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Attended by over 100 guests, the symposium was held in the presence of H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, the Minister of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the high representatives of China and India as the Co-Chairs of the International Coordinating Committee for the Conservation and Enhancement of the Temple of Preah Vihear (ICC-PV). The Co-Chairs reiterated their continuous engagement in the protection and preservation of the heritage of Cambodia and highlighted the benefits of international exchanges and cooperation in the sector.

In his welcoming speech, Mr. Sardar Umar Alam, UNESCO Representative to Cambodia, expressed his appreciation to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the NAPV for fostering dialogue between heritage experts and disseminating the joint achievements of the conservation teams working in Preah Vihear and Koh Ker. He stated that the site is a priority for UNESCO as it demonstrates and promotes the universal values of peace, respect, and mutual understanding between people and cultures, which is inherent to UNESCO’s mission. Reaffirming the support of UNESCO, he mentioned that UNESCO will continue working closely with the authority and the international community to promote peacebuilding and sustainable development in the country, through the implementation of the UNESCO Culture Conventions for the protection of cultural heritage and the realization of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in Cambodia.

During the symposium, professionals of the NAPV shared with the meeting participants the development of conservation works at the Preah Vihear and Koh Ker sites through the years and highlighted the perspectives and priorities for the future, such as climate change resilience, community engagement against illicit trafficking, and disaster risk preparedness. These presentations were complemented by short lectures by international experts such as Prof. Massimo Sarti and Mr. Kai Weise, UNESCO consultants in Disaster Risk Reduction, and ICC-PV ad hoc experts Prof. Koenraad Van Balen and Dr. Divay Gupta. These experts stressed the need to consider culture as a valuable asset and as an anchor in time and space for economic and social development. They also explored the concept of heritage impact assessment for cultural heritage and recalled how heritage sites can contribute to safeguarding traditional knowledge and cultural forms of expression.

Several representatives of the countries and the organizations involved in the conservation work at the sites – such as Japan, USA, EFEO, WMF, and ASI - attended the event and contributed to the discussions with their insights.

During the closing session, H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, underlined the need to address global challenges to heritage while thanking UNESCO for guiding the actions of the international partners in Cambodia for cultural preservation and promotion.

The participants also had the opportunity to join a tour of the celebratory exhibition, showcasing the works’ success at the Preah Vihear and Koh Ker Sites for the past 15 years.