Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of Cambodia, welcomed the 17th anniversary of the inclusion of Preah Vihear Temple on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Preah Vihear Temple, which is located on top of a cliff in the Dangrek mountain in the northern Preah Vihear province, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 7, 2008, during the 32nd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Quebec City, Canada.  

On his official Facebook post on Monday, July 7, 2025, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said that UNESCO's decision has been a great success for the Royal Government of Cambodia.

In the cause of enhancing the value of national cultural heritage and protecting national sovereignty, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, as the Prime Minister of Cambodia at that time, sent a letter to UNESCO in 2001 to request the registration of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site.

A year later, UNESCO responded positively in helping to prepare documents for the inclusion of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site. In 2006, the World Heritage Committee agreed to accept Cambodia’s request and sent an expert team to inspect the temple in 2007.

After a thorough study and evaluation, at its 32nd session in Quebec City, Canada, on 7 July 2008, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to include Preah Vihear Temple in the World Heritage List.

UNESCO’s decision to include Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site was a great success for Cambodia, under the leadership of Samdech Techo Hun Sen, former Prime Minister of Cambodia, in regaining ownership of the temple after claiming the right to control it from Thailand on June 15, 1962, under the great royal patronage of His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk.

By Pheara