Prime Minister Hun Sen will lead a delegation to South Korea to co-host the World Summit 2022 under the theme “Towards Peace on the Korean Peninsula” and to receive the Peace Award presented by the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on February 8, Hun Sen will co-host the summit with Hak Ja Han Moon, co-founder of the South Korea-based Universal Peace Federation (UPF), and former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on February 10-13 in Seoul.

The World Summit 2022 will bring together keynote speakers and participants from 157 nations to explore the prospects for peaceful reconciliation of the Korean Peninsula.

The ministry said that during the visit, Hun Sen will have a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss bilateral relations and political, economic, and socio-cultural cooperation, and exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern.

The premier will also meet other heads of state and business figures.

“On February 12, the summit will officially present the 5th Sunhak Peace Prize Award to Prime Minister Hun Sen for his steadfast leadership over many years as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, contributing to stability, economic development and peace in Cambodia and the Southeast Asian region at large,” the ministry said.

The Foundation officially announced the three winners of its 2022 Peace Prizes at a press conference held in Phnom Penh on February 7.

The three laureates include the prime minister, a vaccinology professor and a vaccine supply institution. They are being honored for their extraordinary efforts to promote peace and human development and for protecting the health and wellbeing of humanity during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The selection committee, led by UPF director Yun Young-ho, announced that Hun Sen will be presented the Gratitude Prize award for working hard for the cause of world peace.

Hun Sen has always worked for peace around the world, the committee said, especially in his current role as co-chair of the Summit on Peace on the Korean Peninsula in 2022.

“His efforts are a model of progress and good work. He is striving towards harmony for all mankind, and is an exemplary model for peace as a whole,” Yun said.

The second laureate is Sarah Catherine Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford. She was awarded the prize for her tireless work towards discovering a vaccine for Covid-19.

“She [Gilbert] has always worked hard to find ways to provide vaccines for all and believes that vaccines should be available to all countries, whether rich or poor,” he said.

The third award will be presented to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. This public-private global health partnership aims to increase access to vaccinations in poorer countries, and is notable for its efficient use of donor funds.

Ek Nath Dhakal – the special global envoy of the upcoming World Summit 2022 who formerly served as minister for peace and reconstruction of Nepal – stated that the Sunhak Award was priceless as it was a testament to the dedication and sacrifices of its winners across their lifetimes. It could not be compared with other awards, he said.

The laureates will each receive a cash prize, a medal and plaque at the World Summit 2022 during a ceremony on February 12 in South Korea.

Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, said Hun Sen was the key actor for peace in Cambodia, which had gone through decades of wars before he laid out his win-win policy and earned a comprehensive peace.

“He has also made significant contributions to peacekeeping missions through the UN,” he added.

Established in 2015, the biennial Sunhak Peace Prize honours individuals and organisations that have shown extraordinary service to global peace and wellbeing in one of three areas: sustainable human development, conflict resolution or ecological conservation.

Hak Ha Jan Moon created the prize to honour the legacy of her late husband Reverend Sun Myung Moon, who founded UPF and had dedicated his life to building a global culture of peace with the theme “One Family Under God”.