UN role can spur rights push

Thailand urged to adopt standards in keeping with UNHRC promotion, writes Poramet Tangsathaporn

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Despite recent progress on LGBTQ+ rights, Thailand continues to grapple with persistent human rights violations and must leverage its new role on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) better to address these issues.

This was the key message delivered at the launch of Amnesty International's State of the World's Human Rights 2024/2025 report, hosted by Amnesty Thailand in Bangkok last Tuesday.

The report acknowledged Thailand’s landmark passage of the Marriage Equality Bill on Jan 23, making it the 38th country to legalise same-sex marriage.

However, Amnesty International highlighted a range of concerns that Thailand must address in line with international human rights standards.

These include issues related to LGBTQ+ and gender-based rights, freedom of expression, association and assembly, protection of human rights defenders, the rights of refugees and migrants, and the rights of indigenous peoples while ending impunity for perpetrators of abuse, extrajudicial killings, torture and inhuman treatment

Following the launch of the report launch, a seminar titled “Thailand’s Mission in the Human Rights Council: Challenges from Domestic Laws and Global Politics” explored Thailand’s responsibilities as a newly elected member of the UNHRC.