Phnom Penh, 25 September 2024: Prof. Akiko Yamanaka, Special Advisor to ERIA’s President, Japan’s Former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Special Ambassador for Peacebuilding of Japan, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts (MCFA) of the Kingdom of Cambodia, at her office.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr Sackona expressed her gratitude for Prof. Yamanaka’s visit to Cambodia. The visit followed discussions in Jakarta between ERIA and H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, about an ongoing study on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) and Women’s Digital Economy (WDE), conducted in collaboration with the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation. Dr Sackona was joined by women colleagues who are actively working on initiatives to advance women’s rights and opportunities in Cambodia. Together, they explored the opportunities and challenges in promoting gender equality in the country.

The delegation included H.E. Ms Chhoeung Simorn, Secretary of State; H.E. Ms Pen Moni Makara, Secretary of State; H.E. Ms Lundi Sannara, Secretary of State; H.E. Ms Soth Somaly, Undersecretary of State; H.E. Mr Vin Laychour, Director General of Finance and Administration; and Ms Suos Lyda, Director of International Cultural Cooperation and ASEAN Affairs at Cambodia’s MCFA.

In addition to discussing women’s empowerment, the meeting touched on the rich cultural heritage and the historical and contemporary arts of both Cambodia and Japan. Dr Sackona and Prof. Yamanaka also discussed the upcoming World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, which aims to gather global wisdom and knowledge to address pressing global challenges and promote sustainability policies across nations.