The two-day event brought together approximately 300 delegates, including senior officials from the Royal Government of Cambodia, the diplomatic corps, international heritage experts, and institutional development partners, highlighting a shared, long-term commitment to protecting Cambodia’s World Heritage. The session was co-chaired by Mr. Pierre Vincent, the Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of France and Mr. Nagase Kensuke, the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the Embassy of Japan, and presided over by H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine-Arts, President of the Board of the APSARA National Authority and the Sambor Prei Kuk National Authority.
The proceedings opened with a moment of reflection as the Committee paid tribute to the late Deputy Director-General of the APSARA National Authority, His Excellency Mr. Chum Sopheakmakara. The Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, along with the Co-Chairs and the UNESCO Representative, expressed their deepest condolences, mourning the profound loss of an exemplary leader who dedicated his energy, wisdom, and deep commitment to the safeguarding and sustainable management of Angkor.
The technical debates and strategic evaluations of the 42nd Session were underpinned by an intensive, eight-day field mission conducted from June 1 to June 8 2026, by the ICC’s Group of Ad Hoc Experts. Accompanied by the ICC Secretariat, UNESCO and several international and national technical experts, the independent Group of Ad Hoc Experts in Conservation and Sustainable Development, reviewed active conservation and restoration projects and evaluated proposed development projects.
Following extensive field and technical reviews, the Committee formally adopted the recommendations presented by the Group of Ad Hoc Experts. These recommendations provide clear and actionable guidelines to secure the structural safety of the monuments, ensure historical accuracy during architectural reconstruction, and set up practical plans to manage tourism and the environment sustainably.
During the session, various technical units presented significant updates regarding the work accomplished in the last six months in the fields of structural stabilization, architectural research, and risk mapping, among others. A major highlight included the celebration of two decades of exemplary technical cooperation between the APSARA National Authority and GIZ Cambodia at the Banteay Samrè Temple, alongside positive updates on advanced stone conservation training.
In his opening speech, the Japanese Co-Chair formally announced the operational launch of the seventh phase of the Japan-APSARA (JASA) Project, spanning from 2025 to 2028. Representing close cooperation between the Government of Japan, Waseda University, the APSARA National Authority and UNESCO, this upcoming phase will prioritize digital archiving, bas-relief conservation, training, and technology transfer at the Bayon Temple. The Japanese Co-Chair reaffirmed Japan’s dedication to contributing to the safeguarding of Angkor through the provision of Japanese expertise, while remaining strongly focused on strengthening the capacities of Cambodian experts.
The committee also reviewed comprehensive international restoration updates, including the preservation work of the Korea Heritage Agency at Angkor Wat’s Bakan Tower, the Archaeological Survey of India at Ta Prohm, and the China-Cambodia Government Team at the Royal Palace of Angkor Thom. Similar conservation efforts were evaluated at Sambor Prei Kuk, focusing on critical structural consolidation of several towers at the site.
The Committee also highly commended the creation of a comprehensive Master Plan for Water Management within the Angkor Region under the SDGERA project. Developed through a €1,000,000 joint mobilization between the APSARA National Authority and French public institutions (SIAVB, SIAAP, AGERA, and Versailles Grand Parc), the plan ensures the sustainable safeguarding of ancient hydrological networks.
In his address to the Committee, Mr. Flavio Bonetti, the UNESCO Representative to Cambodia, reminded participants of the need for a long-term vision for the ICC Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk, as several multi-decade international projects approach completion over the next two years, including the French-led West Mebon restoration and the Japanese JASA project. He urged all international partners to map out new long-term operational commitments, emphasizing that the focus should be on continuing to empower Cambodia to preserve and manage its World Heritage Sites through capacity-building and specialized training. He noted that as we look to the future, it is our duty to always remain vigilant to preserve the “spirit of the site,” and protect Angkor as a sacred and living space.
Reflecting the core commitment of the ICC’s “Fourth Decade,” which was proclaimed in 2023 in the framework of the fourth Intergovernmental Conference on the Safeguarding and Sustainable Development of Angkor, the session highlighted key training milestones. The French Co-Chair, in particular, noted that capacity-building and training initiatives have grown increasingly robust across consecutive sessions, and expressed his hope that the Committee would successfully sustain this trend toward the sustainable and long-term professional development of Cambodian experts.
As part of this momentum, a formal graduation ceremony was jointly hosted by the World Monuments Fund (WMF) and the APSARA National Authority with the support of the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation in Cambodia (AFCP), to honour newly certified local experts and foremen.
In addition, on the sidelines of the session, two workshops were held to reflect on the future of professional training for heritage experts in Cambodia. In particular, the Group of Ad Hoc Experts, UNESCO, and the APSARA National Authority discussed the establishment of a centralized training centre for heritage professionals that could respond not only to the needs of Cambodia, but also to those of the region as a whole, leveraging Cambodia’s specific fields of expertise, including in hydrological management and stone conservation.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/national-and-international-heritage-professionals-convene-42nd-technical-session-icc-angkor/sambor?hub=701
