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On Monday January 21, 2008 the “High
Committee in charge of the inscription
file of Preah Vihear on the UNESCO World
Heritage List” convened in Phnom Penh.
This High Committee
co-chaired by His Excellency SOK An,
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in
charge of the Office of the Council of
Ministers and His Excellency Mr. HOR Nam
Hong, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of
Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation is composed of the
delegation’s members who represented the
Kingdom of Cambodia during the 31st
session of the World Heritage Committee,
held in Christchurch (New Zealand) from
June 23 until July 2, 2007.
Attended by ten Ambassadors
of the Kingdom of Cambodia who are
posted abroad, the High Committee has
reviewed the progress since the
Christchurch Session.
The International community
represented by the World Heritage
Committee noted that the Sacred Site
of the Temple of Preah Vihear is of
great international significance and has
Outstanding Universal Value on the basis
of criteria (i), (ii), and (iv),
agrees in principle that it should be
inscribed on the World Heritage List and
notes that the process for inscription
is in progress. It also requested the
State Party of Cambodia to strengthen
conservation and management at the Site
by making progress in developing an
appropriate management plan, which
progress will enable its formal
inscription at its 32nd
session in 2008. The State Party of
Cambodia is further requested to submit
a progress report to the World Heritage
Centre by February 1, 2008.
The relevant Cambodian
Authorities have responded to the best
of their ability and on time, before
February 1, 2008 as requested by the
World Heritage Committee, to produce a
progress report on the conditions for
conservation of the Sacred Site of the
Temple of Preah Vihear, as well as to
report on progress regarding the
preparation of a Management Plan.
The High Committee has taken
note with great satisfaction that—with
the support of the Cambodian National
Commission for UNESCO, the technical
assistance offered by the APSARA
National Authority and the outstanding
contribution of eminent experts
specializing in Heritage Management sent
by Belgium, the United States of
America, France and India—the NATIONAL
AUTHORITY FOR THE SAFEGUARDING AND
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CULTURAL AND NATURAL
SITE OF THE TEMPLE OF PREAH VIHEAR was
able to prepare a file including:
·
the progress report and,
·
a synthesis on progress achieved in a
view of concluding a Management Plan.
The High Committee has also
noted with satisfaction the
participation in the consultation and
synthesis meetings of experts sent by
China, Japan and Thailand along with
Cambodian experts, who took part in
studies and works carried out onsite at
PREAH VIHEAR, regarding History,
(Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts),
Archaeology (APSARA National Authority),
Hydrology (APSARA National Authority),
the local population (APSARA National
Authority) and demining (CMAC).
The High Committee has a
view that the utilization of
non-existent border dispute as argument
in an attempt to delay the inscription
process is an obvious violation of the
Judgment of the International Court of
Justice in 1962.
As for cooperation with the
Kingdom of Thailand within the
multilateral framework, the High
Committee has taken note of the
announcement made by His Excellency Mr.
SOK An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister
in charge of the Office of the Council
of Ministers, of the disposition soon to
be taken for the next meeting of
Cambodian-Thai Joint Border Commission,
concerning issues pertaining to the
demarcation and marking of the borders.
It is anticipated that necessary steps
will be taken to examine, under two
specialized Sub-Committees, issues
regarding consultation for the
management of the buffer zone and
modality for economic
cooperation—especially for tourism.
These perspectives lead us
to hope firmly that the Kingdom of
Thailand, as affirmed publicly several
times by its representatives, will
actively support the ongoing process for
the inscription of the Sacred Site of
the Temple of Preah Vihear on the UNESCO
World Heritage List.
Phnom Penh, 26 January 2008 |
