(Siem Reap): Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet shared a few reflections to help orient the role of innovation in the public service sector during the opening of the 23rd ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) and the 8th ACCSM+3 in Siem Reap on Wednesday (Aug. 5).
Addressing delegates, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet welcomed the progress achieved through the ACCSM and ACCSM+3 mechanisms and praised this year's theme, "Innovation for Better Service Delivery," saying innovation must deliver meaningful improvements for citizens across ASEAN.
Samdech Thipadei underlined that innovation must adopt a people-centred approach that goes beyond digital transformation to address citizens' actual needs. “Public services should be result-based and they should be delivered with ease, equity, and inclusiveness, leaving no one behind, at both national and regional levels. By prioritizing long-term vision over short-term convenience, we build public trust through sound decisions that put the people's interests first,” said Samdech Thipadei.
He added that innovation must rest upon the foundation of institutional capacity and human resources. Recognizing ASEAN's diverse development levels, the goal is to narrow the gap and ensure each country adopts new technologies, particularly AI, at a sustainable pace. Because technology cannot operate independently of the human factor, he said, digital adoption must go hand in hand with continuous investment in human capital, leadership development, and integrity. Ultimately, true innovation in governance relies on strengthening institutions and human capital rather than digital tools alone because this endeavour demands integrity; no digital platform can replace the ethics, transparency, and professionalism that form the true foundations of public trust.
He further underscored that innovation must build collective regional resilience. Because global challenges cannot be solved in isolation, we must strengthen cross-border cooperation within ASEAN. Innovation should extend beyond internal efficiency to include knowledge sharing, mutual support, and collaborative adaptation. In this effort, he called on ACCSM to remain a vital platform for mutual learning, empowering member states to collaborate, harmonize policies, and build shared capacity for common challenges.
On the occasion, the prime minister also urged the ACCSM and ACCSM+3 meetings to remain active in translating statements and work plans into tangible actions, and to uphold shared accountability in delivering results, with the purpose of enhancing the quality and efficiency of public service delivery to the peoples, in support of the ASEAN Community building efforts.
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