Only in the 11th grade, Dara had already worked as a construction worker and a security guard. Not long after, he applied for a job in Thailand where he worked in a chicken and seafood factory. Here, he experienced challenges such as language barriers, age and racial discrimination, and inferiority.  Despite this, Dara was determined to perform his tasks well. He worked tirelessly, studied Thai on his own, and braved the criticism daily. After five years, Dara returned to Cambodia with the intention of renewing his passport until a new employment opportunity came that paid better than his job in Thailand.  With the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Dara was able to complete a 4-month technical and vocational training in air conditioner servicing at the National Polytechnic Institute of Angkor (NPIA). After this accreditation, Dara has found stable employment at the Temple Group as an engineer. Alongside this, Dara is pursuing his technical and vocational training levels 2 and 3 at NPIA. Dara says, “I recommend for other [returning migrants] to go back to school and learn technical skills that can be used to earn a living. Like the Khmer proverb goes, “If you are not intelligent, you should acquire skills.” Being an expert in something enables you to earn a living and have a stable income. Nowadays, companies prioritize people with certificates over those who only have experience. If you only have experiences and no certificate, you might get paid less.” In the future, Dara wants to open his own mechanical shop that provides maintenance services and sells spare parts. According to Dara, he contributed to the Thai economy when he was in Thailand. Upon return to Cambodia, he can already contribute to his own country using his acquired expertise. Dara recognizes that everyone’s contribution both big and small can significantly contribute to Cambodian economy. With skills development and recognition, migrant workers like Dara can harness the potential of migration to drive sustainable development and improve the lives of many. 

Cambodia's cities are undergoing rapid urbanization, with the country's urban population projected to increase by nearly 5% over the next six years, according to the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction. This significant urban expansion underscores the pressing need for data-driven and people-centered solutions to address the associated challenges and opportunities. UNOPS recently completed the “Cities for All: Inclusive, Smart, and Sustainable Urban Development in Cambodia” project, which ran from March 2023 to July 2024 at the national level as well as in four targeted cities Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang & Preah Sihanouk. This initiative was undertaken in collaboration with UN-Habitat and the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia, with funding from the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS). The project was a joint effort to address the needs and challenges of urban residents across the country through strategic assessment, policy development, capacity building and partnerships.This project integrated the UN's human security framework, prioritizing the needs and well-being of residents. Aligned with Cambodia’s urbanization priorities as outlined in the country’s UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, Cities for All supported the government's goal of building an inclusive and resilient society. It empowered all community members to actively and meaningfully engage in the country’s urban development opportunities, ensuring that their voices and needs were central to the planning process. Setting blueprint of Cambodia’s urban developmentCambodia's rapid, unplanned urbanization has created significant challenges for its cities, leading to backlogs in essential services, housing shortages, food insecurity, and unemployment, with vulnerable populations bearing the brunt of the problems. The Cities for All project addressed these challenges by conducting a comprehensive assessment to inform a roadmap for future development.The nationwide assessment was inclusive and participatory, involving the government, communities, businesses, academia, students and other diverse stakeholders. The effort strengthened the capacity of both national and subnational administrations.His Excellency Mr. Yun Line, Deputy Governor of Siem Reap Province, emphasized the importance of assessing the progress and effectiveness of existing smart city initiatives. He stated, “Lessons learned and successful experiences are essential for informing the policy development of a national roadmap in smart cities.”The assessment also helped enhance  Cambodia’s  National Smart Cities Roadmap. This roadmap serves as the blueprint for Cambodia’s urban development as it did not only seek to understand the current urban landscape, but also to pinpoint specific needs and urgent challenges through a people-centered, context-specific, and prevention-oriented urban development strategy.The findings and recommendations derived from the assessment conducted with state and non-state actors in the four cities were validated through workshops. These validated insights were then consolidated into a comprehensive report, which was shared with the Ministry of Interior to ensure its alignment with Cambodia’s smart city roadmap. The report was disseminated widely, first through a smart city workshop held on April 30, 2024, in Siem Reap, attended by 150 participants. It was further shared at the National Urban Forum on May 30-31, 2024, in Phnom Penh, which drew 300 participants, including H.E. Say Samal, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.  