During a meeting with H.E. Eat Sophea, Permanent Secretary of State at Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on 31 July 2026, Thomas Andrews, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, said he had seen the situation facing people displaced along the border. He expressed hope for a swift resolution that would enable them to return safely and with dignity to their homes and resume their livelihoods, in accordance with international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand.
Andrews expressed his appreciation to the Cambodian government for its full cooperation and facilitation of his mission from 20 to 31 July 2026. This enabled him to meet Cambodian leaders and a wide range of stakeholders, conduct visits to Siem Reap and Banteay Meanchey provinces, and visit detention centres.
According to a press release issued by Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3 August, discussions between the Permanent Secretary of State and the UN Special Rapporteur covered a broad range of human rights issues, including freedom of expression, economic and financial inclusion, gender equality and women’s empowerment, overcrowding in prisons and detention centres, and efforts to improve access to justice.
The Permanent Secretary of State underlined the Royal Government of Cambodia’s commitment to promoting and protecting civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights, as mutually reinforcing and inseparable components of sustainable development.
While encouraging Cambodia to continue making progress in addressing the remaining challenges, Andrews also acknowledged its cooperative spirit and commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. He noted that Cambodia had ratified eight of the nine core international human rights treaties and had accepted more than 84 per cent of the recommendations made under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Andrews also reaffirmed the Human Rights Council’s readiness to continue providing technical assistance to Cambodia to support the implementation of these recommendations. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining open and constructive dialogue, strengthening technical cooperation, and continuing to work together to advance the promotion and protection of human rights in Cambodia.
By: ង៉ែត ពិសាន្ត
