UNESCO Reaffirms Commitment to Preah Vihear Temple Monitoring and Cultural Diplomacy for Cambodia-Thailand Tension Reduction

AKP Phnom Penh, July 21, 2026 — UNESCO has reaffirmed its close attention to the situation surrounding Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Temple and pledged to actively contribute to easing tensions between Cambodia and Thailand through cultural cooperation. The commitment was made by H.E. Nayef Al-Fayez, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, during a meeting with the Cambodian delegation led by H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, on the sidelines of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, Republic of Korea, on July 21. During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona congratulated H.E. Nayef Al-Fayez on his appointment as UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture and expressed appreciation for the mission report submitted by experts from the World Heritage Centre and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), who conducted a technical mission to Preah Vihear Temple from Mar. 1 to 6, 2026, at Cambodia’s invitation. The Minister praised the report for its comprehensive technical quality, accuracy and objective reflection of the actual situation at the World Heritage site. She also informed the UNESCO official of Cambodia’s intention to host a session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage during its 2026-2030 term as a committee member. In response, H.E. Nayef Al-Fayez pledged UNESCO’s support for Cambodia’s proposal to host the meeting and reaffirmed both UNESCO’s institutional commitment and his personal support in closely monitoring the situation concerning Preah Vihear Temple. He added that UNESCO would actively contribute to facilitating efforts to reduce tensions between Cambodia and Thailand through culture. By C. Nika