Cambodia Voices for World Heritage Protection at International Conference

The Cambodian People's Party announced on July 29, 2026, the results of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) held in Busan, South Korea. At the invitation of UNESCO, a delegation led by H.E. Sous Yara, Head of Delegation, participated in the conference held from July 26-29, 2026, with the participation of 162 member states, international organizations, and observer institutions. The session unanimously adopted a resolution on July 28, 2026, condemning the destruction of world heritage sites during armed conflicts, in accordance with the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the 1970 Paris Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, and UN Security Council Resolutions 2199 (2015), 2253 (2015), and 2347 (2017). The session also called on State Parties in conflict to ensure the protection of heritage and to refrain from using heritage areas for military purposes. Speaking at the session as a partner institution of UNESCO, the delegation emphasized the responsibility and condemnation required under international law for the destruction of world heritage sites in the Asia-Pacific region. The delegation also highlighted the importance of connecting civilizations and world heritage sites through the network of ancient sister cities to promote peace and conflict resolution, and urged the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the protection and conservation of cultural heritage. Separately, the Thai delegation requested to respond, and the chairperson allowed only a one-minute statement. The Thai delegation did not directly respond to the violations and destruction of heritage caused by the Thai military in the past. Instead, they defended themselves by stating that Thailand focuses on protecting the buffer zones surrounding the entire core heritage areas, not just a part of the temple, implying that Thailand still plays a role in protecting world heritage and continues to cooperate with other countries in the region. Source: CEN Cambodia