The National Consultation on Valuing and Investing in the Care Economy in Thailand will be jointly organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and UN Women.

The consultation aims to initiate multi-stakeholder dialogue on the care economy in Thailand with specific attention to direct care, highlighting the critical need to invest in the care sector while ensuring decent work and rights protection of paid care workers , unpaid care providers and care recipients. The consultation will provide an interactive forum for key stakeholders to explore strategies for accelerating progress towards a comprehensive care economy ecosystem and advancing the adoption of national care policies. Specifically, this consultation will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas in order to:

• Strengthen knowledge and capacity of key stakeholders on the importance of the care economy and its impact on gender equality, social development, and economic growth in Thailand.
• Facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and good practices in building inclusive and gender-responsive and rights-based care systems.
• Encourage cross-sectoral collaboration and begin mapping out potential partnerships to support future policy action.
• Identify preliminary policy entry points, institutional actors, and thematic areas that could be further developed through joint initiatives or follow-up consultations.

The outcome of the national consultation will be captured in a comprehensive meeting report.