Kao Kim Hourn is the current Secretary-General of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
(ASEAN). He previously served as a two-term Minister Delegate attached to the Prime Minister of the
Kingdom of Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
. Dr. Kao, his formal Cambodian name, is a Member of the Supreme National Economic Council, Senior Fellow at the
Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia
The Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia (JCI) is an independent Malaysian think tank established in March 2014 with a focus on key public policy concerns in Southeast Asia. It is based at Sunway University in the Malaysian state of Selango ...
, and a Member of the Global Council of The
Asia Society
The Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States (Manhattan, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) and around the world (Hong Kong, Man ...
.
After being educated in the United States, Kao returned to Cambodia in 1993, and has been involved in Cambodian public service and think tanks.
He played an integral role in Cambodia's entrance into
ASEAN
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
in 1999, and has served as Advisor to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from 2001 to 2003 and as Secretary of State for the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from 2004-2013.
Kao also founded The
University of Cambodia
The University of Cambodia (often referred to as UC for short; km, សាកលវិទ្យាល័យកម្ពុជា, ''Sakâlvĭtyéalai Kămpŭchéa'') is a private university located on Northbridge Road in Sen Sok District, Phnom P ...
(UC) in 2003,
which became a top-ranking Cambodian university under his tenure as President. He has since helped to found two think tanks: the Asia Economic Forum, and the Asian Faiths Development Dialogue.
In addition, he also helped to found the South East Asia Television network and radio station, known as SEATV and Radio.
In 2014, Kao founded the
Techo Sen School of Government and International Relations at The University of Cambodia, providing training for administrators, policy makers, and young leaders. In 2015, he founded the College of Media and Communications at The University of Cambodia to promote journalism and communications education, and provide students with hands on training at Southeast Asia Television (SEATV) and Radio (FM 106). In 2018, He also founded the School of Foreign Languages, which offers full degrees in English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and French and provides short courses in Thai and German. Additionally, he established the School of Creative Arts, aimed to preserve and celebrate Cambodia's rich history of art, song, and dance. In August 2022, Kao was appointed as the next Secretary-General of ASEAN at the plenary session of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and in November 2022 at the ASEAN Summit, all ASEAN leaders supported his appointment. He is the first Cambodian citizen to hold this position since Cambodia joined ASEAN.
Education
After the
Cambodian Civil War
The Cambodian Civil War ( km, សង្គ្រាមស៊ីវិលកម្ពុជា, Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ) was a civil war in Cambodia fought between the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (known as the Khme ...
, the
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. ...
seized power and committed the
Cambodian genocide
The Cambodian genocide ( km, របបប្រល័យពូជសាសន៍នៅកម្ពុជា) was the systematic persecution and killing of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of Communist Party of Kampuchea genera ...
. Kao received very little formal education during his childhood due to the unstable and violent conditions in Cambodia at the time.
His family was granted refugee status in 1981,
and eventually relocated to
Herndon
Herndon may refer to:
People
* Herndon (surname), an American surname
* Herndon Davis (1901–1962), American artist, journalist, illustrator, and painter
Places in the United States Communities
* Herndon, California, an unincorporated commun ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
.
There, Kao enrolled in high school. He was 16 years old at the time and had very little educational experience and no English training.
However, he was quite successful and graduated with a high school diploma with scholastic excellence three years later, in 1985.
He then attended
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...
in
Waco
Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, where he did his B.A. in Asian Studies
He received a National Fellowship Scholarship to
Ohio University
Ohio University is a Public university, public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confeder ...
in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
for his master's degree program.
And in 1991, he graduated with two master's degrees in Political Science and International Affairs.
Additionally, he holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the
University of Hawaii at Manoa
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
in
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
.
He received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Public Service from Ohio University in 2007, as well as another Honorary Doctorate Degree in Literature from the
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), formerly KIIT University, is a private deemed university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It primarily emphasizes on higher education and research in engineering and science. It offers 3 ...
(KIIT University) of India in 2014.
Professional career
He was appointed as director of the Khmer International Relations Institute, and held that office from 1993 to 1994.
