Some of the resolutions are as follows:
Title: Draft Royal Decree on additional kind of conserved wild animals (No. ?), B.E. ?
The cabinet approved in principle the draft Royal Decree on additional kind of conserved wild animals (No. ?), B.E. ? which prescribes balaenptera musculus (blue whale) as additional kind of conserved wild animals. The draft Royal Decree shall be merged into one law with another draft Royal Decree, approved earlier by the cabinet on September 6, 2022, which prescribes buceros vigil or rhinoplax vigil (helmeted hornbill) as conserved wild animal.
Prescription of balaenptera musculus and buceros vigil/rhinoplax vigil as conserved wild animals has been proceeded according to Section 6(2) of the Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act, B.E.2562 which stipulates that ?in the case where the Director-General, with the approval of the Commission, considers that any kinds of wild animals should be prescribed as conserved wild animals in addition to those prescribed in paragraph one, it shall be made by enactment of a Royal Decree.?
Balaenptera musculus was earlier listed as protected wild animal. They are found in all oceans, and were spotted in Thailand?s Andaman Coast 3 times. However, intensive hunting in the past for commercial and local fishing purposes, coupling with the declining availability of its primary food source, whether due to climate change, ocean acidification or other factors, have brought balaenptera musculus to the brink of extinction. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has, therefore, included balaenptera musculus in the IUCN Red List as endangered species(EN). Thailand also lists balaenptera musculus in Thailand Red Data.
Once the law takes effect, balaenptera musculus and buceros vigil/rhinoplax vigil will be strictly conserved and preserved in the similar manner as other 19 kinds of conserved wild animals under the Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act, B.E.2562, which include mammal wild animals (14), bird-species wild animals (3), reptile wild animals (1), and fish-species wild animals (1).
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The cabinet acknowledged a resolution of World Bank and IMF Board of Governors, in its meeting dated April 10, 2023, to choose Thailand as host of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to be held on October 16, 2026. Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Thailand will proceed with the budget planning and preparation of the MOU to be signed between Thailand and the WBG - IMF.
The WBG - IMF Meetings are usually held for two consecutive years at the WBG and IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C. and every third year in one of the institutions? member countries. The upcoming 2023 Annual Meetings will take place this October in Marrakech, Morocco, which Thailand is invited to attend to observe and discuss further about the country?s hosting of the meeting in 2026.
Thailand became member of the World Bank and IMF on May 3, 1949, and has hosted the WBG ? IMF Annual Meetings once in 1991 in Bangkok. Hosting the event will showcase the country?s readiness as host of international meetings and conferences. Thailand is also selected to host the International Horticultural Expo 2026 in Udon Thani province, and is now bidding for the hosting of the Specialized Expo 2028-Phuket Thailand.
The cabinet acknowledged the component of Thai delegation to participate in the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-2), to be held in Paris, Republic of France, and approved Thailand?s position and negotiation framework for the meeting. Should there be any additional agenda other than those included in the negotiation framework with no legally binding, head of the Thai delegation may exercise judgment without having to resubmit to the cabinet. This is as proposed by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Component of the Thai delegation to participate in the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-2), to be held in Paris during May 28 ? June 2, 2023 is: an expert from the Department of Pollution Control who specializes in waste and hazardous substance management, as head of the Thai delegation, and representatives from related agencies, i.e., Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, altogether 6 persons.
Source: Cabinet Meeting (Prayut Chan-o-cha) May 23, 2023