On 22 April 2026, Mr. Vathayudh Vichankaiyakij, Acting Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, reaffirmed Thailand’s role as the ASEAN Coordinator for Sustainable Development Cooperation in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region at the 82^nd session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (CS82), held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.

Under the agenda item 2(b): Subregional perspectives on advancing opportunities and solutions for a sustainable future, the Acting Director-General highlighted the importance of regional efforts on SDGs, particularly those related to challenges arising from demographic change, gender inequality, and unequal access to digital technology. He also emphasised ASEAN’s efforts to address these challenges through promoting active aging, advancing gender equality and youth empowerment, and strengthening digital inclusion, with a view to building an “all-ages society” in ASEAN. Furthermore, he underscored Thailand’s role in the development of the Complementarities Initiative (CI) 2.0 report, which aims to support inclusive and sustainable development across the region and ensure that no one is left behind.