Cambodia remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Ottawa Convention, PM reaffirms

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the “Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Destruction of Mines,” known as the Ottawa Convention.

The premier delivered a special address on Monday at the high-level opening of the eightieth session of the UN-ESCAP in Bangkok.

PM Hun Manet called for joint efforts to eliminate this deadly weapon and support and participate in this historic event.

“Cambodia remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the “Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Destruction of Mines”, known as the Ottawa Convention. As the President of the Ottawa Convention this year, Cambodia presides over and hosts the 5th Review Conference, titled “The Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World,” on 25-29 November 2024,” the premier underscored.

He continued, for the case of Cambodia, the issue of demining and removal of explosive remnants of war is not just a challenge, but a pressing obstacle for overall development, including the bridging of digital gap and access to quality internet services. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, mine actions have been embedded as Cambodia’s 18th Sustainable Development Goal.

Taking this opportunity, the premier extended his appreciation to UN-ESCAP for assisting Cambodia in drafting a National Mine Action Policy, which is the first time that UN-ESCAP has participated in mine action.