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The 37th Technical Session of the ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk oversees the progress of the conservation and sustainable development projects at the two World Heritage sites
The 37th Technical Session was co-chaired by Mr. Ichitomo TANINAI, Minister/Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan, and Mr. Pierre VINCENT, Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs of the Embassy of France, in the presence of H.E. Dr. PHOEURNG Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, and Mr. Sardar Umar ALAM, UNESCO Representative to Cambodia.
Over 200 participants attended physically the session in Siem Reap including representatives of the Royal Government of Cambodia, France, Japan, India, Lao PDR, Vietnam and the United States as well as international teams operating in Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk (the Ecole française d’Extrême Orient, the Archaeological Survey of India, GIZ, KOICA, the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, Sophia University, World Monuments Fund, Waseda University, SPAFA, and GACP) while 100 participants joined the event remotely via Zoom including the Russian Federation, Thailand, Myanmar.
During the 37th Technical Session, the Committee discussed and monitored the implementation of the recommendations adopted at the 36th Technical and the 29th Plenary Sessions in December 2022. The Session was also devoted to a number of presentations by the technical teams and specialists, featuring themes on restoration, archaeological, research, tourism and sustainable development.
The Co-Chairs, France and Japan, and UNESCO Representative to Cambodia underlined the success and the value of the ICC, making ANGKOR one of the major heritage innovation laboratories in the world. While congratulating the Royal Government for the inscription of Kun Lbokator, traditional martial arts, on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, in November 2022, Mr. Sardar Umar ALAM, Representative of UNESCO to Cambodia also commended the Royal Government for its constant and active role in the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention and its continued support to World Heritage programme, in particular through the International Coordinating Committee of Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk (ICC).
In her closing remarks, the Minister of Culture and Fine Arts expressed her appreciation to the Governments of France and Japan, UNESCO, the ad hoc experts, the international community, and the teams at work for their continued commitment over the past 3 decades making the achievements of the ICC worthy of praise. H.E. Dr. PHOEURNG Sackona also welcomed Prof. Inaba NOBUKO, first female ad hoc Expert to the group of ad hoc experts for Conservation, thanking her for the contribution of her long experience and deep competence.
As a result of the session, 24 recommendations for conservation and sustainable development, submitted by the groups of ad hoc experts, were adopted unanimously by the participants providing guidance and technical advice to the teams of national and international conservators, archeologists, architects, restorers, and engineers working in Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk. It was also decided that the next 38th Technical and the 30th Plenary Sessions of the ICC shall be held in February 2024.
In the days leading to the technical session, the ICC Secretariat and ad hoc experts were witnesses to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the APSARA National Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of New Zealand on the Partnership Arrangement for the Angkor Water Resilience Project. On 9 June 2023, H.E. Dr. HANG Peou, Director General of APSARA National Authority, and H.E. Jonathan KINGS, Ambassador of New Zealand to Cambodia signed the MoU under the high presidency of H.E. Dr. PHOEURNG Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts and President of the Board of APSARA National Authority.
The Angkor Water Resilience Project will span over a five-year implementation period from 2023 to 2028 helping to manage the ancient irrigation system more effectively to avoid floods in the Siem Reap-Angkor area and take advantage of natural resources to develop communities and empower human resources through capacity building.
The Angkor Water Resilience Project is the fourth project in which New Zealand has partnered with the APSARA National Authority after the Angkor Management Plan, the Angkor Participatory Natural Resource Management & Livelihoods (APNRM & L) and the Angkor Community Heritage and Economic Advancement (ACHA).
The following day, on the morning of 10 June 2023, the APSARA National Authority and the ICC jointly planted 400 square meters of grass and nearly 500 mixed seedlings in the southwest area of Angkor Wat temple in South Taksin village, Kork Chak commune, Siem Reap city.
On 16 June 2023, a delegation had the honor to attend a Royal Audience to mark the dawn of the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the ICC-Angkor. The 4th Intergovernmental Conference on Angkor shall be organized on 15 November 2023 as a side event of the 42nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO at its headquarters in Paris. Led by the Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, the delegation was composed of H.E. Mr. Jacques PELLET, Ambassador of France to Cambodia, H.E. Mr. Atsushi UENO, Ambassador of Japan to Cambodia, Mr. Sardar Umar ALAM, Representative of UNESCO to Cambodia, Prof. Azedine BESCHAOUCH, ICC Scientific Secretary, and other members, along with the ad hoc experts of the ICC.
His Majesty the King of Cambodia congratulated the ICC’s delegation and all partners involved for their unfailing work in support of the preservation of the cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Cambodia, in particular in the context of the ICC’s 30 years of achievements.
