Despite setback, Thailand moving on with its UN platforms

The president of UN General Assembly, Mogens Lykeetofty, twitted a message after the first ballot that Kazakhstan had won the seat with 113 votes against Thailand’s 77. Thai UN Ambassador Virachai Plasai, who was monitoring social media, immediately protested that the result was not yet final.

During the 45-minute recess for second-round counting, several Thai officials quickly checked the list of countries that had earlier pledged support – with 80 in writing and 35 verbal for Thailand – trying to figure out the huge gap of 36 votes. Which were these countries? 

Nobody knew, the voting was done in secret. But, much circumstantial evidence and diplomatic gesturing, coupled with body language, could be revealing.

In their minds, there should have been 90-95 votes on the first round with an error rate of 10-15 per cent. If that was the case, it would have meant the Kingdom had a better chance in the second round, as the committed votes were no longer obliged to follow their pledges.

Diplomats in the assembly hall, which looked like the weekend Bo Bae Market on voting day, knew full well the level of sincerity of the UN voting culture and the practice of last-minute reversal, especially on key positions. 

All promises should be taken with a grain of salt. 

On the voting day, diplomats were busy offering pledges and counter pledges. On the delegate’s counters, packages of gifts and souvenirs were on display. Nobody could tell what was not seen.

Somehow, Thailand treated all promises with a high degree of trust and confidence, thinking they had earned those nations’ sincere support. 

Some said Thailand was optimistic. After all, they had campaigned on a shoestring with strong campaign platforms – for the West on peace and security and with developing countries on a sustainable development agenda – without extravagant promises to the head delegates of countries. 

Also, Thailand was proud to emphasise its independence with a good track record of UN cooperation for 70 years.

Interviews with key Thai officials at the UN, including the two leading campaigners, Dr Surin Pitsuwan and veteran diplomat Kobsak Chutikul, revealed that the core of Thai supporters was still traditionally made up of Western countries and developing countries. 

These voters know and trust Thailand. The rest were considered swing votes.

Contrary to the critics at home – who believed the outcome would be linked to Thailand’s human rights records – that was, apparently, not the case. 

Certainly, the country’s overall image has been affected by political developments in the past decade. But when it comes to UN voting, realpolitik reigns. Countries with worse human rights records than Thailand have often been elected to the council. 

It must be noted here that the most impressive display of support came from a French delegate, who rushed to see the Thai envoy Virachai and embraced him, expressed shock at the outcome. 

He said there should be more support as Thailand had run an excellent campaign. France was one of the three UN Security Council members who voted for Thailand.

After he congratulated Kazakhstan, Virachai reiterated that Thailand would continue to work vigorously with the UN, trying to fulfill the UN agenda and programmes supported and initiated by Group of 77.  “The outcome does not change Thailand’s commitment to the UN. We will work even harder,” he emphasised.

As a developing country, Thailand’s role in the UN must be not be understated, as it is pivotal to the reputation and success of the UN and its programmes. This helps to explain why from time to time, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has personally monitored the situation in Thailand and made his positions known. Under his two terms, which will end this year, Thailand’s domestic challenges remain high on his agenda. 

We should not forget, Thailand hosts more than two dozen UN-related agencies, together with the headquarters of UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. For good or for worse, the UN’s regional face is in Thailand.

As such, Thailand and the UN will continue their dialogue to ensure that both sides have proper understanding of the current situation. Last week, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha dispatched a 10-member team to meet with Ban’s deputy, Jan Eliasson, at the UN headquarters in New York. 

Ban was on a mission to the Middle East. Thailand has agreed to the UN request to expand its human rights office in Bangkok, demonstrating its support for UN rights monitoring in the country and beyond.   

From now on, Thailand’s standing in the UN will be elevated, albeit without a Security Council seat. One key reason is the respect and commitment the Thai UN team has manifested with all UN members. New friends were found, old friends were revalued. Albeit smooth and non-confrontational, Thai diplomats have become more adroit and assertive these days with bolder visions for global common good. 

That was a big accomplishment in itself after a gap of three decades.