The level of United Nations (UN) involvement in Cambodia is unprecedented. The
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was the largest
deployment of UN personnel, both civilian and military. It was a costly operation in
terms of the amount of money spent.
UN human rights involvement in Cambodia during this time and the period afterward
is also unprecedented. Indeed, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights in Cambodia (OHCHR) was the first, and became the longest
lasting, field office established outside of Geneva. Also, the mandate of Special
Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Cambodia became the longest
positional mandate in the history of the UN human rights system. A hybrid ad hoc
Court, which was established by back and forth negotiation between the United
Nations and Cambodia became known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts
of Cambodia (ECCC), and it often witnessed clashes of legal interpretation between
its national and international components, and this makes up its unique character.
Studies have already been published about United Nations involvement in
Cambodia, but these only shed light on certain historical, social, cultural, political,
economic, and diplomatic characteristics. A comprehensive and critical legal
assessment of United Nations involvement in Cambodia has never been properly
undertaken. Therefore, a number of critical legal questions remain, including, why is
the OHCHR and the position of Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights
in Cambodia still relevant so far? Also, what is the legacy of the United Nations’
involvement in Cambodia for the wider world in general and for Cambodia in
particular?
This thesis presents an analysis of the contribution of the United Nations to the
promotion and protection of human rights, to multi-party liberal democracy, and to
the rule of law in Cambodia, as well as to the development of international law in
general. The paper will also flesh out the successes and failures of UN involvement
in the political affairs of Cambodia. The research seeks to uncover new legal insights
for jurists, international legal experts, and scholars, and for those looking to delve
deeper into the international and municipal legal features of UN involvement in
Cambodia. It also seeks to examine the impact of UN involvement in Cambodia on
the development of international law, United Nations law, international humanitarian
law, international human rights law, and international criminal law, as well as the
UN’s goal to build a Cambodia that is underpinned by liberal democratic values.
