(Phnom Penh): The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts announced that, Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, led the Cambodian delegation attending the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held from 19 to 29 July 2026 in Busan, Republic of Korea.

Addressing the committee, the minister expressed Cambodia's sincere appreciation to the Republic of Korea for its warm hospitality and thanked the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and their partners for their continued support in safeguarding the World Heritage Site of the temple of Preah Vihear, according to a press release seen by Fresh News on Wednesday (Jul. 22).

Cambodia also expressed its appreciation for the international attention given to the temple of Preah Vihear following the armed conflicts along the Cambodia-Thailand border in 2025, particularly the joint World Heritage Centre-ICOMOS Advisory Mission conducted in March 2026 at Cambodia's invitation.

The minister informed the committee that the armed clashes of July and December 2025 caused serious damage to the World Heritage property, affecting its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), integrity and authenticity.

Several structures sustained damage from direct strikes, while local communities remain displaced and continue to be deprived of normal access to a place that represents an essential part of their cultural heritage, religious traditions and identity.

The minister highlighted that, with the support of UNESCO's Heritage Emergency Fund and other international partners, Cambodia has undertaken a series of emergency measures, including the clearance of submunitions and artillery fragments, comprehensive three-dimensional documentation of the monument, emergency protection of vulnerable structures, and the inventorying and documentation of architectural fragments to facilitate future conservation and restoration.

At the same time, the minister stressed that these emergency efforts cannot achieve their full objective while threats to the property continue.

The delegation drew the committee's attention to the continued presence of Thai military forces in the immediate vicinity of the temple, as well as unilateral activities affecting Khmer cultural heritage sites within Cambodian territory, which risk further damage to cultural heritage and reflect a deliberate attempt to create a fait accompli on the ground.

The minister called upon Thailand to respect international law and to pursue a peaceful settlement of the border issue through the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Commission, in accordance with the Joint Declaration of 27 December 2025.

The delegation also requested the World Heritage Committee to maintain close monitoring of the property, continue supporting its urgent conservation and restoration, and reaffirm the importance of respecting the international conventions governing the protection of cultural heritage.

In closing, Phoeurng Sackona emphasized that the tragedy suffered by the temple of Preah Vihear serves as a reminder that protecting World Heritage is inseparable from protecting peace, dialogue and the shared responsibility of the international community.
=FRESH NEWS