Annual Dialogue of the United Nations Country Team with Samdech Techo Prime Minister

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia,

Excellencies, Deputy Prime Ministers, Senior Ministers, Ministers,

Thank you very much for your time this morning for our annual dialogue.

A special thank you to the numerous members of your government with whom we work closely in realizing Cambodia’s Sustainable Development Goals, including the country specific SDG 18 on Mine Clearance. Our longstanding partnership is based on collaboration, debate, honesty, transparency, and mutual support. We reaffirm our strongest commitment to continue this partnership in support of all people in Cambodia as they continue to forge their own destiny.

This year’s dialogue is significant as we jointly prepare the next five-year UN Development Cooperation Framework 2024-2028, fully aligned with Cambodia’s development objectives.

It is our first meeting since the easing of many COVID-19 restrictions, and though the pandemic is not yet behind us, we congratulate the Royal Government’s leadership in responding to this crisis and its socio-economic fallout. These actions saved many lives and livelihoods.

We support the Royal Government’s bold steps to accelerate Cambodia’s transition to an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and become a high-income country by 2050. In 2021, for the first time, Cambodia met the LDC graduation criteria. It will be reassessed again early next year.

The collective challenge and clear imperative now is to ensure that inclusion and sustainability go together with development that leaves no one behind.

Review of UNDAF Implementation

Samdech Techo Prime Minister, Excellencies,

We would like to update you on joint progress in implementing the current UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2019 – 2023.

The UNDAF is about facilitating a joint response to key challenges. The UN cannot do things in isolation. It’s about a partnership that is aligned with the Cambodian Sustainable Development Goals. An independent evaluation of the UNDAF concluded recently that its strategic priorities were indeed aligned with national policies and priorities. At the same time, stakeholders called on the UN to expand its convening role, ensure full government ownership over its activities and target support to the implementation of policies. We have taken this feedback to heart.

I would like to turn to the joint results in each of the five UNDAF strategic priorities:

Outcome 1: Expanding Social Opportunities

Outcome 1, Expanding Social Opportunities, supports improvements in health care, nutrition, education, and social assistance. Activities have contributed to addressing gender-based violence and improving services and protections for vulnerable populations.

Together with government and partners, we mobilized expert support and financial assistance to improve quality and access to health, education, skills development, and life-long learning, including professional development for teachers at all levels.

Strengthening the health system, our efforts focused on improving Sexual and Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health and Nutrition. Cambodia has seen significant improvements including mortality rates for neonates and under-fives that more than halved since 2014, exceeding global progress. Since 2018, there have been no recorded malaria deaths.

Having achieved the Global AIDS targets in 2017, Cambodia is well on its way to developing a sustainable approach to ending AIDS in the country.

The UN worked closely with the Royal Government, particularly the National Social Protection Council, to implement the National Social Protection Policy Framework, including to ensure the timely roll-out of the COVID-19 cash transfer programme, initially supporting over 700,000 vulnerable households. As of 2022 around 3.2 million Health Equity Fund (HEF) and 2.6 million National Social Security Fund (NSSF) members benefited from improved health and administrative services.

Outcome 2: Expanding economic opportunities

Outcome 2, expanding economic opportunities, aims to improve economic productivity, support institutional reforms, and work with businesses to embrace innovation and technology to successfully compete in a digital, inclusive and green economy.

We supported the implementation of the Industrial Development Policy to diversify the economy and enhance competitiveness in global value chains. We support the government in strengthening the national fishery quality systems as well as the promotion of a green and competitive industry targeting over 50 enterprises with some 130,000 workers (80% women).

To close the financing gap for women entrepreneurs, in 2022 the UN guaranteed loans of nearly 10 million USD under the women credit guarantee scheme.

The UN supported the issuance of the Khmer Riel sovereign bond raising over 17 million USD.  

To expand decent and productive work opportunities, together with government and the private sector, we supported the digital transformation of the TVET system as well as literacy programs for workers displaced by the COVID-19 crisis, youth and prospective migrants to meet labor market needs.

Importantly, we continued to assist government mine action efforts, including to promote local livelihood development. Nearly 90 km2 of land was made safe for use, giving over 180,000 vulnerable people access to mine-free land.

Outcome 3: Supporting sustainable living

Under Outcome 3, Supporting Sustainable Living, we worked with national and sub-national authorities as well as communities to manage natural resources more sustainably, enhance access to affordable, diverse and healthy diets, improve the safety of food and water, cope better with disasters and climate change, and protect the environment.

The data indicates improvements in rural communities’ access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. From 2015 to 2022, the proportion of the rural population with at least basic drinking water increased from 54% to 78%; and those with basic sanitation increased from 39% to 76%.

We mobilized expertise to help strengthen the coordination mechanism of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve to improve environmental management. Furthermore, we strengthened Fisheries Conservation and Management, contributing to growth and sustainability of this sector including improving the system for reporting on illegal fishing.

On climate action, the UN supported the update of Cambodia’s Nationally Determined Commitments (NDC) and Long-Term Strategy for Carbon Neutrality with a 2050 objective, the first one in ASEAN. We supported the modeling of the economic impacts of climate change on economic growth and assessed the feasibility of adopting innovative sources of financing for a low carbon and resilient growth, including carbon finance and green bonds.

