Her Excellency Doctor Academician Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts and Chairperson of the Cambodian National Commission for UNESCO, led the Cambodian delegation to the 11th Session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held from June 17 to 18, 2026, at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, French Republic.

On this occasion, Her Excellency paid a courtesy call and held working discussions with His Excellency Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, to strengthen cooperation between the Kingdom of Cambodia and UNESCO. She reaffirmed the Royal Government of Cambodia’s goodwill and commitment to safeguarding, preserving, conserving, and promoting both Cambodia’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

The Director-General highlighted UNESCO’s role and commitment to utilizing culture and cultural heritage as a bridge for dialogue, mutual understanding, and the promotion of peace, particularly within the current context of global conflicts and regional tensions.

The discussions focused primarily on the implementation of state parties’ obligations to protect and elevate intangible cultural heritage in accordance with the principles of the 2003 Convention. Furthermore, Her Excellency and the Director-General exchanged views on organizing events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Cambodia’s membership in UNESCO, as well as the Director-General’s planned official visit to Cambodia during the upcoming Francophonie Summit in November 2026. This visit will serve as an important milestone to highlight the achievements of cooperation between Cambodia and UNESCO over the past seven decades.