Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Addresses UNGA on Peace, Development, and Border Disputes

UNGA 80th Session and Global Cooperation

• 🇰🇭 Sokhonn Prak, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, congratulates the UNGA President and commends the theme "Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights."
• 💡 The UN's promise is sustained through solidarity between nations and a focus on the common well-being of citizens.
• ⚠️ The ideals of multilateralism are challenged by geopolitical divisions and major power rivalries, hindering crisis resolution and endangering lives.
• 🤝 Reinvigorating trust in multilateral institutions, investing in preventive diplomacy, and ensuring the UN is politically and financially equipped are crucial.

Cambodia's Journey to Peace and Development

• 🕊️ Cambodia shares its lived experience of overcoming war and genocide through a peace process and national reconciliation, notably the "win-win policy" that ended decades of conflict.
• 🌍 The nation expresses gratitude for UN peacekeeping operations and international support in its peace process and rebuilding efforts.
• 📈 Cambodia achieved significant economic growth pre-pandemic, with millions lifted out of poverty, and is on track to graduate from Least Developed Country status by 2029.
• 🎯 Development aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, including roadmaps for universal health coverage and expanding access to quality education.

Cambodia's Contributions and Border Concerns

• 🛡️ From a recipient of UN peacekeeping to a contributor, Cambodia has deployed over 10,000 peacekeepers globally and is an active member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission.
• ⚠️ Cambodia's hard-won peace is threatened by border conflict with a neighbor, marked by fragile ceasefires, unilateral actions, and disregard for bilateral agreements.
• 🏠 Forced evictions of Cambodian civilians and threats to use national law against them highlight a disregard for ceasefire terms and mutual agreements.
• 🚫 Cambodia rejects accusations of firing first and calls for strict adherence to the ceasefire, bilateral agreements, and international law to de-escalate tension.

Reforming the United Nations

• 🌐 Cambodia supports pragmatic reforms to strengthen the UN's effectiveness, including empowering preventive diplomacy and mediation.
• 🏛️ Proposals include strengthening the General Assembly's follow-up capacity, expanding non-permanent Security Council seats for better representation, and enhancing peacekeeping and border monitoring missions.
• ✨ The UN's greatest strength lies in its moral authority, legitimacy, and convening power, which can shield small nations and sustain peace.
• 🤝 Cambodia is committed to working with member states and partners to ensure future decades are defined by peace, sustainable development, and human dignity.