An appeal on protecting cultural heritage and promoting cultural diversity is scheduled to be adopted during the Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Foreign Affairs Ministry has said.
The appeal follows severe damage to UNESCO-listed Temple of Preah Vihear after it was bombed during last year’s border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand.
For Cambodia, the damage at Preah Vihear illustrates what heritage protection entails after fighting. UNESCO documented extensive damage to the temple during the July and December 2025 clashes.
During the December fighting, UNESCO urged all parties to protect cultural heritage and reminded them of their obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 World Heritage Convention.
The organisation said it had shared the locations of World Heritage sites and sites of national significance with the parties concerned to help prevent damage.
The Phnom Penh Appeal on the Protection of Cultural Heritage and the Promotion of Cultural Diversity is one of three documents expected to emerge from the November 15–16 summit, the first Cambodia has hosted, and just the second to be held in Asia.
The other two are the Phnom Penh Declaration, which will address peaceful coexistence and cooperation, and a resolution on crisis response, recovery and peacebuilding in the Francophonie.
