- Cambodian diplomat Soksamnang Nov participated in the 2024 UNITAR Hiroshima Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training.
- He believes diplomacy requires passion, commitment, and effort to cope with daily challenges, including negotiations.
- Soksamnang found it powerful to explore nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in Hiroshima.
- Cambodia has maintained its stance on nuclear disarmament and has been a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
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16 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - The threat of a nuclear world war is far from over, with several countries still holding nuclear weapons in their arsenals. As this generation is accountable to future generations, the role of passionate diplomats negotiating for a nuclear-weapons-free world has become more important than ever.
One such diplomat is Soksamnang “Sam” Nov from Cambodia. He is currently First Secretary to the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United Nations in New York. He engages in work related to the First Committee including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) et cetera. He participated in the 2024 UNITAR Hiroshima Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training to further his skills as a diplomat.
“I love what I do, and I do what I love.” —Soksamnang Nov, Cambodian diplomat and UNITAR alumnus
SEEING IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS: LEARNING IN HIROSHIMA WITH UNITAR
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Sam was chosen by his government to join the 2024 UNITAR Hiroshima Training Programme on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. The programme brought to Hiroshima 18 government officials on the front line of nuclear disarmament negotiations. The participants came from 13 Asian and Pacific countries and, over one week, learned about NPT and TPNW and their negotiation processes, as well as trends in the international security order.
Sam remembers hearing as a child about a “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima. Curious, he looked it up and learned that it was a nuclear bomb that unleashed horrors. Seeing world leaders working towards complete disarmament and noting how far that goal still is, Sam was motivated to become a diplomat.
Being in Hiroshima to explore nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation was a special experience for Sam. He says it was powerful to look out of the training room window and see the atomic bomb dome and to feel the real-life impact of nuclear weapons. Sam spoke of the virtual-reality tour that let him see what Hiroshima looked like in 1945 and how it was rebuilt by the people of Hiroshima.
Another memorable experience for Sam was the okonomiyaki cooking class. Okonomiyaki is a popular Japanese savoury pancake with shredded cabbage, seafood, and meat. It began as a way to cook with post-war food aid supplies and developed as people added whatever ingredients became available. Sam sees how okonomiyaki reflects the passion of the Japanese people. “It’s about the instinct of Japanese people to survive, as they rebuilt from scratch after the Hiroshima atomic bomb”.
BONDING OVER A COMMON AGENDA
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A major learning for Sam from the programme remains the importance of bonding over a common agenda for better decision-making. Negotiating for their country’s positions is a fundamental part of diplomacy, and diplomats must find a delicate balance between personal commitment, the responsibility to represent their country, and working with regional and intercountry dynamics. “It’s a lot of pressure,” Sam says.
It was therefore meaningful for Sam to be in Hiroshima with colleagues from other countries, and to have the space to talk to each other easily and share personal views. Such relationships and good communication, Sam believes, are crucial in helping countries work together to solve problems and reach their common goals.
“As diplomats, we have the ambition to go further and to share in international peace and security.” —Soksamnang Nov, Cambodian diplomat and UNITAR alumnus
Sam also appreciated that of the 18 participants, 10 were women – an unusual majority in a traditionally male-dominated field. He sees it as a great development that more women, also in Cambodia, are entering the disarmament field.
Sam believes that diplomacy requires commitment, effort, and passion. And he believes everyone can play a role in achieving a nuclear-weapons-free world.
“Everyone can make an impact. You can also make an impact, and we can also make an impact.” —Soksamnang Nov, Cambodian diplomat and UNITAR alumnus
Cambodia has maintained its stance on nuclear disarmament and has been a party to the NPT and TPNW. The country ratified the TPNW in 2021.
United Nations Online Volunteers Varun Yadav contributed to this article.
ABOUT UNITAR
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations. In 2022, UNITAR trained over 395,000 learners around the world to support their actions for a better future. In addition to our headquarters in Geneva, we have offices in Hiroshima, New York, and Bonn and networks around the world.
The Division for Prosperity is based in the Hiroshima Office and Geneva. We seek to shape an inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous world through world-class learning and knowledge-sharing services on entrepreneurship, leadership, finance and trade, digital technologies, and nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. We empower individuals from least-developed countries, countries emerging from conflict, and small-island developing states – especially women and young people – to bring about positive change.