On 19 - 30 June 2024 H.E. Mr. Chatchawan Sakornsin, Ambassador of Thailand to Kazakhstan entrusted Dr. Orathai Phubunlap Gunaseelan to lead a delegation of experts on sustainable development from the Central Asian countries and the Secretariat of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), as well as the Kazakh journalist from Khabar state news agency and youth on environmental protection to visit Thailand under the project of promoting cooperation between Thailand, the CICA Secretariat, and the Central Asian countries. The aim of the project was to promote Thailand’s best practices in economic and social development that are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals with the application of Thailand’s BCG Economy Model and the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy.

On the same occasion, on 28 June 2024, an academic workshop was held as part of the project, aimed at serving as a platform where all participants of the project could share best practices and approaches of the Central Asian countries, adopted to help implement the UN SDGs. The topics of the discussion ranged from eco-tourism, food security, green energy, environmental protection, reforestation, and the valuable aspects of social media in raising environmental awareness to the public. The workshop was well attended by more than 70 people, who are Thailand’s universities’ faculty members and lecturers, students, representatives of the Thai media, and Thai tour companies. During the workshop, attendants could also gain insights into CICA and the cooperation among its 28 Member States in various areas, including sustainable development sphere, to which Thailand currently serves as the coordinator under the environmental dimension of the CICA confidence-building measures.