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and the empowerment of women and girls; and to ensure the lasting protection of
the planet and its natural resources. We resolve also to create conditions for
sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent
work for all, taking into account different levels of national development and
capacities. As we embark on this great collective journey, we pledge that no one
will be left behind. Recognizing that the dignity of the human person is
fundamental, we wish to see the Goals and targets met for all nations and peoples
and for all segments of society. And we will endeavour to reach the furthest
behind first.”

Furthermore, the Agenda 2030 is accompanied by 17 Sustainable
Development Goals of which Goal 10 is dedicated to reducing inequality within and
among countries and Goal 16 which focuses on peace, justice and accountable and
inclusive institutions.

These two frameworks, the national 20 Year development strategy of Thailand
and the Agenda 2030 reinforce each other, highlighting the consensus of many on
the importance and validity of the issues we are discussing: inequalities and
democracy. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Inequality, maybe at par with
climate change, is one of the biggest threats facing humanity today. We will not
achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if we do not urgently address
this issue. The objective of Leaving No One Behind is nothing else but another
reminder of the centrality of this. The world has made significant progress on the
front of poverty reduction and human development in the recent decades. Extreme
income poverty has been reduced from 36 per cent of global population in 1990 to
about 8 per cent today. More than a billion people have been lifted out of extreme
income poverty. This was possible because of higher growth in developing countries
and the rapid technological progress and innovation.

In Thailand, we have seen great progress that the country has made in the
recent past. Extreme poverty ($1.9 a day) is almost zero, and multidimensional
poverty is also negligible (0.8%) due to better provision of infrastructure and
services including health and education. The country has moved to universal health
coverage, consolidating several social protection schemes. Thailand has developed Keynote Speaker
into a rapidly modernizing and urban economy. The rapid expansion in
manufacturing and services underpinned its transformation into an upper-middle-
income country. We are living in the age of the fourth industrial revolution and the
world has never been as interconnected as it is today. Yet, inequalities not only
persist but are growing, intersecting and reinforcing each other and perpetuating
intergenerational poverty and exclusion.