Cambodia’s digital verification platform wins UN public service award

Cambodia’s document verification platform verify.gov.kh has been recognized with the United Nations Public Service Award 2026 in the category of Transparency and Accountability.

It won out over more than 700 applications from 62 countries. The award was presented at the UN Public Service Forum in Tbilisi, Georgia, under the theme “Transforming Public Institutions: Advancing Innovation, Accountability, Participation, and Inclusion.”

Launched in 2023, the platform was designed to combat document fraud, cut costs and accelerate Cambodia’s digital transformation. The platform provides secure digital verification for documents, certificates and identity cards.

Its core purpose is to ensure official records can be authenticated quickly and reliably, making document forgery significantly more difficult and reducing reliance on physical notarization. A core feature is the use of standardized QR codes, embedded directly by issuing authorities onto both paper and electronic documents.

Under Prime Minister Hun Manet, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) has expanded the platform’s capabilities, integrating AI, cybersecurity resilience and scalability. The system has already been adopted by 24 of Cambodia’s 26 ministries and is being shared with other countries.

Cambodia is also exporting the platform to Timor-Leste and other countries as part of its growing digital government cooperation in Southeast Asia. Timor‑Leste’s national document verification platform – verify.gov.tl – is modeled on Cambodia’s own verify.gov.kh. The system was developed with technical support from Cambodia’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, under a 2025 cooperation agreement on digital transformation.

For Cambodia the platform has delivered tangible savings. The introduction of digital verification stamps on high school diplomas has saved the government an estimated US$6 million dollars annually and saving students repeated trips, fees and delays, reports Khmer Times. The system has also been extended to provisional university diplomas and driver’s licences, easing burdens on young people and reducing administrative costs.

Minister of Post and Telecommunications Chea Vandeth said digitizing Cambodia’s 700 public services could save the state billions of dollars each year. He noted that governments worldwide are moving toward digital governance, and Cambodia aims to become one of the region’s most advanced digitalized countries within five years.

The UN award follows earlier recognition including the ASEAN Digital Awards and the World Summit on the Information Society. Chea Sereyvath, Secretary‑General of the Digital Government Committee, said the platform is now a cornerstone of Cambodia’s digital government and is being used by several countries in the region. In addition to Timor-Leste, Laos and the Philippines are adapting the platform’s framework.

Article Topics

ASEAN  |  Cambodia  |  digital government  |  digital public infrastructure  |  government services  |  identity verification  |  verify.gov.kh