The 40TH ASEANAPOL CONFERENCE Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 1st – 5th March 2022

The 40^th ASEANAPOL Conference has been successfully hosted by the Cambodian National Police with the theme, “Enhancing Harmonization To Ensure Regional Peace And Sustainable Stability” between 1^st March to 5t^h March 2022. The Conference was held at the Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel and Residence, Cambodia for the first time after a delay since 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.

The objectives of the Conference are to enhance police professionalism, forge stronger regional cooperation in policing and promote lasting friendship amongst police officers of ASEANAPOL Member Countries. The conference is the best platform for sharing cross border crime issues including drug smuggling, firearms smuggling, cybercrime, terrorism and wildlife smuggling especially for the Southeast Asian region. In addition, it can strengthen the cooperation between the police chiefs of ASEAN Member Countries as well as ASEANAPOL Dialogue Partners and Observers.

The Conference further reinforced all the initiatives deliberated and agreed upon during the 39^th ASEANAPOL Conference.  It was attended by the respective Chiefs of National Police together with their delegates from Negara Brunei Darussalam, Kingdom of Cambodia, Republic of Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Singapore, Kingdom of Thailand, and Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

Also in attendance were the Dialogue Partners, namely, the Australian Federal Police, Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, National Police Agency of Japan, National Police Agency of the Republic of Korea, New Zealand Police, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Turkish National Police, United Kingdom and INTERPOL. The other participating bodies were the Observers from Royal Canadian Mounted Police, French National Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation of United States (FBI), and International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

The opening ceremony was graced by His Excellency Samdech Krorlahom Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, Kingdom of Cambodia and His Excellency Santibandit Police General Neth Savoeun, Commissioner General of Cambodian National Police.

The Host of the Conference and Chairman of ASEANAPOL 2021-2022, His Excellency Santibandit Police General Neth Savoeun, Commissioner General of Cambodian National Police, delivered his welcome address and committed the goodwill of ASEANAPOL in strengthening the social security, stability of each country, and joint maintenance of safety and security in the ASEAN community, especially mutual assistance in maintaining security and social order in the context of Covid-19 including future emergency assistance.

The Joint Communique ceremony was held and signed as part of the Conference, during which General Neth Savoeun also handed over the insignia of the conference to Lao Police Force, Chief Brigadier General Khamking Phuilamanyvong for the 41^th ASEANAPOL Conference in year 2023.