AKP Phnom Penh, July 30, 2026 -- H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, met here on July 29 with Mr. Flavio Bonetti, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to the Kingdom of Cambodia, to review the progress and further strengthen cooperation in the education sector.

The meeting also focused on preparations for the 75th anniversary of Cambodia’s relations with and membership in UNESCO, as well as the organisation of the welcoming programme for the upcoming official visit of the UNESCO Director-General to Cambodia.

In the meeting, Mr. Flavio Bonetti expressed his profound pleasure and high appreciation for the close friendship and cooperation between Cambodia and UNESCO over the past 75 years.

He noted that UNESCO has continued to work closely with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) to support the update of the Teacher Policy for its official launch on Teacher’s Day, and to assist the implementation of the ICT/AI Competency Framework for Teachers and EdTech.

He said UNESCO continues to support student learning assessments in primary education under the STEPCam programme, non-formal education, and the Basic Education Equivalency Programme (BEEP), he said.

In addition, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the programme helps out-of-school youth obtain certificates, together with factory literacy initiatives.

Mr. Bonetti further highlighted that during the official visit of the UNESCO Director-General, UNESCO Cambodia will organise special activities to showcase Cambodia’s educational achievements, conduct field visits to selected target schools, and receive proposals and recommendations from the MoEYS.

For his part, H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron warmly welcomed the delegation and highly valued the effective cooperation between the Ministry of Education and UNESCO across many education initiatives, particularly teacher reform, which is considered a core programme and a top priority of the Ministry.

The Minister said the MoEYS will prepare a comprehensive report on teacher reform, covering all relevant aspects, including teacher policies and teacher training centres, for presentation on Teacher’s Day as part of the 75th-anniversary celebrations.

H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron also underscored the tangible outcomes of the cooperation, including the early grade reading and mathematics packages, which have helped increase the proportion of students achieving proficiency in early grade reading and mathematics.

He added that the MoEYS plans to organise an exhibition and a special report on the use of AI, new teaching methodologies, and achievements in education infrastructure improvement at the National Institute of Education (NIE), the Phnom Penh Teacher Education College (PTEC), and the Battambang Teacher Education College (BTEC).

By Phal Sophanith