United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia

The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was established in 1992 as a peacekeeping operation to oversee Cambodia's transition to a popularly elected government following years of conflict and Vietnamese occupation. UNTAC's mandate included monitoring elections, temporarily running government ministries, and safeguarding human rights.12

Despite challenges, including the Khmer Rouge's refusal to disarm, UNTAC facilitated the repatriation of over 300,000 refugees and supervised national elections in July 1993. These elections, considered the first free and fair in Cambodia's history, led to a coalition government formed by the royalist Funcinpec party and the Cambodian People's Party (CPP). Prince Norodom Sihanouk became monarch, with Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen serving as co-prime ministers.12