Cambodia Partners with Japan to Digitize Historical Video Archives

The Ministry of Information and the Japan-Cambodia Association (JCA) have officially launched a partnership to digitize and preserve historical video archives that document the nation's leaders and significant events. This collaboration aims to safeguard these valuable historical records as national heritage for future generations. During a meeting on September 10, 2026, at the Ministry of Information, Minister Net Pheaktra discussed this cooperation with a delegation from JCA, led by its president, Takahashi Fumiaki, who is also a former Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia. Both sides deliberated on organizing and preserving old video archives held by the National Television of Cambodia (TVK), specifically converting materials stored on old media or in outdated storage formats into digital archives. This digitization effort will contribute to protecting the materials from damage and loss, while also facilitating more efficient organization, classification, searching, and utilization. Minister Pheaktra expressed gratitude for JCA's support, stating that these old video archives are invaluable sources of information and historical documents that reflect Cambodia's past events, activities, and important developments. The Minister emphasized that these video archives are not merely archival materials but are crucial evidence and sources of knowledge for studying and understanding Cambodia's history. He added that converting them into digital formats is essential to ensure their long-term preservation and to prevent their loss or damage over time. Digital archives are also expected to enhance efficiency in information management, classification, searching, and public outreach. The objective of this preservation work is to ensure that these historical video archives become a national documentary heritage, serving as a source of knowledge and information for future generations and supporting research, production, and dissemination of Cambodia's history. The meeting also addressed strengthening and expanding cooperation between the Ministry of Information and JCA in areas such as media technology, digital content production, knowledge and experience sharing, and human resource development in the media sector. Minister Pheaktra highlighted the importance of equipping officials and experts with new knowledge, technical skills, and experiences in line with the evolution of digital media technology. JCA representatives expressed their willingness to explore further opportunities to enhance cooperation with the Ministry of Information through the exchange of knowledge, experience, and technical expertise, as well as support for training and human resource development in Cambodia's media sector. This aims to contribute to the modernization of the information sector and the enduring preservation of the nation's historical record heritage.