Thailand Joins 1st High-Level Kick-Off Donor’s Meeting for Helsinki+50 Fund
On 10 September 2025 – H.E. Ms. Pattarat Hongtong, Ambassador of Thailand to Austria, participated in the first High-Level Kick-Off Donor’s Meeting for the Helsinki+50 Fund, held at the Hofburg, Vienna, under the Chairpersonship of Finland to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Representatives from 17 donor countries took part in the meeting.
In her intervention, Ambassador Hongtong expressed Thailand’s appreciation to Finland for its leadership in launching the Fund, calling it a timely and strategic initiative that will enhance both flexibility and predictability in the OSCE’s operations. She highlighted that the Fund will allow donors to pool contributions, thereby amplifying collective impact, even from modest donations.
The Ambassador reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment as a reliable and constructive Asian Partner for Co-operation of the OSCE, underscoring Thailand’s readiness to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the Fund’s success.
Finland welcomed Thailand’s active engagement, noting that Thailand is, to date, the only Partner for Co-operation of the OSCE that has already pledged contributions to the Fund. This was recognized as a demonstration of Thailand’s strong commitment to supporting OSCE’s mission.
The Helsinki+50 Fund was launched on 31 July 2025 by Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs who is the current OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. The Fund aims to strengthen the OSCE’s operational capacity and improve the strategic management of voluntary funding. With nearly 16.5 million euros already pledged by participating States and Partners for Co-operation, the Fund is designed to help improve efficiency, enhance donor coordination, and maximize impact in key areas, including support to human rights, democracy, and conflict prevention.
