Cambodia Supports Renewal of UN Rights Mandate, Urges Fairness and Broader Context

GENEVA (Oct. 9, 2025) — Cambodia has voiced support for the renewal of the United Nations Special Rapporteur’s mandate on human rights, while calling for greater fairness and contextual understanding in future assessments.

Speaking at the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Cambodia’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Dara In, praised Japan’s leadership in facilitating consensus on the resolution.

He emphasized Cambodia’s long-standing cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms, including seven successive Special Rapporteurs and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights field office.

“This engagement is not a concession,” Dara In said. “It is a commitment to justice and the advancement of human rights.”

He urged the Rapporteur to maintain impartiality and professionalism, warning against reports that selectively focus on civic and political issues while ignoring socio-economic progress.

Such imbalances, he said, risk distorting reality and eroding trust.
Addressing ongoing armed conflict along the Cambodia-Thailand border, Dara In called on the Rapporteur to confront serious violations affecting civilians and captured soldiers, including displacement and forced evictions.

He said silence on these issues would undermine the mandate’s credibility.
Despite concerns over politicized language in the draft resolution, Cambodia backed its renewal, expressing hope for continued dialogue, balance and mutual respect in global human rights efforts.