Cambodia Appeals for Continued International Support to Protect Preah Vihear Temple, a World Heritage Site

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia has strongly appealed for continued international support in protecting the Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage site during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held from July 19 to 29, 2026, in Busan, Republic of Korea. In her intervention at the meeting, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, expressed her deep gratitude to the Republic of Korea for the warm hospitality. She also thanked the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS, and all international partners for their continued support of Cambodia's efforts to conserve and protect the Preah Vihear Temple, a World Heritage site. Cambodia also commended the international community's attention to Preah Vihear Temple following the armed conflict along the Cambodia-Thailand border in 2025, particularly the joint advisory mission between the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS in March 2026, conducted at the invitation of the Royal Government of Cambodia. Minister Phoeurng Sackona informed the committee that armed clashes in July and December 2025 caused severe damage to this World Heritage site, impacting its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), Integrity, and Authenticity. The temple's structures suffered heavy damage from direct attacks, while local communities were forced to relocate and are still unable to access the sacred sites, which are part of their cultural, traditional, religious heritage, and identity, as they normally would. The Minister also highlighted that with support from the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund and other international partners, Cambodia has implemented numerous emergency measures. These include clearing cluster bombs and artillery fragments, preparing 3D documentation of the temple, protecting vulnerable structures, and registering and preparing documentation of architectural fragments to support future conservation and restoration work. However, Minister Phoeurng Sackona emphasized that these efforts cannot be fully realized as long as threats to the heritage site persist. The Cambodian delegation drew the committee's attention to the continued presence of Thai military forces in the surrounding areas near Preah Vihear Temple, as well as other unilateral activities that affect Khmer cultural heritage within Cambodia's sovereign territory. These actions pose a risk of further damage and reflect an intention to create a fait accompli on the ground. The Minister called on Thailand to respect international law and seek peaceful solutions to border issues through the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Commission, in line with the Joint Statement of December 27, 2025. Concurrently, the Cambodian delegation requested the World Heritage Committee to continue closely monitoring the situation of the heritage site, to continue supporting urgent conservation and restoration work, and to reaffirm the importance of respecting international conventions on the protection of cultural heritage. In conclusion, Dr. Phoeurng Sackona stressed that the tragedy that befell Preah Vihear Temple serves as a reminder to the international community that protecting World Heritage is about protecting peace, dialogue, and humanity's shared responsibility.