09/28/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/27/2025 14:10
Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs meets with Director-General of the UN Office at Nairobi to exchange best practices in international conference management
On 23 September 2025, Mr. Paisan Rupanichkij, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, met with Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), during her visit to Thailand.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary shared Thailand's experience and contributions as the host country of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) - the largest UN body in the Asia-Pacific region. The discussion emphasized Thailand's role as a regional hub for international organizatoins and its commitment to supporting multilateral cooperation. The UNON delegation toured the ESCAP premises in Bangkok, where they exchanged experiences related to the Seismic Mitigation Retrofit and Life-Cycle Replacements Project (SMP). Implemented from 2017 to 2025, the SMP aimed to strengthen the safety and resilience of ESCAP's office and conference buildings against earthquakes and other natural hazards. They also visited the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) to learn from Thailand's successful renovation of the venue in preparation for the 2022 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. The QSNCC's transformation serves as a model for upgrading international conference venues to accommodate high-level diplomatic events.
This visit and exchange highlight the close cooperation between Thailand and the United Nations and reaffirm Thailand's role as a leader and model in international conference management within the Asia-Pacific region. The visit aimed to study Thailand's best practices in the management of international conference facilities and infrastructure, as part of UNON's ongoing efforts to upgrade its own facilities through the Conference Facilities Project (CFP).