Activities of Secretary-General in Cambodia, 26-28 October
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the evening of 26 October. The next morning, after an official welcoming ceremony, he met with Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Peace Palace, the newly built Government office, becoming the first visiting dignitary to be hosted there.
Secretary-General Ban and Prime Minister Hun Sen held a detailed exchange of views on a broad range of subjects covering bilateral, regional and international issues. Topics discussed include the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) partnership, the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, human rights and the work of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister also discussed the situation in Myanmar.
An hour later, the Secretary-General was granted an audience with Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia. That was followed by a town hall meeting with the United Nations country team, and later a visit to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. In his address to officials and staff, the Secretary-General stressed the need to ensure that those most responsible for the worst crimes are brought to justice. He commended the work of the Extraordinary Chambers in that respect, and assured them of his commitment to raising the funds necessary for the completion of their mandate. (See Press Release SG/SM/13206)
That evening, the Secretary-General and his wife, Madam Ban Son-taek, were guests of the Prime Minister at an official dinner in their honour.
The next morning, 28 October, Secretary-General visited the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. After touring the facility, he delivered an impassioned plea for an end to crimes against humanity, referring to the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime. He renewed his pledge to see the Extraordinary Chambers carry out their mandate to help close that traumatic chapter of Cambodia’s history. (See Press Release SG/SM/13209)
The Secretary-General also visited the Khmer-Soviet hospital, a drug-rehabilitation and mental health centre, before departing Phnom Penh for Hanoi, Viet Nam.