Cambodia Pushes for More UNESCO Heritage Listings, PM Says

Cambodia Pushes for More UNESCO Heritage Listings, PM Says

PHNOM PENH, May 11, 2026 — UNESCO has pledged to further strengthen and expand its partnership with Cambodia, focusing on cultural heritage preservation, education development and human capital building, according to statements released after talks with Prime Minister Hun Manet on Monday.

During a meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, UNESCO’s representative to Cambodia, Flavio Bonetti, thanked the Cambodian government for its continued support and praised cooperation between Cambodia and UNESCO in preserving cultural heritage and advancing education.

Bonetti said UNESCO remained committed to deepening collaboration with Cambodia and continuing support for the management and conservation of cultural heritage sites through technical expertise and international fundraising efforts.

He also highlighted UNESCO’s ongoing partnership with Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport in areas including education policy development, teacher training and curriculum improvement aimed at strengthening human capital development.

UNESCO’s support aligns with Cambodia’s Pentagonal Strategy, the government’s long-term socio-economic development agenda launched under Hun Manet’s administration.

Hun Manet praised UNESCO’s contribution to Cambodia’s socio-economic development and said preserving both tangible and intangible cultural heritage remained a national priority.

He said Cambodia’s cultural heritage carried significance not only for Cambodians and future generations, but also for humanity as a whole.

The prime minister added that Cambodia, through the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, was continuing efforts to prepare additional dossiers for inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

Before concluding the meeting, Hun Manet encouraged UNESCO to further strengthen cooperation with Cambodian ministries and institutions to reinforce long-term partnership and mutual benefit.