UNESCO to Mark 1st Anniversary of Tuol Sleng Genocide Inscription

   Toul Sleng Genocidle museum in PhnomPenh, Cambodia.

CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, AUGUST 6, 2010- The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the UNESCO Office in Cambodia will jointly organize the 1^st anniversary ceremony of the inscription of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Archives in the Memory of the World International Register on 9 August, 2010, according to UNESCO office in Phnom Penh. UNESCO Office in Cambodia in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts is organizing the 1^st anniversary ceremony of the inscription of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Archives in the Memory of the World International Register. The event will feature speeches by the Minister of Culture and Fine Arts and Representative of UNESCO, and will conclude with art performances.
“The Memory of the World is the documented, collective memory of the peoples of the world. It is the legacy of the past to the world community of the present and the future.” The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme recognizes documentary heritage of international, regional and national significance, maintains registers of it, and facilitates preservation and access without discrimination. It campaigns to raise awareness of the documentary heritage and to alert governments, the general public, and businesses to preservation needs.
“This ceremony will foster reflections on collective memory and raise awareness and bring attention to the importance of preserving and protecting our documentary heritage that memorializes our past.” The ceremony will gather participants from the MoCFA and other concerned ministries, development partners and NGOs, and will be held in the morning of Monday, 9 August, 2010 at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.
During the three day meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme, which was held on July 31, 2009 in Bridgetown, Barbados, Director General of UNESCO announced the inscription of documentary heritage on the recommendation of experts of the IAC of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme. The historical photographs and documents from the site of the S-21 prison and interrogation center of the Pol Pot regime, currently held at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, were listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register on 31 July, 2009. The museum archive holds 4,186 prisoner “confessions”, 6,226 biographies of prisoners and 6,147 photographic prints.

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WB Gives $23 million for Strengthening Higher Education in Cambodia

                                  Institut De Technologie Du Cambodge

CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, AUGUST 6, 2010-The World Bank Group on August 6 approved US$23 million in grant and credit to help strengthen higher education institutions in Cambodia. The Higher Education Quality and Capacity Improvement Project aims to improve the quality of teaching, management and research capacity, and provide scholarships to disadvantaged students.

“Investing in human capital for Cambodia’s sustainable development and poverty reduction is a key component of our Country Assistance Strategy,” said World Bank Country Manager, Qimiao Fan. “I hope that this new project will help the country, particularly the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, to strengthen its quality standards for education, as well as build the skills needed for the public and private sectors.” Fan said in the statement from World Bank.

The International Development Association – the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries – is providing a grant and interest-free loan for the project, each valued at US$11.5 million.

This five-year project will focus on four main components such as strengthening the capacity of Cambodia’s higher education system by improving the overall development, management and governance of the higher education institutions. This involves strengthening the capacity of the Department of Higher Education, Department of Scientific Research, the Accreditation Committee and Higher Education Institutes. 

"Providing Competitive Development and Innovation Grants that could help improve teaching and management, as well as provide practical solutions for existing development problems in the country. providing Scholarships to Disadvantaged Students based on pro-poor targeting and educational criteria.  Project Management and Monitoring and Evaluation," the statement added.

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Cambodian FM Hor Nam Hong to Visit Iran Next Week

CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, AUGUST 6, 2010-Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Nam Hong will visit Iran next week to strengthen bilateral cooperation and sign MOU of oil and gas,” Cambodian and Iranian officials said on Friday.

"During the trip, the Cambodian foreign minister will meet and talk with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki as well as other high-ranking Iranian officials," Iranian Ambassador to Phnom Penh Seyed Javad Qavam Shahidi said previously.  DPM Hor also will pay the courtesy call on Iranian president.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong will also ink MOU of oil and gas with Iranian side,” Koy Khoung, spokesman for Cambodian Foreign Ministry told media.
Iran and Cambodia have recently expanded their parliamentary relations and exchange’s visit of lawmakers. In May, Cambodia 's Parliament Speaker Heng Samrin called for the development of all ties between Tehran and Phnom Penh .

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