PM Hun Manet Outlines 3 Guiding Principles for Public Service Innovation

Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia shared three guiding principles for directing the role of innovation in the public service sector during his presidency of the 23rd ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) and the 8th ACCSM+3 in Siem Reap on the morning of August 5, 2026. Prime Minister Hun Manet encouraged the progress achieved through ACCSM and ACCSM+3, as well as this year's theme: "Innovation for Better Service Delivery." To enhance the impact of discussions at the 23rd ACCSM and 8th ACCSM+3 meetings, Prime Minister Hun Manet shared some perspectives that he believes can guide the role of innovation in the public service sector. First, innovation must adopt a people-centered approach that goes beyond digital transformation to respond to the actual needs of the people. Public services must be results-based and should be provided easily, equitably, and inclusively, leaving no one behind, at both national and regional levels. By prioritizing long-term vision over short-term convenience, public trust can be built through sound decisions that put the people's interests first. Second, innovation must be based on the foundation of institutional capacity and human resources. Since each ASEAN member state has different starting points for development, the goal is to reduce the gap and ensure that each country adopts new technologies, especially AI, at a sustainable pace. Since technology cannot operate independently of human factors, digital adoption must go hand-in-hand with continuous investment in human resources, leadership development, and integrity. Ultimately, true innovation in governance relies on strengthening institutions and human resources rather than just digital tools, as this effort requires integrity, and no digital platform can replace the ethics, transparency, and professionalism that are the true foundations of public trust. Third, innovation must depend on building regional collective resilience. Global challenges cannot be solved alone; therefore, cross-border cooperation within ASEAN must be strengthened. Innovation should extend beyond internal efficiency to include knowledge sharing, mutual support, and joint coordination. In this endeavor, ACCSM must continue to be a crucial platform for mutual learning, strengthening member states' capacity to cooperate and coordinate, harmonizing policies, and building collective capacity for common challenges. According to Prime Minister Hun Manet, the ACCSM and ACCSM+3 meetings must continue to play an active role in translating statements and action plans into concrete results, as well as enhancing joint accountability in delivering outcomes, with the aim of improving the quality and efficiency of public service delivery to our people to support the efforts in building the ASEAN Community.