Strengthening capacities to build smart citiesWhile a robust roadmap is essential for building smart cities, it's equally crucial to equip people with the knowledge and skills to implement it. Sub-national governments face significant challenges in keeping pace with rapid urbanization, including a shortage of resources and inadequate policies for managing urban connectivity and digital infrastructure, which are struggling to meet the needs of growing populations.The Cities for All project enhanced the capacities of key city officials through workshops and a study visit. Two series of workshops engaged nearly 400 stakeholders in four cities, providing them with the tools to launch smart city initiatives at the national and local levels through case studies and technical training.Additionally, a study visit to Bangkok exposed participants to successful models for addressing urban challenges such as waste management and public transportation, as well as effective government roles in smart city development. These experiences fostered practical learning, knowledge sharing, and the identification of key urban development priorities, ultimately empowering officials to build Cambodia's smart cities. Partnerships in building smart cities in CambodiaThe assessment and workshops not only increased knowledge and understanding of human security in the context of smart cities but also fostered partnerships among public, private, and development partners to initiate sustainable, inclusive, and smart urban solutions, contributing to post-pandemic economic recovery. Mr. Bith Chankhan, a senior official from the Ministry of Interior, underscored the significance of partnerships in achieving Cambodia’s vision of future-proof, inclusive, and sustainable cities, saying, “When inspiration meets collaboration, we will transform dreams into a future we want beyond imagination.”The Cities for All project has laid a strong foundation for building human-centered cities in Cambodia. By prioritizing residents' needs and fostering collaboration, the project has demonstrated the potential to create thriving and resilient urban communities, aligning with the vision of an inclusive and sustainable Cambodia.More about this initiative 

Along the Tonle Sap River and the coast of Cambodia are floating villages where whole lives play out on the surface of the water. These villages are home to many small businesses that produce dried fish, fillet fish, smoked fish, fish paste, and other foodstuffs popular with Khmer people.Some of these businesses are run or staffed by women, and they tend to get less support than their male counterparts. That fact was noticed by Ms. Lep Mary, who, in 2014, saw a business opportunity. That year she founded her own enterprise, called UNICA, to support women’s fish processing groups in Pursat and Siem Reap provinces. If she could bring these groups’ products to markets in Phnom Penh, she reasoned, she could boost their sales and turn a nice profit for herself as well. With hard work, she turned the idea into reality, selling processed fish foods to mid- and high-income consumers at markets in the country’s capital. In fact, the idea worked so well that Ms. Lep expanded her operations and collaborated with agricultural cooperatives and still more fishing communities. Even after the expansion, however, UNICA was still a small operation. But the business model worked, and Ms. Lep understood there were opportunities for more growth, if only she had the resources necessary.A HAPPY MEETINGIt was in 2021 when Ms. Lep learned of an opportunity to get just what she needed to grow her business even further. The opportunity came in the form of a call for proposals by the CAPFISH-Capture project. CAPFISH-Capture was looking to develop the entire post-harvest fishery sector in Cambodia, and it asked for businesses to submit applications for its Value Chain Investment Support (VCIS) scheme. The basic idea of VCIS is that every link in the “value chain” needed to be made stronger—from fish catch to processing, to shipping and distribution to marketing and sales. Only that way would the entire post-harvest fisheries sector grow. Ms. Lep applied for VCIS and was one of 50 enterprises that were awarded support. VCIS helps UNICA and other partners upgrade their business operations, meet food safety requirements, and improve competitiveness and access to markets. Technical support from the project includes training and coaching on food safety compliance and certification, social and environmental management, business development, and business plan and market development.  Not least of all, awardees are given equipment support valued at US $25,000.  The equipment includes a mobile cooling room, a vacuum packaging machine, an ice maker, can seamers, water filtration, chillers, cutting tables, ingredient cabinets, lockers, and more. THE BUSINESS GROWSWith the equipment and technical support from the project, UNICA has upgraded its business operations. UNICA distributes quality fishery products to markets by partnering with community fisheries, processing groups, aquaculture farmers, cooperatives, and micro-processors. These producer groups range in size from 10-30 members, most of them women. Being small-scale enterprises with few resources, they are sometimes not up to hygiene or quality standards. Many of the processors are people who work based on their own traditional knowledge, often gleaned from their parents. UNICA helps bring the processing groups up to standard, so they can sell their products at quality markets in Phnom Penh and elsewhere. In order to