On the evening of Monday, May 12, 2025, at 6 p.m., at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Senior Minister Ieng Mouly, Chair of the National AIDS Authority and his spouse hosted a welcome reception for the official visit of Mrs. Winnie Byanyima, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNAIDS. The event was attended by senior government officials, including senior ministers and ministers, ambassadors and representatives, Chairs, Vice-Chairs and representatives of AIDS Committees from line ministries, institutions, Phnom Penh, and provinces, international organizations, national and international civil society organizations, people living with HIV and key populations, approximately 130 people.
In his welcoming remarks, the Senior Minister stated that the reception was organized to celebrate the excellent partnership that has brought about remarkable progress between the Kingdom of Cambodia and UNAIDS. The Senior Minister expressed his deep gratitude to Senior Ministers and Ministers, as well as senior officials from ministries, institutions, Phnom Penh and provincial administrations for their participations which have shown the Royal Government’s unwavering leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS and promoting global health solidarity.
The Senior Minister emphasized that the success of HIV and AIDS response would not have been possible without the strong commitment of the Royal Government under the leadership of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, former Prime Minister and President of the Senate, and Samdech Maha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet, current Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the tireless efforts of health officials, civil society, and especially the valuable support of development partners such as UNAIDS which is here.
Meanwhile, the Senior Minister added that the visit of Ms. Winnie Byanyima to the Kingdom of Cambodia reaffirmed the close partnership between the Kingdom of Cambodia and UNAIDS, a bond born of mutual trust, shared values and a vision that leaves no one behind. UNAIDS Cambodia has provided expertise in data, policy, advocacy and partnerships that have helped drive HIV programme in Cambodia to achieve remarkable results. Despite the above progress, the fight against HIV is not over yet. Some Cambodian youth aged 15 to 24, especially men who have sex with men, have not yet received adequate information about HIV and AIDS, so they have not received preventive services, including HIV testing, the Senior Minister mentioned.
After the short video presentation and the remarks by HIV and AIDS activists, Ms. Winnie Byanyima responded by expressing her appreciation and congratulations for the success of the fight against HIV and AIDS in Cambodia. She highlighted that Cambodia has brought a significant perspective to the AIDS response. At the same time, the world has recognized HIV program in Cambodia as one of the most successful in the Asia-Pacific region, especially the multisectoral response mechanism. The Executive Director also praised Cambodia’s openness to new ideas and welcomed its commitment to expanding health care services. In addition, Cambodia is the first country to prepare a roadmap for sustainability in the response to HIV and AIDS.
