Opening Remarks by H.E. Dr. SOK An, of​ the Angkor Heritage Management Framework Steering Committee, at the 3rd Steering Committee Meeting of the Angkor Heritage Management Framework Project

Sokha Angkor Resort, 2 December 2013

-       H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism;

-       H.E. Mr. Dave Gordge, Chargé d’Affaires, Australian Embassy;

-       H.E. Mrs. Anne Lemaistre, UNESCO Representative in Cambodia;

-       H.E. Mr. Khim Bunsong, Governor of Siem Reap Province;

-       Prof. Richard Mackay, GML Team leader;

-       Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen;

It is my great pleasure to participate with you today in the 3^rd Steering Committee meeting of the Heritage Management Framework project, which has been co-funded by the Government of Australia and the Royal Government of Cambodia, with effective coordination by UNESCO.

As we all know, the Heritage Management Framework (HMF) project covers areas of critical importance with regard to the management responsibilities of the APSARA National Authority in the Angkor World Heritage site. The project was initiated as a thoughtful response to a number of requests made by both the ICC-Angkor and the World Heritage Committee concerning the elaboration of a risk map and the strengthening of the management framework of the Angkor World Heritage site, in the context of increased challenges related to climate change, rural poverty, and ever-increasing tourist numbers.

Now, the HMF project is concluding the third year of its implementation, and, as planned, our Australian consultants from Godden Mackay Logan (GML) will also be accomplishing their mission in Cambodia, after having actively not only conducted a valuable analytical reflection, but even more importantly, carried out practical work on site and transferred knowledge to the APSARA technical staff, in conformity with the requirements formulated by the ICC-Angkor for all international teams working in the Angkor site. I therefore wish to take this opportunity to express our congratulations and appreciation to our Australian friends, in particular Prof. Mackay and Dr. Georgie Lloyd, who are here today, for their expertise and hard work. My sincere thanks also goes to the UNESCO Office for its effective coordination, and to the APSARA management and staff, especially H.E. Dr. Hang Peou, Project Director, for their relentless efforts and unshakable commitments to such a crucial undertaking on the ground. Yet, this is not the end of the story, and the latter is to assume the huge tasks of efficiently and effectively implementing the project.

In a few minutes, we will hear the presentations to be made by UNESCO, GML and APSARA on what they have achieved this year and their proposed recommendations for the implementation of the HMF project.

We appreciate the fact that the tools developed by the project have been designed to be used by APSARA over the long run. In this sense, I would also like to reiterate the willingness of APSARA National Authority to utilise these tools and implement the plans adopted within the framework of HMF, as well as to periodically update them to be living documents, for a better and more efficient management of the Angkor World Heritage site, and to report on the implementation in its regular reports submitted to the World Heritage Committee.

I therefore look forward to listening to the presentations by all three parties and expect the Steering Committee to consider and formulate useful recommendations in order to guide APSARA National Authority’s work in 2014 and beyond.

Thank you