Cambodia has called on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to urgently establish clear, enforceable global regulations to combat the unauthorised replication and distortion of World Heritage properties.
H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, warned that the growing trend of unauthorised copying poses a significant threat to the integrity, authenticity, and cultural identity of globally recognised heritage sites.
Speaking at the 25th General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention on Nov. 24-25 in Paris, Minister Sackona, a professor and academician, emphasised the need for new measures despite decades of successful cooperation between UNESCO and its member states in heritage safeguarding and sustainable development.
In her keynote intervention, she highlighted the critical lack of clear and consistent regulatory frameworks to govern the unauthorised copying, imitation, and alteration of World Heritage sites.
The Minister specifically drew the Assembly’s attention to persistent violations and longstanding gaps in the implementation of key international agreements: the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and the 1972 World Heritage Convention.
Recalling her intervention in July 2025, Minister Sackona reiterated Cambodia’s concern over the unauthorised construction of a large-scale replica of the Angkor Wat master plan in a neighbouring country. She characterised such actions as a “serious ethical breach” that undermines the site’s Outstanding Universal Value and physical authenticity, as well as the intangible cultural identity of the people associated with the heritage.
“Cambodia strongly calls on the World Heritage Centre and UNESCO’s Legal Advisory bodies to give urgent consideration to this matter by establishing clear legal direction within the framework of the 1970 and 1972 Conventions,” she stated.
“We also urge closer cooperation with States Parties to prevent negative impacts that may arise in the future in the context of globalisation.”
The General Assembly, chaired by H.E. Ms. Gayane Umerova, was attended by Khaled Ahmed El-Enani Ali Ezz, UNESCO’s Director-General, and representatives from member states.
Cambodia, home to world-renowned UNESCO-listed sites, concluded its address by reaffirming its commitment to the protection of global cultural heritage and its dedication to strengthening international norms to ensure that World Heritage properties are respected, preserved, and transmitted with integrity to future generations.
