Phnom Penh, January 15, 2019 –His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, has laid stress on the importance of stronger international partnerships to deal with global issues.
“We are now entering a new era of international relations, characterised by an evolving multipolar world order that is challenged by interconnected and complex issues. No single country, no matter how powerful it is, can address global issues alone. We need dialogue and international cooperation to solve them, whether they are climate change, natural disasters, poverty and inequality,” said the Cambodian monarch in a royal message to the inauguration ceremony of the 27th Annual Meeting of Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-27) held in Siem Reap provincial city this morning.
It is timely that we are all gathering here to reflect on our past experiences, to anticipate mega trends that will shape our Asia-Pacific region, and to envisage common pathways to strengthen the foundations of peace, freedom, democracy, and prosperity, said His Majesty the King, adding that multilateralism and the rules-based international system are under threat due to rising unilateralism, protectionism, extremism, nationalism and populism in different parts of the world. We need to be resilient and work together to promote an open, inclusive and rules-based multilateral system.
“We need to build stronger international partnerships to realise the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030. To that effect, Cambodia, as an active member of the international community, has aligned our national development strategy with the UNSDGs and is committed to contributing towards international efforts to address these global issues. Moreover, Cambodia will host the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) to harness cultural diversity and promote dialogues for peace and sustainable development,” underlined His Majesty the King.
Themed “Strengthening Parliamentary Partnership for Peace, Security and Sustainable Development,” the APPF-27 was officially opened at Sokha Siem Reap Resort and Convention Centre under the chairmanship of Samdech Vibol Sena Pheakdei Say Chhum, President of the Senate, Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly and President of the APPF-27, and Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, with high-ranking officials of the Royal Government of Cambodia, parliamentarians of APPF member countries, and representatives of partner organisations in attendance.
By C. Nika
