Cambodia Hosts ASEAN Public Service Ministerial Meeting: Aiming for Better Public Service Through Innovation

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet attended the opening ceremony of the 23rd ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) and the 8th ASEAN+3 Conference on Civil Service Matters on August 5, 2026, at the Sokha Siem Reap Hotel. The conference was held under the theme "Innovation for Better Public Service Delivery." Cooperation in public service among ASEAN member states was established in 1980 as the ASEAN Conference of Reforms in the Civil Service (ACRCS), followed by the formation of the ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) in 1981. The conference's name was later officially changed to "ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM)," expanding cooperative ties in the public service sector. On October 26, 2025, Timor-Leste was officially recognized as the 11th full member of ASEAN at the ASEAN Summit. In response, Cambodia's Ministry of Public Function, as the chair of the 23rd ACCSM, formally invited Timor-Leste to join ACCSM and welcomed its official membership at the 23rd ACCSM and 8th ASEAN+3 Conference on Civil Service Matters, scheduled to take place in Siem Reap from August 3-5, 2026. This expansion is expected to bring the total number of ACCSM member states to 11. The primary objective of establishing ACCSM is to further enhance the level of cooperation among ASEAN public services. By 1999, the number of member states had reached 10, and with the addition of Timor-Leste in 2026, the framework is set to be further strengthened.