Cambodia - Minister for Foreign Affairs Addresses General Debate, 72nd Session

Prak Sokhon, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cambodia, addresses the general debate of the 72nd Session of the General Assembly of the UN (New York, 19 - 25 September 2017).

• Categories: Meetings & Events / General Assembly
• Video Length: 00:16:31
• Production Date: 22 September 2017
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Subject Topical: GENERAL DEBATE
• Geographic Subject: CAMBODIA
• MAMS Id: 1977510
• Parent Id: 1976495
• Alternate Title: 72_KH

Description

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cambodia, Prak Sokhonn, underscored the importance of all dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“The 2030 Agenda is inextricably linked to many issues that perturb the world today, the most pressing one being climate change, which is not only a direct threat in itself but also a multiplier of many other threats – from poverty, diseases and food insecurity to mass migrations and regional conflicts,” he said, highlighting his country’s efforts in address these at the national level.

Also in his address, the Cambodian Minister voiced concern over targeting of his country by some UN agencies and non-governmental organizations over human rights issues, and questioned the impartiality and neutrality of the criticism.

“The issue of human rights and democracy is raised only when the specific interests of certain major powers are at stake, at the vagaries of the moment. Otherwise, it is sheer silence, and often a conspiracy of silence,” the Minister said, adding that non-governmental organizations are “far from being politically neutral.”

Noting that his country had been the victim of political manipulation during the 12 years of the Khmer Rouge regime, during which egregious mass crimes had occurred, but which he said, were denied by the international community.

Also in his address, he voiced concern over the situation in the Korean Peninsula and urged all parties to exercise utmost restraint.

• Scripts: File; kh_en.pdf (574.28 KB)