THE constant commitment of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej to improve the quality of life of the Thai people and mankind in general has been recognized through the presentation of numerous medals and awards from international organizations. The Thai King is widely considered to be the world’s hardest working monarch for his initiatives in many fields.
The most prestigious of all the honors is the United Nations Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award, a special prize given to leaders who have exemplified dedication to human development and environmental sustainability. The award was presented to His Majesty by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a ceremony at Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin on May 26, 2006 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the throne.
In his presentation speech, Mr Annan told the King: “Your Majesty has made an extraordinary contribution to human development. As the world’s ‘Development King,’ Your Majesty has reached out to the poorest and the most vulnerable people in Thailand regardless of their status, ethnicity or religion listened to their problems and empowered them to take their lives in their own hands.
“Your Majesty’s countless rural development projects have been at the forefront of innovation and benefitted millions of people across Thailand. They promote small-scale agriculture, appropriate farming technologies, sustainable use of water resources, conservation, and flood and drought mitigation.
“As a visionary thinker, Your Majesty has played an invaluable role in shaping the global development dialogue. Your Majesty’s ‘Sufficiency Economy’ philosophy – emphasizing moderation, responsible consumption and resilience to external shock – is of great relevance worldwide during these times of rapid globalization. It reinforces the United Nation’s effort to promote a people-centred and sustainable path of development.”
Some major awards presented to His Majesty include: Special Medal of the European Parliament, July 1975; IAUP Peace Award presented by the International Association of University Presidents, September 1986; UNEP Gold Medal of Distinction presented by the UN Environment Programme, November 1992; Agricola Medal, presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization, December 1995; WHO Plaque, presented by the World Health Organization, May 2000; UNDP Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the UN Development Programme, May 2006 and; IFIA Cup 2007, presented by the International Federation of Inventors Association.