth United for Road Safety 2026,” at the Sukosol Hotel Bangkok. The event was organised by Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) with over 150 participants attending, including youths from ASEAN and Dialogue Partners, high-level representatives from ASEAN Sectoral Body on Youth, Children and Youth Council, ASEAN’s relevant agencies for road safety.

Mr. Kitti Intharakul, Deputy Permanent Secretary of MSDHS reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to strengthenin regional cooperation and role of youth in promoting road safety. In this regard, Dr. Ailan Li, WHO representative to Thailand commended Thailand for its leading role and commitment to advancing the global road safety agenda, and reiterated WHO’s readiness to work with ASEAN countries in sharing best practices in road safety initiatives across the region.

The conference was ASEAN’s first conference to promote youth’s participation in road safety campaign. The activities on 1-5 July 2026 included panel discussions and workshops exchanging views on how to promote road safety, including the use of creative media. The policy recommendations would be submitted to the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting and ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth.