- Hon. André Pastrana Arango, President of Centrist Democrat International;
- Esteemed leaders of IDC-CDI;
- Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Today, I am pleased to take part in the opening of IDC-CDI Executive Committee Meeting. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all delegates to this historic gathering in Siem Reap City, the center of our Angkorian civilization which dated back from the 9th to the 15th Centuries. The Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), as Vice-President of the IDC-CDI, is truly honored to host this Executive Committee Meeting as well as the Special Forum on “Youth and the Peace Charter: For People and the Planet,” which was held earlier today. I am also delighted that many of you will be joining the 12th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) as well as the 11th Plenary Session of the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP) later this week in Phnom Penh.
Let me seize this opportunity to convey my respect and profound gratitude to Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the CPP and President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, for his visionary leadership in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and development in our country. As Cambodians, we are indebted to his lifetime commitment to peace, reconciliation and post-conflict reconstruction, which have set the foundation for the national rejuvenation and modernization of this country.
Today, our world faces unprecedented challenges with geopolitical tensions rising to heights not seen for decades. Extension and proliferation of armed conflicts across regions with participation of indirect parties to the conflicts have diminished hope for an early ceasefire and increased fear for a conflict of a global scale.
Moreover, economic polarization, climate change and natural disasters are threatening lives globally at an unimaginable scale. Combined, these challenges have caused humanitarian and refugee crisis, and hindered economic recovery, fueling inflation, disrupting supply chains, and compromising food security and human development. That is why, the theme of our meeting today is so timely and relevant, as we seek to harness our shared responsibility to address these pressing regional and global issues. I believe that together we could be impactful advocates for peace and dialogue, and cooperation that aim to accelerate our economic and social recovery toward development and prosperity.
Cambodia, as a small state, embraces an independent foreign policy with respect to international law, which requires that we strive to strengthen our national resilience in political-security, socio-economic and cultural fields. Cambodia stands ready to contribute to peace across our region. As a matter of fact, Cambodia had lost several decades to its protracted civil war, but we have managed to restore full peace for more than two decades and have achieved prosperity through economic liberalization and reintegration into global economy till the present days. The fact that next week Cambodia will be hosting the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World is a testimony of how Cambodia has re-emerged stronger and more resilient from being merely a victim of war to becoming one of the torch-bearers of peace who is globally recognized as one of the most active deminers and mine action advocates.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are witnessing in recent years the rise of multipolarity in the new world order driven in part by globalization, technological advancements, and the rise of emerging economies. Today’s emerging 21st century world order is marked by a multiplicity of actors, civilizations and cultures. In another word, it is a world of interconnectedness and interdependence.
In Southeast Asia, we fully embrace these multiple civilizations and multilateralism. In the pluralist global community, diversity demands that we respect different forms of political governance and institutions, even variants of democracies. Cambodia, which was once a thriving ancient civilization connecting Asian trade routes, now seeks to be a bridge-builder in the modern era by enhancing our global connectivity.
Under the CPP’s leadership, we aspire alongside like-minded countries and political parties to support multilateralism and pluralism in political governance. Given the past history, peace is the core foundation of CPP’s political philosophy that seeks to build a society that is harmonious, tolerant and inclusive, where people despite their social backgrounds and political orientations can live side by side, a society that can settle differences through talks without resorting to extremism and violent political culture.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I recognize that IDC-CDI has come a long way to become a globally recognized core community of 109 political parties from 83 countries, all rooted in democratic principles. As IDC-CDI’s Vice-President, the CPP has proudly contributed to the development and strengthening of Cambodia as a democratic country in the region. We have actively participated in various regional and global political initiatives, using our own experiences in peacebuilding and reconciliation. As a small country, our ambition lies not in military strength but in peace-making. After all, we only seek to live in peace, and prosper as a sovereign state with territorial integrity. The CPP together with the IDC-CDI is indeed proud to address regional challenges and advance peace-building efforts aligned with IDC-CDI’s core democratic values and principles.
In that regard, I truly appreciate the works of the IDC-CDI as they relate to the value of peace, freedom of reliable and accountable press, and participation of youth and women in peace and security, among other aspects. This resonates perfectly with the proposed establishment of the Universal Peace Charter, part of which was discussed and elaborated at the Special Forum held this morning. I believe that we are witnessing a historical moment in modern history in that governments, parliaments, political parties and civil society organizations from across the globe have reached this common vision of having in place a universal peace architecture that is open, inclusive, people-centered and action-oriented. Moreover, it is complementary to the functions of the United Nations in peacebuilding. As such, I would like to encourage our IDC-CDI global family to support and partake in this journey together.
I am fully convinced that IDC-CDI’s unwavering commitment to this process will enable us to better adapt to changing geo-political and geo-economic circumstances, building unity in diversity, and strengthening relations with our partners based on trust and mutual respect. In these challenging times, I would like to emphasize that political parties and parliaments do have an indispensable role to play to advance this noble agenda.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our gatherings over the next few days are efforts to secure common positions for ensuring worldwide security, stability, and development. I am confident that IDC-CDI can provide valuable inputs for our discussions as well as identify some policy recommendations to promote peaceful coexistence for the greater interests of our peoples. On that positive note, allow me now to conclude my speech by wishing our IDC-CDI family continued success and good health. I hope all distinguished participants have a comfortable and pleasant stay in our cultural city of Siem Reap.
Thank You!