SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Heads of civil service from across ASEAN gathered in northwest Cambodia on Wednesday for the 23rd ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) and the 8th ACCSM+3 meeting.

The summit focuses on accelerating innovation and improving public service delivery across the region.

Opening the event under the theme "Innovation for Better Service Delivery," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that the gathering aims to strengthen regional cooperation, foster a culture of excellence, and build agile, resilient, future-ready public sectors.

"Recognizing ASEAN's diverse development levels, our goal is to narrow the gap and ensure each country adopts new technologies, particularly AI, at a sustainable pace," Hun Manet said.

He added that true governance innovation relies on strengthening institutions and human capital rather than digital tools alone.

The prime minister also thanked ASEAN's three core dialogue partners --China, Japan, and South Korea -- for their unwavering commitment to elevating regional cooperation in innovation and digital transformation in public services.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Civil Service Hun Many said that the ACCSM has been a vital regional platform for over 40 years, driving responsive, people-centered civil service management through knowledge sharing and capacity building.

"Together, we have strengthened regional solidarity, supported efforts to narrow development gaps among member states, and contributed to building a more resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-centered ASEAN," he said.