During his time as director, he developed the Cambodia Public Accountability and Transparency project (CPAT) with funding support from the Asia Foundation. The project, one of the first counter-corruption projects in the nation, did not receive sufficient funding, and thus could not produce significant results.
The project was later transformed into the Center for Social Development (CSD) when Kao became Director of the think-tank, the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP), launched earlier by His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Sirivudh in cooperation with the German Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation (Phnom Phenh Post 09. September 1994).
Kao worked as CICP's first executive director for 10 years, until 2004, though he has remained as a Member of the Board of Directors.
The CICP helped support Cambodia in becoming a member of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
(ASEAN) in 1999, the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies and the Council for Security Cooperation in Asia Pacific (CSCAP) during Kao's tenure. He has published many books on ASEAN and Cambodian-ASEAN relations,
and gained significant experience in ASEAN through the activities of the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies. His time at CICP also involved significant interactions with the Royal Government of Cambodia, as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Kao served as Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Royal Government of Cambodia from 1996 to 1998, and again from 2001 to 2004 with the rank of Undersecretary of State. He also became a member of the Supreme National Economic Council with the rank of minister when SNEC was founded in 1999 and has been a member since then.
In 2003, Kao founded The
University of Cambodia
The University of Cambodia (often referred to as UC for short; km, សាកលវិទ្យាល័យកម្ពុជា, ''Sakâlvĭtyéalai Kămpŭchéa'') is a private university located on Northbridge Road in Sen Sok District, Phnom P ...
(UC). Kao was inspired to create a Cambodian higher education institution modeled in a similar way to the United States that focuses on developing students' critical thinking and problem solving skills.
The University of Cambodia has also established two think-tanks under the leadership of Kao: the Asia Economic Forum (AEF) and the Asia Faiths Development Dialogue
both of which fall under the umbrella of the university.
Kao is a founding committee member, and vice-chairman of AEF, which was established by UC in May 2005.
AEF is a think-tank promoting policy dialogue around major issues facing the Asia-Pacific region. AEF has generally been held on an annual basis in
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...
.
Kao is also the Secretary General of the Asian Faiths Development Dialogue (AFDD), which was founded by Dr.
Haruhisa Handa
is a Japanese religious leader and a businessman. Handa is the Chairman and spiritual leader of the Shinto-based religion World Mate. He is also known by the name in his artistic career, as well as the pen name . He also uses the pseudonym , w ...
in December 2006. The purpose of AFDD is to enhance dialogue between different faith groups, and bring faith communities together to achieve humanitarian and development aims.
In 2004, he was appointed as Secretary of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation a position he held until 2013. During his tenure as Secretary of State, Kao worked extensively with
ASEAN
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
, developing relationships and managing Cambodia's participation in the organization's many mechanisms.
As such, he was a key player in the development and negotiation of the ASEAN Charter, as the Cambodian representative to the ASEAN High Level Task Force on the Drafting of the
ASEAN Charter
The ASEAN Charter is a constituent instrument of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It was adopted at the 13th ASEAN Summit in November 2007.
Framing the ASEAN charter: an ISEAS perspective
{{Association of Southeast Asian N ...
.
In addition to ASEAN, Kao was also responsible for the ASEAN Plus Three, the ASEAN Plus One mechanisms, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS), as well as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
Since 2006, Kao has served as the Vice Chairman for the Advisory Board of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia at the Office of the Council of Ministers.
In 2007, South East Asia Television and South East Asia Radio, popularly known as SEATV, were established by Kao,
Headquartered in UC's Phnom Penh campus,
He has also served as a member of the Standing Committee of the
Cambodian Red Cross
The Cambodian Red Cross (CRC; km, កាកបាទក្រហមកម្ពុជា, ) is the largest humanitarian organization in Cambodia. Established on 18 February 1955, it is officially recognized by the Royal Government as the pri ...
for two five year terms, from 2008 to 2018. He was Alternative Member for Cambodia's National Representation for the ASEAN Political-Security Council from August 2009 to September 2013, as well as Secretary-General of the ASEAN National Secretariat of Cambodia from 2004 to 2013.
