Attachments
Introduction
This document builds on the UN Country Team (UNCT)’s Interim COVID-19 Response Plan which was endorsed by the Royal Thai Government (RTG) in April and consolidates feedback from consultations across the UN System to form a first draft of UN Thailand’s Socio-economic Response Plan to COVID-19. This document is in line with the five pillars of the Secretary-General’s UN Framework for the Immediate Socio-Economic Response to COVID-19. It forms the basis for the UNCT’s continued discussion on the response plan with the RTG, Member States, the private sector, civil society, academia and international financial institutions (IFIs). The response plan includes an indicative budget of USD 22.8 million that has been redirected from other programming, newly raised and in the pipeline for the UN System response to COVID-19. It will be operationalised through a costed work plan (April 2020-October 2021) of UN System COVID-19 response activities. It is informed by a risk management matrix that identifies several high-level risks, their likelihood and impact, as well as mitigating measures. UN Thailand’s Response Plan to COVID-19 will be finalised by early August 2020.
Background
COVID-19 is an unprecedented global health crisis with major social and economic impacts. The UN Framework for the Immediate Socio-Economic Response to COVID-19 (hereafter the Framework) puts into practice the recent report from the Secretary-General, “Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity”, and provides a blueprint for urgent socio-economic support of UN entities in five streams of work connected by environmental sustainability and gender equality imperative to build back better.
Under the Resident Coordinator’s leadership, the UNCT communicates a clear, coherent, whole-of-system response and puts a spotlight on resource needs with the highest levels of the RTG. The UNCT works together to ensure that the socio-economic response moves forward decisively and complementary to the WHO coordination of the health response. The UN’s response is focused on technical advice, policy advocacy, repurposing of existing funds and raising new funding in coordination with the RTG and Member States. The comprehensive socio-economic impact assessment is co-led by UNDP and UNICEF in partnership with the RTG and IFIs alongside sector specific surveys from a cross-section of UN entities informs this response plan.