Despite such obstacles the last decade has seen considerable progress, with generous assistance from individuals, foreign governments and numerous philanthropic organizations. In recent years the Museum has successfully addressed a range of key concerns. These include:

1. The removal of a colony of bats inhabiting the Museum’s roof, a problem that threatened not only the preservation of objects on display which were subject to serious damage as a result of falling bat guano, but the health of Museum visitors and staff.
2. Upgrading library holdings, facilities and administration and the creation of well-catalogued archives and inventory files which are now stored in a climate-controlled repository.
3. The first temporary exhibition at the Museum since its official opening in 1920, ‘The Ganesha of the National Museum’, was held in 2000 and further collection-based temporary exhibitions have continued.
4. Making considerable inroads on the conservation of its collection following training and assistance from the National Gallery of Australia in the 1990s and later the French government. France continues to fund the development of the museum’s conservation workshop, employing a stone and wood conservator who has successfully trained a team of Khmer staff in these areas of expertise. This funding not only supports the workshop itself but provides salary supplements for the staff involved.
5. Playing an active role in the restitution and subsequent care of looted artifacts. Supported by the efforts of UNESCO’s International Council of Museums (ICOM) and their publications One hundred missing objects: Looting in Angkor, eight objects have been successfully returned to Cambodia since 1996. A further two are currently under investigation. Some of the pieces have been returned by private individuals while others have come from international institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Honolulu Academy of Arts.
6. Upgrading of storage facilities. The National Museum of Cambodia collection storage area, which houses some 90% of the collection, is located in the basement of the building and subject to regular flooding during the wet season. In collaboration with UNESCO, a series of improvements began in 1993 to renovate the basement to protect the collection from flood damage and general deterioration. The collaboration ensured all artifacts were placed on secure shelving raised above the ground. An automatic pump and internal pond were introduced in 1997 to catch and dispel floodwater. Private donors have also contributed to improving the Museum’s storage facilities.
7. Addressing the needs of the community. The Museum functions not only as a repository and display place for Khmer cultural material but, with its collection of important Buddhist and Hindu sculpture, also addresses community religious needs as a place of worship. The permanent exhibition, ‘Post-Angkorian Buddha’, supported by UNESCO and a number of individuals and local businesses, opened in 2000 to extend the religious function of the Museum.
8. Publishing the collection. A comprehensive guidebook to the Museum’s collections was first published in 2002 in Khmer, English and French.