On September 30, 2026, the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and the Enhancement of the Temple of Preah Vihear (ICC-Preah Vihear) held its 11th Technical Session in Siem Reap province. The meeting was presided over by H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts and Head of Delegation of the Royal Government of Cambodia, alongside Ms. LI Qiaozhi, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Department of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration and Co-Chair for China, and Mr. Vijay Shankar PRASAD, Second Secretary of the Embassy of India and Co-Chair for India.

Representatives of five member states attended the meeting, including Belgium, France, Japan, Thailand, and the United States. Ad-hoc experts, the Head of the Secretariat, and various national and international institutions, such as the APSARA National Authority, the Sambor Prei Kuk National Authority, and the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, also joined. A total of approximately 150 national and international researchers participated in person and online to monitor and evaluate the conservation and development work at the Preah Vihear and Koh Ker temple sites, which is implemented by the National Authority for Preah Vihear and international partners.

In the morning, following the opening remarks by the Co-chairs for China and India, the Director General of the National Authority for Preah Vihear reported to the meeting on the advisory mission results from international experts of the World Heritage Committee and ICOMOS experts. These experts conducted an assessment mission from March 1-6, 2026, to evaluate the damage to the Preah Vihear World Heritage Site caused by armed conflict on July 24-28 and December 7-27, 2025. This conflict caused damage to 562 locations at the Preah Vihear temple, along with physical infrastructure on the temple's mountain premises, and had a severe impact on the communities living around the heritage area. Currently, this report is publicly available on the official website of the World Heritage Committee: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1224/documents/#.

The meeting reviewed the conservation and research reports for the Koh Ker temple site implemented by the National Authority for Preah Vihear and its national and international partners, including: completing the restoration of the Prasat Krahom tower and the southern gate with support from the ALIPH Foundation, continuing research on the foundation of the Prasat Balang Tbong, preparing a conservation plan for the western gate of Prasat Krachap, the conservation project for Prasat Pram, the results of a study on human settlement in Koh Ker by the Max Planck Institute of Germany, and archaeological excavation findings on construction and agriculture by Yale University, USA.

During the afternoon, the meeting focused on the results of emergency interventions for the Preah Vihear temple, in accordance with the recommendations of the UNESCO assessment report and the results of the 11th Plenary Session of ICC-Preah Vihear in March 2026. This work was executed by the National Authority for Preah Vihear in collaboration with international partners, supported by funding from UNESCO, the ALIPH Foundation, the French Ministry of Culture, and the Royal Government of Cambodia. Within this framework, the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) cleared unexploded ordnance over an area of approximately 70 hectares, discovering 625 craters, 730 surface ordnances, 247 buried ordnances, and 4 drones. The National Authority for Preah Vihear collected, registered, and stored 84,800 broken temple stone fragments, propped up high-risk temple structures at 23 locations, installed stone movement monitoring devices at 50 sites, constructed protective roofs over 4 temple areas, and restored nearly 250 meters of the ancient drainage system.

In addition to the above results, the meeting identified urgent ongoing tasks required to save the Preah Vihear temple, including: the emergency propping of 25 additional temple structures, the construction of a shelter to store stone fragments to avoid damage and loss, and the preparation of additional drainage systems to divert water from the temple.

At the same time, the meeting continued to express deep concern regarding the severe damage to the Preah Vihear temple caused by the armed conflict in 2025. This situation serves as a reminder of the importance of ensuring the safety and security of both Cambodian and international teams working in the temple area, enabling them to fulfill their duties to protect this heritage site as a means of preserving the Outstanding Universal Value of the Preah Vihear temple.

In this context, Her Excellency the Minister clearly emphasized that the Preah Vihear World Heritage Site must continue to serve its cultural and heritage functions, and that this area is not and has never been used for military purposes. Her Excellency the Minister also highlighted the World Heritage Committee's Decision 48 COM 7 in Busan, Republic of Korea, from July 2026, which expressed profound sorrow over the loss of human life, along with deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation and damage to World Heritage properties caused by various conflicts (including armed conflict and civil unrest) and climate-related disasters, which are increasing in both frequency and severity. In this sense, Her Excellency the Minister expressed hope that the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) will resume its work to finalize border demarcation peacefully, in accordance with the conventions and agreements agreed upon by both countries and in line with international law, in order to ensure peace for the heritage and people of both nations. At the same time, she also called for the approximately 20,000 displaced Cambodians, who are blocked due to the ongoing occupation by the Thai military, to be allowed to return to their villages.

The meeting welcomed efforts to restore safety for the conservation work at the Preah Vihear temple and to enhance the capacity of technical officials of the National Authority for Preah Vihear. As a testament to this work, Her Excellency the Minister presented certificates of appreciation to the Cambodian Mine Action Centre and certificates of study to technical officials from the Preah Vihear and APSARA National Authorities who participated in 3D documentation training under a UNESCO financial assistance cooperation project.

At the same time, the meeting requested the Thai side to provide information regarding firing directions and related data, encompassing both aerial bombings and ground fire, to serve as a baseline of information for clearing mines and unexploded ordnance to restore safety in the temple and development areas. Furthermore, the meeting also recommended that the National Authority for Preah Vihear identify and prioritize areas for the clearance of explosive remnants of war from the armed clashes and cluster munitions.

The meeting commended national and international experts, the National Authority for Preah Vihear, and the Royal Government of Cambodia for taking immediate practical measures to save the temple from further collapse. Gratitude was expressed to UNESCO, the ALIPH Foundation, and the French Ministry of Culture for providing financial support for emergency interventions, and to the US Embassy for providing grant support for a certificate training program for heritage conservation skilled workers of the National Authority for Preah Vihear, implemented by the World Monuments Fund (WMF) in collaboration with the APSARA National Authority. The meeting also called on ICC-Preah Vihear member states and national and international institutions to continue supporting technical and financial efforts to rescue and restore the site, aiming to preserve the Outstanding Universal Value, authenticity, and integrity of the Preah Vihear temple for future generations of humanity.