Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – On January 20, 2026, His Excellency Sihasak Puangkchok, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, attended the 2026 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and participated in a high-level strategic meeting entitled “From Data to Collective Action: Combating Forced Labor.” The meeting was chaired by Dan Wiedman, Partner of the Working Capital Innovation Fund, with representatives from the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship also in attendance.
In his opening remarks, Minister Sihasak Puangkchok emphasized that forced labor has become an increasingly complex global challenge, exacerbated by accelerated digitalization, increased migration flows, and the continued evolution of human trafficking. To address this, he proposed a comprehensive response based on four core principles: prevention, protection, enforcement, and partnerships, providing guidance for the global fight against forced labor.
His remarks highlighted the necessity of establishing “data-driven partnerships,” pointing out that cross-border and cross-sectoral real-time data exchange is key to improving transparency and accountability in the fight against forced labor. To demonstrate Thailand's commitment and achievements in this area, he cited Thailand's successful experience in combating forced labor in the fishing sector by integrating advanced technologies into supply chain management. This achievement led to Thailand's recent recognition by the Global Data Partnership Against Forced Labor as a model country for the application of "Proof of Country" (POC).
Furthermore, Foreign Minister Sikazakh Puangkchoe called on the forum to pay attention to the serious threats posed by online fraud and online forced labor in Southeast Asia. He clearly stated that such criminal activities not only endanger regional human security but also pose a significant risk to the global economy, urgently requiring strengthened collaboration between Thailand, the World Economic Forum, and international partners to jointly address the challenges.
This high-level strategic meeting brought together many prominent global leaders and experts, including Ms. Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM); Ms. Theresa May, Chairperson of the Global Committee Against Modern Slavery and Trafficking in Humans; Mr. Gary Haugen, CEO of the International Mission for Justice (IJM); and approximately 20 senior executives from leading global companies and international organizations. The professionalism and authority of the participants highlighted the important strategic opportunity for Thailand to build concrete partnerships in the global field of labor protection and human rights promotion, and also demonstrated the international community's high level of attention to the issue of combating forced labor.
