Since the dawn of civilisation, culture has been the soul of our societies—shaping identity, fostering empathy, and building bridges across communities.
In times of conflict, cultural heritage and artistic expression offer pathways to dialogue, healing, and social cohesion.
Culture plays a monumental role — as a bridge between communities and a foundation for sustainable peace.
Culture must never be weaponised. Instead, it should be harnessed to address the root causes of conflict and nurture reconciliation.
’FRAGILE GEOPOLITICAL CLIMATE’
In today’s fragile geopolitical climate, global cooperation in culture and peace is more urgent than ever.
We must act collectively, guided by the UN Charter, the 2030 Agenda, and the UN Summit of the Future.
The Asian Cultural Council (ACC), under the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), has championed cultural diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, and peace studies since its founding partnership with UNESCO in 2018.
Through initiatives like TECHO 100 Village development, cultural corridor connectivity, and digital creative arts, we place humanity and the planet at the heart of our mission.
UNIVERSAL PEACE CHARTER
In 2024, we adopted the Phnom Penh Peace Declaration and supported the “Universal Peace Charter (UPC): For People and the Planet”—endorsed by over 60 countries and institutions.
The UPC outlines five pillars: peacebuilding, conflict prevention, transitional justice, food security, and post-conflict reconstruction.
It has also been considered as a peace initiative by the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), representing 670 million people across ASEAN.
Dialogue and diplomacy are the reliable means, but they are inseparable from the rules, norms and principles of the international law, treaties and conventions that bind the obligations of nations.
Cambodia has achieved great milestones in safeguarding both tangible and intangible heritage through international mechanisms and partnerships.
The International Coordinating Committee’s ICC-Angkor and ICC-Preah Vihear show how multilateral cooperation — particularly between UNESCO, the Royal Government of Cambodia, and international partners — can safeguard world cultural heritage sites and foster peace.
‘THREATS OF HARM AND DESTRUCTION PERSIST’
Despite the prevailing international conventions and treaties to protect the cultural heritage sites, threats of harm and destruction persist.
A case in point, the Preah Vihear Temple which was registered as the World Heritage List in 2008, even though with two International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings of 1962 and 2013 decidedly as solely within Cambodia’s sovereignty, in the periods of 2008-2011 and July 2025, it received heavy artillery shelling and internationally-banned cluster bombs fired from rockets and fighter jets.
UNESCO’s broader stance emphasises that cultural heritage belongs to all humanity.
‘GLOBAL TRAGEDY’
The destruction of Preah Vihear Temple is not just a national loss for Cambodia but a global tragedy that undermines shared human history.
In essence, UNESCO’s role has been to uphold the sanctity of cultural heritage, advocate for peaceful resolution, and ensure that international legal obligations are respected—even amid geopolitical disputes.
Against this backdrop, the international support and good offices of the ASEAN Chair and Member States, the UN Secretary-General and relevant UN bodies play a vital role in de-escalating the tensions, upholding the value of international law, and encouraging a peaceful resolution that prevents any further tragedy.
Cambodia supports pragmatic UN reforms that empower preventive diplomacy and mediation, enhance peacekeeping and border-monitoring at heritage borders, and promote post-conflict recovery through science and innovation.
We must also safeguard human civilisation from the misuse of AI and ICT— technology must serve, not replace, our cultural and ethical values.
To advance this mission, we propose to consider the establishment of UNESCO Category 2 Centre for Asia to formalise the ACC’s role in promoting cultural diplomacy, heritage protection, and peace-building across the region.
By Suos Yara
(The author is Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly’s Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Media. He is also Chairman of the Asian Cultural Council (ACC). The text is based on remarks to the UNESCO World Conference on Culture Policies and Sustainable Development in Barcelona on Sept. 30.)
