Phnom Penh, November 22, 2024 – The Kingdom of Cambodia officially opened the 12th International Congress of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) on the theme “The Search for Peace and Reconciliation” on November 22, 2024. The congress and related meetings are taking place at the 7 Makara Palace from November 22 to 23.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and Honorary President of the 12th ICAPP Congress, alongside Samdech Hun Manet, Vice President of the CPP and President of the congress.

The congress convenes nearly 300 delegates, including 99 international delegates and 64 Cambodian delegates, with representation from 46 members of the CPP and 18 from the FUNCINPEC Party. Additionally, invitations were extended to 62 political parties, comprising 51 from Asia, four from Africa, and seven from Latin America, along with a European delegation represented by the Centre Democratic Alliance (CDI). Cambodia has been a member of ICAPP since 2003 and previously hosted the 6th ICAPP Conference in 2010 with positive outcomes.

During the opening remarks, Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his honor in welcoming delegates from more than 50 nations and acknowledged ICAPP's significant expansion in both size and political influence. He emphasized that while wars may ignite quickly, the journey towards lasting peace is a lengthy and complex process. 

"Ending wars is difficult, but finding sustainable peace is even more challenging," he stated. He highlighted the varying governance methods across countries and stressed the importance of peace for development, asserting that without peace, development cannot flourish.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen reiterated that a lack of peace equates to a lack of development, and that governmental leaders must not ignore the inherent value of peace. He asserted that justice cannot exist without peace, warning that the pursuit of justice in the absence of peace could lead to national crises. 

Touching on the sovereignty of Cambodia, he stated that outside interference could exacerbate past traumas, particularly the prosecution of the Khmer Rouge, without considering national reconciliation. 

Samdech Techo Hun Sen addressed the politicization of human rights issues, claiming they have been used as tools to undermine the Cambodian government. He referred to recent attempts of a color revolution in Cambodia, indicating that lessons learned from past events had equipped the government to prevent such occurrences.

Finally, he cautioned nations that espouse democratic values to avoid repeating past mistakes regarding Cambodia's political stability, referencing support for historical coups and regimes that led to national turmoil. The congress aims to explore and advance collaborative efforts for peace and reconciliation among Asian political parties, focusing on key areas such as conflict prevention, peace-building, good governance, transitional justice, and sustainability in the face of climate change.