Cambodia and the United Nations have noted with satisfaction their good relations and cooperation and shared commitment to further broaden them.
The Cambodia-UN cooperation was discussed during the bilateral meeting between Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and H.E. António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, on Nov. 13 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Phnom Penh, according to a press release of the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation made public this morning.
Secretary-General Guterres congratulated Samdech Techo Prime Minister for successfully hosting and chairing the ASEAN Summits and Related Summits, including the ASEAN-UN Summit.
Samdech Techo Prime Minister highlighted the three models of successful Cambodia-UN cooperation: the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, UN Peace Keeping Operations (UNPKOs) and the yearly meeting between himself, the Prime Minister, with all UN Agencies to Cambodia, with a stress on its resumption in the near future after being disrupted by the pandemic.
Samdech Techo Prime Minister thanked the United Nations for its continued cooperation and assistance to the socio-economic development in Cambodia, especially for providing COVID-19 vaccines and medical equipment through COVAX facility, thus contributing in the government’s successful vaccination campaign.
Samdech Techo Prime Minister and the UN Secretary-General discussed cooperation between the Cambodian government and the UN on combating climate change and ASEAN-UN cooperation. He briefed Secretary-General Guterres on the preparation by the country for holding the general elections in July next year.
Samdech Techo Prime Minister touched on demining, underlining Cambodia’s humanitarian activities by sharing the experiences of clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) under the auspices of the United Nations in some countries around the world and informed the UN Secretary-General of Cambodian government’s decision, in collaboration with the Government of Japan, to dispatch Cambodian deminers to help train Ukraine’s deminers in Poland. He then asked Secretary-General Guterres to increase UN assistance on demining in order to help the Kingdom reach its goal “A Mine-Free Cambodia by 2025” and suggested to include demining in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Secretary-General appreciated Samdech Techo’s much attention on demining and assured Samdech to take into serious consideration both request and suggestion.
While exchanging views on regional and international issues, Samdech Techo Prime Minister stressed Cambodia’s position against threat to use nuclear weapons and advocated for the respect of the UN Charter and international laws.
