Phnom Penh (Cambodia), 19 March 2013 - Long-time UNODC staff member Songsatit Kittikhunwatchana has been awarded the Medal of Excellence by the Government of Cambodia. At the award ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, HE Sar Kheng, explained that the medal was to honor Mr. Songsatit for "several years of relentless commitment to combat the surge of drug trafficking in Cambodia."
Mr. Songsatit - known to partners, colleagues and friends as Khun Song - is the project coordinator of the Partnership Against Transnational crime through Regional Organized Law enforcement
(PATROL), which combats various forms of transnational crimes - such as drug trafficking and the smuggling of migrants - along the borders the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Since 1999, he has been arguably the most active advocate of the Border Liaison Offices (BLO), through which law enforcement authorities in the region have successfully interdicted and seized significant amount of narcotic drugs smuggled through the borders.
Khun Song began his career with the United Nations in 1979. Since then, he has worked in both Thailand and Cambodia for
UNHCR, UNBRO,
UNDP and UNODC. During his long career he has focused on law enforcement cooperation to fight transnational organized crime, development cooperation and capacity building. He holds a Master Degree in Psychology and two Bachelor Degrees in Law and Education.
"It is an honor to receive this Medal from the Government of Cambodia and I am glad that the success of the BLO initiative has been officially recognized," said Khun Song at the annual meeting of the National Authority for Combating Drugs
(NACD) where the Medal was presented. "All the credit and recognition for this success should go to the staff of UNODC for allowing me to deliver even in remote areas over the past 14 years. I am symbolically receiving a Medal that in really should be shared with the entire organization."
