Sokhonn confirms Cambodia’s commitment to human rights
Sokhonn confirms Cambodia’s commitment to human rights
At the High-Level Segment of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to global peace, development, and human rights, according to a press release from the ministry.
Minister Prak Sokhonn, who is also a Deputy Prime Minister, emphasised in the pre-recorded speech to the Council meeting on Monday the pressing need for peace in the face of growing geopolitical divisions, humanitarian crisis, and global uncertainty. He noted that maintaining peace is essential to both human rights preservation and sustainable development.
He emphasised that Cambodia was able to move past three decades of conflict and achieve peace, stability and prosperity under the leadership of former Prime Minister Hun Sen and through the Win-Win Policy.
He noted that Cambodia’s contributions to UN peacekeeping operations demonstrate its dedication to world peace. Nearly 10,000 Cambodian peacekeepers, of which more than 700 were women, have served in 11 UN peacekeeping missions across the globe since 2006.
Sokhonn also highlighted the Cambodian government’s strong participation in UN human rights mechanisms and reaffirmed its commitment to human rights. This includes renewing its Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and taking part in the 4th cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in May 2024.
He stated that Cambodia’s consistent commitment to advancing human rights and its openness to constructive dialogue is evident in its acceptance of 85% of the UPR recommendations.
To prevent politicisation and double standards, Cambodia emphasised the value of and gratitude for the impartiality and fairness of UN human rights evaluations, encouraging mandate holders to maintain a fair and unbiased approach.
The statement also affirmed that as part of its dedication to democratic governance, Cambodia continues to encourage citizen participation, confirm accountability, uphold the rule of law, and strengthen an inclusive and transparent approach to governance, all crucial components of a robust democracy.
The Council meeting is conducted annually for at least 10 weeks at the UN office in Geneva, Switzerland. The Council examines national circumstances that demand its attention as well as general human rights concerns, and responds to human rights crisis and offers suggestions for improving human rights locally. The 58th session of the Human Rights Council is being held from February 24 to April 4.