Paris Peace Agreement, Samdech Hun Sen’s Win-Win Policy Credited With Cambodia’s Transformation

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Oct.23, 2025) — Cambodian officials and analysts say the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement, combined with former Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Win-Win Policy, laid the foundation for Cambodia’s transformation from a war-torn nation into a peaceful, stable country now integrated into the global community.

On Oct. 23, 2025, Cambodia marked the 34th anniversary of the landmark peace accords, which brought an end to decades of civil conflict.

In a Facebook post, Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen recalled the historic signing in Paris by four Cambodian factions — the Government of Cambodia, FUNCINPEC, the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front, and the Party of Democratic Kampuchea — in the presence of 18 countries and the U.N. secretary-general.

Samdech Techo noted that the peace process began with his 1987 meeting with the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk in France, which produced the “Sihanouk–Hun Sen Meeting” communiqué.

While the 1991 agreement marked a turning point, he said full peace was only achieved in 1998 through his Win-Win Policy, which ended Khmer Rouge resistance and unified the country.

Prime Minister Hun Manet also commemorated the anniversary, calling peace “the foundation of human rights, freedoms, and society,” and praised the leadership that guided Cambodia from division to unity under the spirit of “One Khmer, One Purpose.”

Chea Thyrith, spokesman for the Cambodian People’s Party, said the Paris Agreement symbolizes Cambodia’s transition to peace and democracy. He credited Hun Sen and Sihanouk’s negotiations for paving the way to the 1993 U.N.-organized elections, though the Khmer Rouge did not participate.

“Complete peace only came after the Win-Win Policy,” Thyrith said. “The international community recognizes this achievement.”

Political analyst Yang Peou said the agreement and the policy together marked Cambodia’s shift from dependency on foreign aid to active participation in global affairs.

“Today, Cambodia contributes to U.N. peacekeeping missions and plays a visible role in ASEAN and international diplomacy,” he said.