In 2013, he was promoted to the position of Minister Delegate Attached to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, in charge of Foreign Affairs and ASEAN.
From October 2016 to May 2017, he served as the vice chairman of Cambodia's Inter-Ministerial Committee for the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
on ASEAN 2017. He currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the
Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia
The Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia (JCI) is an independent Malaysian think tank established in March 2014 with a focus on key public policy concerns in Southeast Asia. It is based at Sunway University in the Malaysian state of Selango ...
and is also a Member of the Global Council of The Asia Society. In 2018, he was appointed to serve on the Board of the Cambodian Higher Education Association (CHEA) as both the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chairman of the Dissemination Affairs Committee. In September 2018, he was reappointed for a second term as Minister Delegate Attached to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia in charge of Foreign Affairs and ASEAN, from 2018-2023.
In August 2022, Kao was appointed as the next Secretary-General of ASEAN at the plenary session of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and it is the first time a Cambodian will have held the post. In November 2022 at the ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, all ASEAN leaders supported his appointment.
ASEAN Secretary-General
On 9 January 2023, H.E Kao Kim Hourn officially assumed the position of ASEAN Secretary-General, during a ceremony presided over by Indonesia's Foreign Minister
Retno Marsudi
Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi (born 27 November 1962) is an Indonesian diplomat who has been serving as the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet of Joko Widodo since 2014. She is the first female minister appointed to the post. She was ...
.
Personal life
Kao was born in 1966 in
Koh Sotin District
Koh Sotin ( km, ស្រុកកោះសូទិន) is a district (''srok'') located in Kampong Cham province, Cambodia. The district capital is Chi Haer (town), Chi Haer town located around 10 kilometres south of the provincial capital of K ...
in
Kampong Cham province in Cambodia. His father was a school teacher throughout his life, except during the Khmer Rouge period when education was outlawed and teachers were targeted and killed.
Due to the incredibly violent conditions in the nation, he and his family spent time living in refugee camps on the Cambodian-Thai border after the Khmer Rouge
were removed from power in 1979, and they eventually relocated to the United States as refugees.
Publications
* Perspectives of A Cambodia Development for Peace in the Context of Southeast Asian Integration (1995)
hmer and English* Cambodia in ASEAN (1995)
nglish* Peace from the Heart (1996) with Samraing Kamsan
hmerref name="cicp.org.kh">
* Peace and Cooperation: Alternative Paradigms (1997) with Din Merican
nglish* ASEAN Free Trade Agreement: Implications and Future Directions (1997) with Sarah Kanter
nglish* Women's Political Voice in ASEAN: Sharing a Vision (1997) with Norbert von Hofmann
nglish* Cambodian Approach to Conflict Resolution (1998) with Samraing Kamsan
hmer* Skepticism, Outrage, Hope: Reactions to the Death of Pol Pot (1998) with Tania Theriault
nglish* ASEAN A to Z: A Lexicon of ASEAN-Related Terminology (1998)
* Cambodia's Future in ASEAN: Dynamo or Dynamite? (1998) with Jeffrey A. Kaplan
nglish* National Elections: Cambodia's Experiences and Expectations (1998) with Norbert von Hofmann
nglish* Cambodia and the International Community: The Quest for Peace, Development, and Democracy (1998)
* Principles Under Pressure: Cambodia and ASEAN's Non-Interference Policy (1999) with Jeffrey A. Kaplan
nglish* Shared Leadership and Trust Building in Cambodia: Learning from the Past, Sharing Experiences, Views and Visions, and Drawing Lesson for the Future (1999) with Samraing Kamsan
hmer and English* Grassroots Democracy in Cambodia: Opportunities, Challenges and Prospects (1999) with Samraing Kamsan
hmer and English* ASEAN 10 is Born: Commemorating Cambodia's Entry into ASEAN (1999)
nglish* Banking on Knowledge: The Genesis of the Global Development Network, "The challenges of intervention for Cambodian think tanks" (2000)
