By Toby McIntosh
For months UNESCO refused to make public the results of its inspection of the severely damaged Cambodian temple, Preah Vihear, a UNESCO world heritage site.
And then, suddenly UNESCO quietly disclosed the report.
Only a week ago, UNESCO rejected a formal access request from Eye on Global Transparency, saying there was no “final report,” only non-releasable “findings and recommendations.”
Moreover, UNESCO added, “standard practice” holds that communications with the Cambodian government are confidential. Further, disclosure could “endanger” the “proper conduct” of operations and “undermine” relations with the government, according to UNESCO.
Report Posted at Government Request
But without notice, the report was posted on UNESCO’s Preah Vihear web page.
EYE noticed a Sept. 9 posting on the Facebook site of the National Authority for Preah Vihear announcing the disclosure.
The post states: “At the invitation of the Cambodian State and under the coordination of Cambodian relevant authorities, the report on the damage of the Preah Vihear Temple has been officially published on the World Heritage Centre website.”
The 104 page report, with maps and photos, can be seen on UNESCO’s Temple of Preah Vihear page under Mission Reports.
The report was prepared by two experts hired by UNESCO who inspected the site, March 1-6, and made extensive recommendations for Cambodia and UNESCO. The released report is marked “Version: 2026-07–21.”
Readers: For reliable notification of new EYE postings, all free, please sign up using “Subscribe” in the right column. No deluge, usually several articles a month on a variety of global transparency topics. And please share this article!
Detailed Report Includes Suggestions for UNESCO
The report goes into great detail on the bombing damage at the temple, identifies actions required and makes recommendations for the short, medium and long-term. It also outlines some of the steps taken since the damage occurred, including removal of unexploded ordinance and work on a new “management plan.”
The report’s key summary of the damage states:
The 24-28 July and 7-27 December 2025 conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand greatly affected the integrity, but also the authenticity and the overall OUV [Outstanding Universal Value] of the Temple of Preah Vihear World Heritage property. A number of architectural elements were completely destroyed by direct hits, or are heavily damaged, dislocated, and/or overturned by severe blasts. Numerous elements of decoration and inscriptions are mutilated or even lost. The surface of most walls is now disfigured by shrapnel impacts and the heavy shelling may also have weakened the cliffs, endangering their stability. Future interventions necessary to improve safety and restore integrity are likely to impact the authenticity at a greater scale than what was initially envisioned.
Addressing the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, one recommendation (m.), says:
Foster mutual agreements between Cambodia and Thailand ensuring that emergency work can proceed securely: The mission advises that Thailand’s involvement must be envisaged and enabled. It is urgent to ensure that emergency work can proceed without any risk for workers, site management and international experts/teams. At a later stage, both countries could work towards tourism recovery and benefits as well as environmental management of the broader region which could ensure economic recovery on both sides of the border.
The report also envisions more of a UNESCO role, suggesting “multilateral consultations chaired by UNESCO and if deemed necessary, with the guidance of the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee and Committee members to allow for a renewed dialogue among the parties concerned and towards a stable ceasefire.”
UNESCO Long Denied Request for Disclosure
EYE on April 8 asked for “reports” on the site inspection, filing a request under the UNESCO access to information policy. After an initial denial, on June 10, EYE on June 18 appealed to a seven person appeals body. The appeal was denied on Sept. 2 in a letter that cited multiple rationales for confidentiality.
The main reason, UNESCO said, is that there is no “final report.” Only “findings and recommendations” were transmitted to the Cambodia government.
“The situation on the ground requires a high degree of prudence and continued monitoring,” UNESCO wrote, “Consequently, there is currently no final report available for disclosure.”
However, in July UNESCO officials had expressed their thanks to UNESCO for the report, according to their statements in news articles.
The Kymer Times on July 21 reported:
During the meeting, Phoeurng Sackona [Cambodia’s Minister of Culture and Fine Arts] congratulated Nayef Al-Fayez on his appointment as UNESCO Assistant Director General for Culture and expressed appreciation for the mission report submitted by experts from the World Heritage Centre and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), who conducted a technical mission to Preah Vihear Temple from 1 to 6 March 2026, at Cambodia’s invitation.
The minister praised the report for its comprehensive technical quality, accuracy and objective reflection of the actual situation at the World Heritage site.
Other UNESCO Justifications for Secrecy
Besides denying the existence of a final report, UNESCO in its Sept. 2 denial letter to EYE gave other reasons to keep the results of the inspection secret.
UNESCO said it is “standard practice” for the findings and recommendations of “technical advisory missions” to be “communicated to the authorities” but not made public.
UNESCO also cited two exemptions from Article 3.2 its ATI policy to justify confidentiality.
One exemption, 3.2 (iii), concerns “[I]nformation which, if divulged, is likely to endanger or prejudice the security or proper conduct of any operation or activity of UNESCO.”
UNESCO’s reply to EYE embellished this, saying the exemption prevents disclosure of information that “could …. prejudice the proper conduct of UNESCO’s activities, particularly considering the volatile situation on the ground.” It did not explain further.
The second cited exemption, 3.2 (i), protects “sensitive information on relations between UNESCO and its Member States, between UNESCO and the United Nations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and between UNESCO and its partners, which, if disclosed, in UNESCO’s view would seriously undermine those relations, or any process of policy dialogue with Member States or implementing partners.”
UNESCO’s letter paraphrased this exemption slightly more broadly saying it covers information “where disclosure could undermine relations with Member States, affect ongoing dialogue and cooperation.” So “would” was changed to “could” and “seriously undermine” becomes “undermine.”
EYE’s June 18 appeal was made to the UNESCO Access to Information Panel. The Sept. 2 denial was signed by Jennifer Linkins, Assistant Director-General, Sector for Administration and Management. It does not mention to the appeals panel, though presumable reflects its thinking.
UNESCO in April correspondence with EYE suggested that the seven-person panel will consider recommending “the proactive disclosure of its decisions and reasoning” in the future. This appears not to have occurred yet, since the communication does not come directly from the panel and is not posted on UNESCO’s website.
Previous EYE articles on UNESCO
UNESCO Declines to Release Report on Damage Done to World Heritage Site
Information Gush to Follow Drought as UNESCO Considers World Heritage Sites
UNESCO Appeals Panel Sticks With Secrecy; But Hints at Changing Policy
UNESCO Secretly Adopts New Access to Information Policy; Ignores Own Advice
UNESCO Secretly Adopts New Access to Information Policy; Ignores Own Advice
