Cambodia Praises UNESCO’s Role in Preserving Cambodian Heritage

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Sept.19, 2025) — Acting Head of State Hun Sen on Friday praised UNESCO’s role in safeguarding Cambodia’s cultural heritage, highlighting the organization’s contributions to the inscription of Cambodian sites on the World Heritage List.

Hun Sen made the remarks during a farewell meeting with Sardar Umar Alam, UNESCO’s representative to Cambodia, who is concluding his mission in the country. The meeting took place Sept. 19.

Chea Thyrith, Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s spokesman, said the acting head of state expressed appreciation for Alam’s efforts, particularly in the preservation of national heritage.

Alam thanked Samdech Techo Hun Sen for the farewell audience and acknowledged his consistent support for UNESCO’s work in Cambodia. He said that support has been instrumental in strengthening the partnership between UNESCO and the Cambodian government.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen responded by saying Cambodia owes its gratitude to UNESCO and its teams for their dedication to heritage protection and broader development efforts, especially in the education sector.

He noted that in recent years, many of Cambodia’s tangible and intangible heritage sites have been added to the World Heritage List, reflecting strong cooperation between the two sides.

Samdech Techo emphasized that UNESCO’s continued involvement remains vital to Cambodia’s efforts to preserve and promote its cultural heritage globally.