nglish* The Greater Mekong Sub region and ASEAN from Backwaters to Headwaters (2000) with Jeffrey A. Kaplan
nglish* Cambodia in the New Millennium: Managing the Past and Building the Future (2000) with Samraing Kamsan
hmerref name="cicp.org.kh"/>
* Emerging Civil Society in Cambodia: Promotion of Human Rights and Advancement of Democracy (2001) with Samraing Kamsan and Luy Chanphal
hmer* ASEAN A to Z: A Lexicon of ASEAN-Related Terminology, 2nd Edition (2001)
* Building Civil Society for Good Governance in Cambodia: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects (2001) with Samraing Kamsan
hmerref name="cicp.org.kh"/>
* The Role and Function of Cambodian Parliament: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects (2001) with Van Buntheth and Luy Chanphal
hmer* Cambodia's Foreign Policy and ASEAN: from non-alignment to engagement (2002)
nglishref name=FP
Google books/ref>
* Whispering in the Ears of Power: The Role of ASEAN Track-Two Diplomacy (2002)
nglish* Communal Council Elections and Grassroots Democracy in Cambodia (2002) with Samraing Kamsan and Inn Tong Ann
hmerref name="cicp.org.kh" />
* Civil-Military Relations in Cambodia: Issues, Challenges and Prospects (2002)
hmer and English* Strengthening Civil Society-Government Partnership for Good Governance and Development in the Public Sector in Cambodia: Achievements, Challenges and Future Directions (2002) with Samraing Kamsan
hmer* Elections in Cambodia: Lessons Learned and Future Directions (2002)
hmer and English* Sustainable Development, Poverty Reduction and Good Governance in Cambodia (2002) with Chap Soptharith
hmerref name="cicp.org.kh" />
* Military Reform in Cambodia: Demobilization and Reintegration (2002) with Inn Tong Ann
hmer* Strengthening Civil Society-Parliament Partnership for Good Governance in Cambodia: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects (2003) with Samraing Kamsan
hmer* Legislative Review and Development in Cambodia in the Last Ten Years: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects (2004) with Samraing Kamsan
hmer and English* The Making of the ASEAN Charter, "A Personal Reflection" (2009) by Tommy Koh (2009)
nglish
Awards and honors
*
Grand Order of National Merit
The Grand Order of National Merit ( km, គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសជាតូបការ) was founded by King Norodom Sihanouk on 5 October 1995. It is awarded in one class to foreign Heads of State and to Cambodian nationals wh ...
(2015)
* Honorary Doctorate in Literature,
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), formerly KIIT University, is a private deemed university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It primarily emphasizes on higher education and research in engineering and science. It offers 3 ...
, India (2014)
* Honorary Doctorate of Public Service,
Ohio University
Ohio University is a Public university, public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confeder ...
, U.S.A. (2007)
* ''
Royal Order of Cambodia
The Royal Order of Cambodia ( km, គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា; french: Ordre royal du Cambodge) was a colonial order of chivalry of French Cambodia, and is still in use ...
'', Grand Cross (2013)
* ''
Royal Order of Sowathara
Cambodian honors system consists of a number of orders, decorations and medals through which the country's sovereign awards its citizens for actions or deeds that benefit the nation. The modern system was established under Colonial French Rule an ...
'', Grand Officer (2007)
* ''
Royal Order of Cambodia
The Royal Order of Cambodia ( km, គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា; french: Ordre royal du Cambodge) was a colonial order of chivalry of French Cambodia, and is still in use ...
'', Grand Officer (2007)
* ''
Royal Order of Monisaraphon
The Royal Order of Monisaraphon ( km, គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសមុនីសារាភ័ណ្ឌ) was founded by King Sisowath of Cambodia on 1 February 1905. It is conferred for accomplishment and outstanding support in the ...
'', Commander (2006)
* ''Royal Order of Monisaraphon'', Chevalier (2003)
* ''Royal Order of Monisaraphon'', Officer (2003)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kao, Kim Hourn
1966 births
Cambodian academics
Government ministers of Cambodia
Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia
Living people
Members of the Royal Order of Monisaraphon