Cambodia and UN Sign Updated Peacekeeping Training Agreement

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia and the United Nations have signed a new agreement covering peacekeeping training courses hosted by Cambodia between 2024 and 2026, officials said Tuesday. Cambodia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Keo Chhea, signed the Exchange of Letters at UN headquarters in New York on September 21. Atul Khare, UN Under‑Secretary‑General for Operational Support, signed on behalf of the United Nations. The agreement updates the Host Country Agreement for training courses conducted under the UN Triangular Partnership Programme, which supports the preparation of personnel for peacekeeping operations. Officials said the signing marked another step in Cambodia’s cooperation with the UN and reflected its commitment to multilateralism. Cambodia has moved from being a country that hosted UN peacekeepers to becoming a contributor to missions abroad. The UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia operated from 1992 to 1993 to implement a political settlement after years of conflict. Cambodia later began sending its own military and police personnel to UN missions in 2006. Since then, Cambodian peacekeepers have served in 10 countries, with particular expertise in engineering, mine clearance and military policing. The UN said in 2026 that more than 10,000 Cambodian personnel had served under the UN flag. The training programme would strengthen Cambodia’s role as a provider of peacekeeping expertise and reinforce its contribution to international security.