25 Years of Healing: How Cambodia’s Peace Journey is Inspiring the World
PHNOM PENH – How does a society move from decades of conflict to lasting peace? This was the central question at the Cambodiana Hotel on February 5th, 2026, as 85 peacebuilding specialists from Asia, the Middle East, Ukraine, and Germany gathered to mark the 25th anniversary of the Civil Peace Service (CPS) in Cambodia.
The milestone provided a moment to reflect on a quarter-century of partnership between the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Cambodian government, and civil society in the long, difficult process of national reconciliation.
A Success Story with Lessons for Many
Thaung Socheat, Secretary of State and a senior leader at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), opened the event with a candid reflection. “Cambodia is, in many ways, a success story,” he said. “But like all success stories, it is not without imperfections.”
Socheat highlighted three pillars that allowed Cambodia to rebuild:
- The "Win-Win Policy": A strategy that allowed thousands of former Khmer Rouge soldiers to return home, securing their rights to property and jobs.
- The ECCC Tribunal: A unique court that combined international and local law to bring justice to victims who had waited 40 years.
- Victim Participation: Unlike many international courts, the ECCC allowed victims to play an active role in the legal process.
Building on these achievements, the Deputy Head of Cooperation of the German Embassy Cambodia Dr. Gidon Windecker underscored the important contribution of Germany and the Civil Peace Service: “Germany can look back with confidence and pride on this engagement. CPS Cambodia stands as an example of what long-term, values-based peace work can achieve when it is anchored in partnership, patience, and trust. ”
From Cambodia to Ukraine
The conference wasn't just a look back; it was a global exchange. Peacebuilders from current conflict zones, including Ukraine, joined the sessions to learn from the Cambodian experience. They discussed how to handle de-escalation and how to keep a society together after the fighting stops.
The message was clear: peace is not just the absence of war, but the slow work of rebuilding trust and ensuring that the atrocities of the past are never forgotten by younger generations.
Looking Forward: Protecting the Legacy
The partnership is now moving into its next phase. The focus is shifting to the ECCC’s "Legacy Institution," which will protect 2.5 million pages of trial records, a massive archive of the nation's history.
Plans are also underway for a Victim Foundation, ensuring that survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime continue to receive support. As Socheat noted, the technical and financial support from the German Government, GIZ has been a cornerstone of this progress from day one.
The goal for the next 25 years? To ensure the hard-won lessons of the past stay alive to guide Cambodia’s peaceful development.
The Civil Peace Service (CPS) is a global program aimed at preventing violence and promoting peace in crisis regions. In Cambodia, GIZ and the CPS, supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), work alongside local partners to support transitional justice, peace education, and social cohesion.
