By Toby McIntosh
UNESCO has denied access to a report on the extensive damage done to the Preah Vihears temple in Cambodia.
The fact-finding report on the UNESCO World Heritage site was prepared by experts dispatched by UNESCO in March.
Eye on Global Transparency asked for a copy of the report pursuant to UNESCO’s access to information policy.
However, UNESCO turned down the request without any explanation, except saying that the report was sent to the Cambodian government.
EYE on June 17 appealed the denial to a seven-person appellate panel established as part of the access policy.
EYE wrote that UNESCO has failed to justify its decision under the terms of the access policy and that the report should be released under the policy’s public interest standard. “There would appear to be little justification for UNESCO to deny this request and UNESCO has not cited any potential harm from disclosure of this report,” according to the appeal.
See text of EYE’s appeal: UNESCO Preah Vihear appeal June 17
The Preah Vihear temple suffered extensive during 2025 conflicts along the Cambodian-Thailand border.
Appeals Panel Secrecy
UNESCO and its appeals panel has previously denied a request for what may be a similar document.
An unknown requester asked for what UNESCO has described only as a “WHC – ICOMOS November 2020 Technical Review Document.” WHC refers to the World Heritage Committee and ICOMOS is an advisory body, the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
EYE asked for the Panel’s decision, but UNESCO turned down the request. (See Jan. 27, 2026, EYE article.)
In unsuccessfully appealing, the EYE learned that the Panel hadn’t actually issued a decision, but would consider doing so in future cases. (See April 16, 2025 EYE article.)
The Panel, according to an April 13 letter from a UNESCO official, had held “deliberations” in handling the request for the 2020 document. These deliberations are exempt from disclosure, the letter said, because of a provision designed to preserve the confidentiality of the deliberative process. The Panel did not consider partial release of its deliberations.
EYE’s appeal regarding nondisclosure of the report on the Preah Vilhears temple addresses these matters, too. EYE says the Panel should release its decision and order release of the report, with redactions only if justified by exemption in the access policy.
For a broader look at the limits of UNESCO’s transparency about World Heritage sites see this May 15, 2026, EYE report.
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