Press Release on the Final Day of the Victims Workshop Organized by the ECCC

Today, 5 May 2022, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) closed the three-day Workshop on Victims and Dissemination of the Advisory Report on Victim-Related Activities of the ECCC during the Residual Phase.” The Workshop took place from 03 to 05 May 2022 at Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh.

The events were marked by the active presence of 19 Civil Parties and victim-survivors of the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) regime. They joined regular working group discussions with other participants, and they shared extensive opinions at the closing plenary session today. At the closing ceremony, they were represented by Civil Parties Mr. CHAN Sath and Ms. PECH Srey Phâl, who each made brief remarks and called for different government ministries and international organizations to do more to support aging victim-survivors in the coming years and to share their experiences with the public to ensure the conflict never occurs again.

The three-day workshop saw the attention and involvement of the international diplomatic community as well. The workshop was opened on 03 May with inspiring remarks from French Ambassador Jacques PELLET, H.E. KEO Remy, Delegate Minister attached to the Prime Minister, President of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Royal Government Task Force on the ECCC Proceedings and closed on 05 May with a warm speech of support from Japanese Ambassador MIKAMI Masahiro. The events were also joined by the British Ambassador, Tina REDSHAW. Representatives of the Embassies and diplomatic offices of Australia, the United States, Germany the European Union, Switzerland, Turkey, Thailand, and Vietnam also attended. Germany’s GIZ Civil Peace Service also sent a large contingent of regular participants who contributed a great deal of advice and support throughout the event. The Workshop was very grateful for their attendance and commitment to the ECCC as it approaches its residual phase.

Significantly, the workshop saw the active attention and dedicated involvement of more than 90 participants, including representatives of local NGOs and international organizations, state institutions and museums, Civil Party lawyers, independent academics, lawyers and researchers, and ECCC parties and staff, all of whom joined for three days and contributed a wide range of intensive and comprehensive details for the framework and programs of the ECCC’s coming residual phase.

As H.E. KRANH Tony, Acting Director of the Office of Administration of the ECCC, and Knut ROSANDHAUG, Deputy Director of the Office of Administration of the ECCC and UNAKRT Coordinator, made clear in their opening and closing remarks, respectively, this three-day workshop represents a first step as the ECCC, victims and Civil Parties, and their representatives and stakeholders begin consideration and implementation of the residual mandate.

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