Outcome 4: Strengthening Participation and Accountability

Outcome 4, Strengthening Participation and Accountability, focused on improving grievance mechanisms, the prevention of violence against women and girls, and strengthening mechanisms for child protection. The proportion of women subjected to intimate partner violence has dropped from 19.6% to 13% between 2014 and 2021.

UN programmes provided support to the development of numerous laws, strategies and policies to support consistency with international norms and standards, as well as increase development participation by marginalized and vulnerable populations.

We supported outreach programs, such as the Cambodia PROTECT behavior change campaign, which reached around 5 million children, parents, caregivers, and key community members with messages on preventing violence against children.

We mobilized expertise to strengthen government data capacity, improving statistics for use in decision-making and monitoring. We supported the Population Census, the Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey (CSES), the Agriculture Survey, and the Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS) in this regard.

Outcome 5: Managing urbanization

Outcome 5, Managing Urbanization, helped cities become more inclusive by working with marginalized communities to ensure that their voices are heard and in providing support to urban authorities to deliver better services, such as health and HIV related services. We worked with urban authorities to improve access to potable water and sanitation facilities.

At the policy level, we worked closely with the government on the organization of the Cambodian Urban Forum, supporting the people-centered National Urban Policy, as well as the National Smart Cities Committee to develop the National Roadmap for the Development of Smart Cities Strategy and Framework.

COVID-19 response

Samdech Techo Prime Minister, Excellencies,

Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN provided technical support on COVID-19 preparedness and response including local preparedness, vaccination, and refresher training for more than 3000 rapid response team members on surveillance and contact tracing. Our contribution focused on protecting vulnerable and marginalized groups and supporting the continuity of essential health and social services. More than 10 million Cambodians were reached with COVID-19 risk and prevention messages, around 2.8 million students were supported to continue learning during school closures, and nearly 200,000 migrants received assistance.

A key element of the exemplary national response was strengthening of capacities to manage future crises. To this end, we supported the development and implementation of Cambodia’s COVID-19 Master Plan, including preparing the health system for future emergencies.

UN Reform and the new UNSDCF

Samdech Techo Prime Minister, Excellencies,

I would like to briefly turn to the UN reform before concluding with an overview of the new UN Cooperation Framework.

The interconnected nature of the Sustainable Development Goals requires a strong integrated approach of the UN Development System and closest alignment with national priorities.

UN Cooperation Frameworks are the key instrument for the planning and implementation of all UN development activities in each country. The Resident Coordinator function is no longer hosted by UNDP, enabling the impartial and empowered leadership of the full UN Country Team to deliver on that framework together with national governments, and other stakeholders.

We are currently preparing the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2024-2028) to support the Royal Government national strategic development plan within which no one is left behind. Four sets of principles guide the development of all UN Cooperation Frameworks:

• Human rights-based approach ensuring that no one is left behind (LNOB).
• Gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Sustainability and resilience.
• Accountability.

In developing the Cooperation Framework, we conducted an extensive process of consultations with the Government and other partners identifying four Strategic Outcome Areas:

Outcome 1 on Social Development:

We will support the national long-term goals of expanded social protection, universal health coverage, better protection against all forms of malnutrition, and better-quality education and skills development, consistent with the goal of life-long learning.

Outcome 2 on Economic Development.

We will partner with the Government and private sector to continue the shift towards a more inclusive, efficient, climate adapted and formalized economy, through support to LDC graduation, decent and safer working conditions, improved performance of labor markets and value-chains, reduction of pollution and a transition to cleaner energy.

Outcome 3 on Environment

In response to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, we will support the conservation and restoration of Cambodia’s precious natural resources, partner to reduce air, water and land pollution, and collaborate so that hazardous substances are better controlled. We will step up our support to adapt to climate change, reduce disaster risk and strengthen carbon markets in line with Cambodia’s Long-Term Strategy for Carbon Neutrality.

Outcome 4 on Social Transformation

We will support the development of effective and accountable institutions that foster an inclusive, cohesive society, and a strengthened social contract, underpinned by the safeguarding of human rights, the rule of law and international obligations. Opportunities for expanding participation in development, civic space and decision-making will be explored, as well as enhancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, and responding to and preventing discrimination, exploitation, violence, and other harmful practices. We will support accurate utilization of data as a basis for evidence based policies and balanced public discourse. Furthermore, we will leverage digital transformation to advance priorities under this outcome as well as weaving this critical element into all other outcomes.

The full draft of the Framework will be available by May this year, and, as jointly agreed, formally signed after the election once a new government has been formed.

Conclusion

Samdech Techo Prime Minister, Excellencies,

This annual dialogue is a critical part of our partnership with the Royal Government of Cambodia. Ensuring that our cooperation framework is consistent with and supported by the Government is essential. As ever, there will be room for improvement and we welcome not only your support, but also your candid feedback, views, and advice, and those of your colleagues. In return, we reiterate our full commitment to be an honest partner, offer advice where it may be useful, voice concern where it is appropriate, and remain steadfast in our support of a long and trusted partnership that is built on leveraging our respective strengths in the service of a greater good – the prosperity, safety, and dignity of all people in Cambodia.

[END]