GENEVA

The UN refugee agency on Friday welcomed Thailand's decision to withdraw its reservation to Article 22 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which relates to the rights of refugee children.

"The withdrawal fulfils a key commitment Thailand made at last year's Global Refugee Forum in Geneva," UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told a UN press briefing in Geneva.

"It also strongly reaffirms that refugee children must be recognized as deserving of the same rights to access education, healthcare, legal protection, family reunification and other essential services as any other child under the CRC," he added.

Describing the move as commendable, he added that its implementation will be key.

Thailand is moving toward a "more inclusive" environment for refugee children, aligned with international standards by strengthening legal protection and expanding access to essential services, according to the spokesperson.

The "UNHCR hopes it will bring us closer to the day when no refugee children will be detained in Thailand," he said.

Baloch said Thailand currently hosts over 81,000 refugees from Myanmar and more than 5,500 refugees and asylum-seekers from over 40 countries.