Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Minister of the Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), along with Dr. Raweewan Bhuridej, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and high-level executives, welcomed Mr. Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz, Director-General of UNESCO, and his delegation on the occasion of their official visit to Thailand at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The meeting involved discussions on key cooperation in four areas: World Heritage, the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, UNESCO Global Geoparks, and marine science cooperation under the IOC/WESTPAC framework, including ocean management, biodiversity, and Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA).

Mr. Suchart emphasized Thailand's readiness to drive regional marine cooperation in research, the use of technology to assess marine biodiversity, marine disaster response, and climate change adaptation. He also mentioned marine resource conservation projects under the royal initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, which aim to promote youth participation in marine conservation, waste management based on the Zero Waste concept, and the sustainable restoration of coastal ecosystems.

Additionally, Thailand requested support from UNESCO to elevate the country's geoparks to international standards, while pushing "Khon Kaen Geopark" and "Ubon Ratchathani Geopark" to become Thailand's newest UNESCO Global Geoparks, following Satun UNESCO Global Geopark and Khorat UNESCO Global Geopark. Mr. Suchart further stated that Thailand is driving a "High-Value Tourism" policy that focuses on quality tourism alongside natural resource conservation, citing the example of closing marine national parks on the Andaman side during the monsoon season to rehabilitate ecosystems and properly maintain the balance of natural resources.

Dr. Raweewan further stated that Thailand currently has 8 World Heritage sites and continues to proactively nominate new World Heritage sites. In 2026, Thailand is preparing to propose “Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan” for inscription as a World Heritage site at the 48th ordinary session of the World Heritage Committee in the Republic of Korea, while “Monuments, Sites and Cultural Landscape of Chiang Mai, Capital of Lanna” will enter the technical evaluation process for consideration in 2027. She emphasized that Thailand has previously served as a member of the World Heritage Committee for 4 terms, reflecting Thailand's important role on the international stage.

At the same time, Dr. Raweewan emphasized the importance of Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA), citing the case of the high-speed railway project near the Historic City of Ayutthaya, where the government adjusted and reduced the scale and height of the project to preserve the value and landscape of the World Heritage site alongside balanced economic development. Meanwhile, the Director-General of UNESCO expressed appreciation for Thailand's policies and operations, particularly the sustainable tourism management approach to preserve and pass on precious natural resources to the next generation. On this occasion, both sides also expressed congratulations on the occasion of the long-standing cooperation between Thailand and UNESCO, reaffirming their commitment to expanding cooperation in all dimensions to jointly drive sustainable development goals at the global level.