lift these groups to standard, UNICA uses what is called an “internal control system,” or ICS, to track products along the supply chain. ICS calls for technical expertise, and UNICA has already built its substantial knowledge with the support of CAPFISH-Capture. What’s more, they could pass this vital expertise on to their suppliers—the women’s fish processing groups. Expertise provided with VCIS support included training on hygiene practices, processing techniques, grading, sorting, packaging, transporting, and storing. With better hygiene practices, UNICA could help its suppliers access more markets in Cambodia and abroad. To boost its chances of getting access to foreign markets, UNICA participated in trade fairs and registered as a private enterprise under the Ministry of Commerce (MoC), registered in products code at the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI), and it is working towards attaining better food safety standards and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certifications.THE BOTTOM LINEThe growth in operations has translated to a growth in sales. UNICA supplied its fish products to 20 markets in 2023, compared to 12 markets in 2021. According to UNICA, sales have increased by 30% in 2023. UNICA created six new jobs, half for women, and they’ve also helped create jobs for about 300 families in its 10 producer groups.In late 2023, UNICA signed agreements with Makro markets and started negotiations with Lucky Supermarket and AEON, with which they expect to sign agreements in 2024. UNICA is now also pilot testing its products with two new buyers in Korea and New Zealand, and is gearing up to sell to other foreign markets. UNICA's trust among its buyers has increased due to the upgraded facilities and being certified by the Cambodia Quality Seal, meaning it meets the quality standards set by the Government. The benefit of this work goes not to UNICA alone, but also to the suppliers. The number of suppliers—specifically, women’s groups and cooperatives—has grown from three in 2021 to ten in 2023. And that number only promises to increase. “CAPFISH-Capture has given UNICA a steppingstone to scale-up our business,” says Ms. Lep. “This has also enabled our business partners to improve their skills and their incomes.”The relationship will continue to grow, says Ms. Lep, as UNICA takes advantage of CAPFISH-Capture’s research and development support, known as the Food Technologies, Research and Innovation Platform, or FTRIP, a pioneer in public-private-academic partnerships. With this support, UNICA will work with university-based scholars in Phnom Penh to conduct research on ready-to-eat fish jerky and its shelf-life. UNICA will also be exploring new smoked fish products. These efforts will help diversify the company’s product line. “I’m looking forward to what the future will bring,” says Ms. Lep. “With support from CAPFISH-Capture, I believe UNICA will grow, as will our suppliers, and all of Cambodia.” 

In the last five years, Mrs. Phorn Keophon, a Deputy of the Department of Women's Affairs (PDOWA) in Preah Vihear, has been a force for good in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV). Keophon saw a critical need for coordinated action against GBV since the initiation of the strengthening GBV multi-sectoral coordination programme was introduced in her province and three others including Tboung Khnum, Kampong Cham and Stung Treng.  Through a program supported by UNFPA, she received vital training on the Essential Services Package for Women and Girls Subject to Violence (ESP GBV). Following the training, she spearheaded the creation of the Provincial Working Group on GBV (PWG-GBV), mobilizing the sectors that respond to gender-based violence to collaborate. Keophon’s efforts did not stop there. She replicated the model in three districts, securing local budgets (one district) and ensuring frontline service providers had basic GBV response knowledge. The results were tangible: more cases were received compared to the previous year. In 2023 she supported coordinated services to 65 GBV cases (30 sexual violence cases and 35 domestic violence cases) this was compared to 30 cases the previous year before the training.   Looking beyond policies, Mrs. Keophon provided direct support to survivors. In one case, she facilitated medical care, legal representation, and vocational training for a young survivor of rape providing her the services and support needed to rebuild her life. Mrs. Keophon's story is a powerful testament to the impact dedicated individuals can have. Her model of bringing services together in a survivor centered and coordinated approach offers a blueprint that can be replicated across the country towards ensuring that all survivors of violence get the services, support, and care they need. “I am happy to help women and girls who are survivors to get the services they need. I provide basic counseling to find out more about their needs on other services such as legal, health, psychological support, and safe shelter.”Despite the success, hurdles remain. Remote areas pose logistical challenges, and poverty and remoteness can exacerbate women’s vulnerability. Yet, Ms. Keophon remains undeterred, actively seeking solutions to equip even the most isolated communities.Ms. Phorn Keophon's story is a testament to the transformative power of individual leadership alongside coordinated multi-sectoral approaches.  Ms Keophon’s role offers hope, support, and positive change in Preah Vihear to those impacted by gender-based violence. Her journey proves that change is possible when communities, institutions, and individuals unite to combat GBV.