The forum, themed "Combating Fake News and Promoting Information Integrity in the Mekong-Lancang Region," brought together Cambodian Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Minh Vu, representatives of the embassies of China and ASEAN countries in Cambodia, and delegations from Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) member countries. The event also attracted media experts, reporters, journalists, and content creators.

Organised by the Cambodian Ministry of Information in coordination with the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Special Fund, the forum aimed to raise public awareness of the risks and consequences of fake news and irresponsible information sharing. It also provided a platform for participants to exchange experience in fact-checking and strengthen regional cooperation to curb the spread of misinformation.

Speaking at the event, Kan Pharidh, Secretary of State at the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chairman of the Cambodia’s National Secretariat for Mekong-Lancang Cooperation, said that digital transformation and advances in artificial intelligence have created major opportunities while also increasing the risks posed by misinformation, disinformation, and deliberately distorted content.

If left unaddressed, these challenges could undermine public trust, damage the credibility of institutions, weaken social cohesion, and negatively affect peace, stability, and cooperation in the region, he said.

Kan Pharidh called for stronger joint efforts within the MLC framework to address the negative impacts of misleading information on regional development. He also stressed the importance of providing timely, reliable, and accurate information, highlighting the role of professional and responsible journalism in building public trust and promoting mutual understanding.

For his part, Minister Neth Pheaktra said combating fake news should go beyond correcting false information after it has spread. He called for the development of an information ecosystem that ensures access to reliable information, maintains high professional media standards, promotes effective public communication, and encourages responsible technology use and digital literacy.

He highlighted Cambodia’s ongoing efforts through the “No Fake News” campaign and initiatives promoting media and digital literacy, professional journalism, responsible content creation, and timely public communication.

Following discussions and experience-sharing sessions, the organisers presented the "Zero Fake News Media and Content Creator Awards" to five journalistic works that had made positive contributions to society./.