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As sea levels rise, Cambodia approves UN glacier protection declaration
Environment minister Eang Sophalleth addresses a high-level international conference on glacier preservation in Tajikistan on May 30. Environment ministry
As part of its commitment to contributing to a global response to climate change, Cambodia has approved the Dushanbe Glaciers Declaration – a call for member states and stakeholders of the UN to take action to protect glaciers.
This approval took place as Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth led a Cambodian delegation — on behalf of Prime Minister Hun Manet — to the International Conference on Glacier Preservation in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from May 29 to 31.
The conference, attended by over 2,000 participants from 60 countries, aimed to strengthen international cooperation and promote a global agenda for glacier conservation.
Upon his return to Cambodia on the night of June 2, the minister told reporters that alongside approving the declaration, he had also called for practical commitments to implement collaborative initiatives and strategic recommendations at the upcoming COP30 conference, to be held in Brazil this November.
These efforts also aim to implement the decision of the UN General Assembly on “2025: The International Year of Glacier Preservation”.
“Cambodia is committed to strengthening its role in glacier preservation by calling on developed countries and financial institutions to support innovative conservation projects and share technologies for glacier monitoring and early warning systems,” he said.
Climate change is causing glaciers to melt rapidly, contributing to rising sea levels. This melting has been responsible for about 0.74 millimetres per year, or 21 per cent of total sea level rise.
The Kingdom has declared its readiness to cooperate with the international community to promote actions that address climate change, enhance environmental protection and ensure a sustainable future — specifically to protect the world’s glaciers and maintain the planet’s equilibrium.
The minister reiterated Cambodia’s commitment to implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change, highlighting the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, as he addressed the conference on May 30.
He also emphasised the integration of priority actions into its cross-sectoral environmental strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste sectors.
On Tuesday, June 3, the environment ministry announced that on May 31, during the conference, the minister also spoke on behalf of the Cambodian government at the Leaders’ Roundtable. His remarks focused on contributing to the global climate response agenda ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UNFCCC.
Cambodia strongly expressed its full support for the “Roadmap from Baku to Belém to $1.3 Trillion”, aimed at scaling up climate finance for developing countries — particularly through grants to support low-emission and climate-resilient development.
The UN General Assembly resolution declared 2025 the International Year of Glacier Preservation in December 2022, with the goal of raising awareness, encouraging cooperation and coordinating sustainable measures to conserve and manage glaciers at all levels — which requires further action and efforts from countries around the world.
The ministry also reported that during his stay in Tajikistan, Sophalleth took part in a bilateral meeting with Fuji Hisayuki, Japan’s vice-minister of foreign affairs. The two parties discussed strengthening cooperation – especially in environmental protection, technology transfer and Japanese support for Cambodian projects related to solid and plastic waste management, as well as pollution control.
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