AKP Phnom Penh, March 31, 2026 --

Cambodian Senior Minister H.E. Dr. Ly Thuch has called on the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) to support Cambodia’s smooth and sustainable graduation from least developed country (LDC) status by 2029.

H.E. Dr. Ly Thuch made the appeal during a meeting on Tuesday with Ms. Rabab Fatima, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for UN-OHRLLS, held at the headquarters of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) in Phnom Penh.

Speaking on behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, H.E. Ly Thuch who serves as First Vice President of CMAA extended a warm welcome to Ms. Fatima and expressed appreciation for her participation in the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Mid-term Review of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Development Countries for the Decade 2022-2031. The meeting was co-organised by Cambodia’s National ESCAP Committee in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) and UN-OHRLLS.

He underscored Cambodia’s commitment to graduating from LDC status in a smooth and sustainable manner by 2029 and requested continued partnership and technical support from UN-OHRLLS to achieve that goal.

Ms. Fatima, for her part, commended Cambodia for successfully hosting the regional midterm review and reaffirmed the United Nations’ full support for the country’s LDC graduation process, pledging to help ensure a seamless and sustainable transition by the targeted date.

By K. Rithy Reak