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drive instability and conflicts. If unaddressed and, even worse, ignored, the existing
inequalities could challenge peace and security, and endanger the sustainable future
that we seek for ourselves and for our children.

Examples of this can be found in many places. In the news for the last week
we have seen the whole population of Lebanon go down in the streets to protest
against the Government and the political parties. With rising inequalities and a
perceived incapacity to address these, the trust of the people in their political
leaders irrespective of their party affiliation has disappeared, weakening democracy
and challenging peace in this complex country. In Chile, demonstrations against
rising inequalities have led the country to cancel international events it was
supposed to host in the coming weeks, including the APEC summit and the
Conference of Parties (COP) on Climate Change. More dramatically it has also
resulted in 20 deaths. In my own country, France, we have seen over the last
several months a general contestation and social movement symbolized by the
yellow vests.

Individuals from all sectors and political affiliation are expressing their
frustration to the perceived lack of strong action by the government to address
raising inequalities and increasing cost of living. Recent polls and studies have
shown a significant weakening of the value of democracy among the population and
this is clearly linked to this yellow vest movement. Based on these observations
and situations affecting many countries, there is a large amount of academic
research that has been dedicated to the issue of inter-linkages between inequality
and democracy.

If we do not see for now strong conclusions and consensus emerging, there
are indications that inequality does increase both the demand for populist or
authoritarian leaders and their supply. They raise the public openness to non-
mainstream political movements. Social and economic uncertainty that develops with
rising inequalities can create a sense of lack of personal control, and therefore an
inclination towards leaders that appear as taking more radical action, with the hope
of reducing the uncertainty.

What is the situation in Thailand? It seems to me that the importance and Keynote Speaker
reality of inequalities is acknowledged by all, including by the Government. Efforts
are being made to address them and several key policies and interventions have
been passed and are being successfully implemented. The Universal Health
Coverage is such an example of a best practice that undoubtedly contributes to
reducing inequalities. It covers and benefits an estimated population of more than
48 million people and even includes non-Thai citizens since it is offered to migrant