7 November 2006
30 October 2006
23 October 2006
Opening Address by H.E Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand at the Fifth Asia Pacific Urban Forum, UNESCAP, Bangkok. (22/6/2011)
Opening Address by H.E Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand at the Fifth Asia Pacific Urban Forum,Wednesday, 22 June 2011, 0910 hrs. UNESCAP, Bangkok .
Your Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol,
Your Excellency Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,
Excellencies Ministers, Honourable Mayors, Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Thailand for this Fifth session of the Asia Pacific Urban Forum under the theme “Cities of Opportunity: Partnership for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future”. I welcome all visiting delegations to Thailand, and I am certain that you will enjoy your time here in Bangkok and beyond. Indeed, this international forum comes at a crucial moment in urbanisation, when urban populations in Asia are at the point of reaching half of the region’s total population.
Urbanisation has been a significant change in development in Asia, forming a crucial part of the change of Asian economies from predominantly rural and food-producing, to manufacturing and service-driven economies. This rapid and expanding urbanisation raises a whole range of issues -- from urban transport, water supply, infrastructure, waste disposal, sanitation, and environment, to shelter and a new urban social culture. To date, it also highlights the growing divisions between the haves and the have-nots. Asia’s rapid urbanisation therefore presents a great challenge for the region, if it is to be managed in such a way as to favour sustainable development and economic growth. Meanwhile, it should lead towards reducing economic disparities between people in the urban and rural areas, which are fuelling the growth of cities.
As Dr. Heyzer mentioned in her speech, urbanisation brings with it social and environmental costs. It also brings inequality and therefore social disparities between urban and rural areas, environmental destruction, and the growing threat of climate change and its associated disasters. We must ask ourselves whether we will allow this trend to continue, or will we strive to find a new way of managing growth, in order to offer benefits to both rural and urban areas.
It is my belief that it is possible to offer both the rich and poor, those living in both urban and rural areas, the chance to lead decent lives. But we must give opportunities of development and growth to all, avoid urbanisation at the expense of rural development, and avoid opening too great opportunities only for a few, while closing doors to a large number of the poor or making them poorer. Achieving this is the challenge we face across Asia at this juncture.
Asia is in the midst of high economic growth and dynamism. Cities are important centers generating this growth and development dynamism. This is the right time to find the appropriate model for combining economic growth and the growth of cities with a new form of urbanisation which can also provide equal opportunities for all. Successful urbanisation means one which benefits all groups, offering all people more opportunities and hence equality. It should lead to a removal of the causes of poverty, and an end to disparities, divisions, environmental degradation, social disintegration, poverty and evictions. We want the form of urbanisation that leads to equality and opportunity for all, a form of urbanisation that also builds strong people and a strong, modern, and humane society.
This means that we must review the present trends and extend our focus to reach out to the sectors of society, which are currently without opportunities to benefit from this growth. In short, we must aim towards “inclusive urbanization”. By that, I mean new spaces creatively need to be opened up and developed for the participation in economic systems and other city developments by a greater number of people on the ground. They need job opportunities, financial support, as well as welfare systems and secure housing. Large-scale investment activities and infrastructure programs need to have a clearer view of their social, economic, and environment impact on people, and whether they will provide greater equality and opportunities to people, or less. This means also looking beyond urban areas, but at remote areas, so that more people are able to take part and equally benefit.
Indeed, many countries represented here today have worked successfully together to explore how citywide upgrading can be implemented in all countries and cities in the region. Under the two years of my tenure, I am proud to say that, last year alone, the Government has provided more than 100 million US dollars to support the process of people-driven citywide upgrading and the strengthening of communities, giving the poor a role in the development of their housing, and building strong local communities all over the country. This is what we called the “Baan Mankong” project. We have also adapted rules and regulations to facilitate all these activities.
Now, more than 3,000 local authorities and wards in Thailand have community welfare systems which are run by community organisations, with the support of local authorities and other development actors. The Thai Government has also used new flexible financial mechanisms to support urban poor housing systems and debt relief, and a large number of the poor who never previously had access to formal finance systems, have now been integrated. Indeed, change and results are achievable, with a great impact on a large number of people. Implementation, however, is not always simple. But it demonstrates an important and successful approach towards creating new and greater space and opportunity for a large number of people who are in need and who used to be left out.
Your Royal Highness, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I believe that Asian people no longer need to be living in slums, in conditions of misery and insecurity, both in rural and urban areas. Secure and legally-recognised housing leads to legitimacy and citizenship of the people living in them. This is a necessary investment in people, to give them legitimacy and freedom, to make them active citizens in our society, and strong economic participants in the country. And it is very important to do all this on a large scale.
In the past few decades, Asian countries demonstrated that they understood economic growth and how it can be harnessed. Now we must look at how it can be directed to support the strengthening of our people and society, so that ordinary citizens can equally shoulder responsibilities in society.
Therefore, we have to think of all the areas of urban development which can be achieved with the participation of people – transport, infrastructure, housing, environment, and indeed a whole range of social as well as economic aspects of this development. To develop all these aspects in a manner which reaches everyone equally, while pushing people out of poverty and giving them opportunities to participate actively and equally in society, we must look to the issue of governance. All of the tasks mentioned above will not be possible without some significant adjustments to our present systems of governance, so that it can become more people-driven, participatory, and open, at all levels, from central to local government. The challenge for Asia is to achieve equitable and sustainable urbanization. We also need to transform traditional management structures, where power lies heavily in the centre in a vertical manner, towards a more horizontal approach with equal opportunities for broader involvement and participation, but in harmony and through consensus.
I am confident that this Forum will conclude with a consensus on how to achieve the necessary change in Asian and Pacific countries and cities, with practical and realistic solutions. I wish you a memorable and successful meeting which will hopefully mark the future of the region’s urban development.
On that note, I have the honour to declare open the Fifth Asia Pacific Urban Forum. Thank you.