PHNOM PENH, Friday 16 August 2013 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Coordinator has told Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sok An that UNDP will continue to help Cambodia in the fields of health and education which play a key role in poverty reduction.
Ms. Claire Van der Vaeren, also Representative of UNDP in Cambodia, said that there has been progress in the sector of health, education and poverty reduction.
UNDP is looking to finalize the education and training plan for 2014-2018, a project that involves Cambodia’s ministries of education and labor, said Ms. Claire.
“We will be looking at human capital and how best to provide training support to Cambodia,” she said.
His Excellency Dr. Sok An, in response, welcomed the coming plan and said the ministries of labor and education will need to work together on how to deal with training of capacity building that contributes to the country’s development.
In the meeting also attended by Ms. Anne Lemaistre, the UNESCO Representative in Cambodia, Ms. Lemaistre praised Cambodia for hosting the 37th session of World Heritage Committee in June successfully.
His Excellency Sok An said Cambodia is looking at creating the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Preah Vihear (ICC-Preah Vihear) after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announces its judgment, concerning Cambodia’s request for interpretation of the court’s decision in 1962 of Preah Vihear.
Preah Vihear was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008.
Angkor was first inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992. A year later, the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor) was set up to protect, preserve and develop this vast cultural heritage site.
The Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said that culture is regarded as a key element of economic growth given that cultural tourism greatly contributes to economic growth. More than 3 million tourists visit Cambodia a year. The country’s tourism sector shares 12 percent of its GDP.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that Angkor also contributes to tourism industry in the region, given the fact that Thailand uses slogan of its tourism market as “two kingdoms, one destination”, and Vietnam too says “two countries, one destination” to attract their tourists to visit Cambodia’s famed Angkor. End