AKP Phnom Penh, September 23, 2026 --

The Phnom Penh Declaration on combating online scams is expected to be adopted tomorrow during the International Conference on Combating Online Scams being held in Phnom Penh on Sept. 23-24 under the theme “Acting Together Towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams.”

This international conference attracted delegates from 27 nations and 7 international organisations, as well as 347 national and international journalists from 69 local and foreign media organisations.

In his keynote address, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet encouraged all panelists and participants to engage in a candid and constructive discussion over the course of this conference.

“I hope all participants will adopt the Phnom Penh Declaration on the Sept. 24, 2026 as a testament to our collective commitment to disrupt the chain and eradicate online scams,” he underlined. “We gather today to exchange perspectives and to reaffirm a decisive and collective commitment against one of the most complex threats of our digital age.”

The Prime Minister also shared his commitment clearly to all participants that Cambodia will not allow criminal syndicates to undermine Cambodia’s progress and the livelihood of over 17 million Cambodian people.

Samdech Thipadei said the Royal Government has been enforced the policy of zero tolerance, no exceptions, and no retreat. The Kingdom has treated law enforcement as a standing national security obligation, not a public relations campaign.

“We focus our efforts on permanently eradicating criminal networks, preventing their re-emergence, and restoring global confidence in our economy, investment climate, tourism, and public safety,” he emphasised.

H.E. Chhay Sinarith, Senior Minister in charge of Special Missions and Head of the Secretariat of the Ad-Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS), said that the Joint Declaration will outline the joint commitment to combating online scams and providing a framework for strengthening international cooperation, information sharing, capacity building, prevention, law enforcement, victim protection, and coordinated responses to online scams crimes.

Mr. Nicholas Court, Director of Taskforce Coordination Directorate of INTERPOL said INTERPOL welcomes the Phnom Penh Declaration and the recognition it gives to the importance of international cooperation to combat fraud.

In this context, H.E. Yang Weilin, Vice Minister of Public Security of China, said Cambodia has continuously ramped up efforts to combat telecom and cyber fraud.
Through enhanced legislation, strict law enforcement, crackdowns on corruption and strengthened international cooperation, Cambodia has carried out special campaigns against fraud, taken heavy-handed action against criminal syndicates, fully eliminated large-scale casino-fraud compounds within its territory, and arrested and repatriated tens of thousands of fraud-related suspects. These remarkable achievements have been widely recognised by the international community, he said.

Ms. Delphine Schantz, Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said UNODC is pleased to support this initiative of the Royal Government of Cambodia, and she wished to thank Cambodia on this initiative.

“Let us use this opportunity to not just reflect on the progress made, and the challenges ahead, but to define clear, actionable steps toward more effective responses at the national, regional and global level,” she stressed.

By Heng Panaha