Cambodia Urges World Heritage Committee to Protect Preah Vihear Temple

Terry Felix On July 22, 2026 - 9:21 am In Asia Pacific 2mn Read

BUSAN, 22 July 2026 — Cambodia has called for continued international support to protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Temple of Preah Vihear, telling the World Heritage Committee that recent border clashes had damaged the monument and underscored the need for sustained international cooperation in its conservation.

Speaking at the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in Busan from July 19-29, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona thanked the Republic of Korea for hosting the meeting and expressed appreciation to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and their partners for their continued support in safeguarding the temple.

The minister also thanked the international community for its attention to the Preah Vihear Temple following the armed conflict along the Cambodia-Thailand border in 2025, particularly the joint UNESCO World Heritage Centre-ICOMOS advisory mission conducted in March 2026 at Cambodia’s invitation.

According to the Cambodian delegation, the armed clashes in July and December 2025 caused significant damage to the World Heritage property, affecting its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), integrity and authenticity. Several structures sustained damage from direct strikes, while nearby communities remain displaced and continue to be deprived of normal access to a site regarded as central to their cultural heritage, religious traditions and identity.

The minister said Cambodia, with support from UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund and other international partners, has undertaken emergency conservation measures, including the clearance of unexploded submunitions and artillery fragments, three-dimensional documentation of the monument, emergency protection of vulnerable structures, and the cataloguing and documentation of architectural fragments to support future restoration efforts.

However, she said those emergency measures cannot fully achieve their objectives while threats to the property persist.

The Cambodian delegation told the committee that the continued presence of Thai military forces in the immediate vicinity of the temple, along with what it described as unilateral activities affecting Khmer cultural heritage sites within Cambodian territory, posed additional risks to cultural heritage and could undermine conservation efforts.

Cambodia called on Thailand to respect international law and pursue a peaceful settlement of border issues through the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Commission, in accordance with the Joint Declaration of Dec. 27, 2025.

The delegation also requested the World Heritage Committee to continue closely monitoring the condition of the property, support urgent conservation and restoration work, and reaffirm the importance of respecting international conventions governing the protection of cultural heritage.

In closing, Phoeurng Sackona said the damage suffered by Preah Vihear Temple serves as a reminder that protecting World Heritage sites is inseparable from preserving peace, dialogue and the shared responsibility of the international community.