Cambodia Joins Global Partnership to Reaffirm Its Commitment Towards a Green and Inclusive Economic Transformation

Being an alliance of five United Nations (UN) agencies, PAGE is increasingly recognized as a model for delivering coordinated support of the UN to countries for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets of the Paris Agreement. PAGE’s unique value proposition is its focus on “upstream” economic policies that have the potential to eventually move the whole of the economy on a more sustainable trajectory.

Supported by the European Union (EU), Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Korea, the project in Cambodia will span over five years, including a one-year inception phase that will be concluded by mid-2023.

To ensure that its support in Cambodia is fully aligned with existing strategies and programmes, PAGE has engaged the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) to conduct a scoping study. This study is to identify opportunities and options for macro-economic and sectoral policy reform including high-impact sectors such as garment manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, and finance that can enable a green economy transition.

Representing the Minister of Environment and Chair of the National Council for Sustainable Development at the event, H.E. Dr. Paris Chuop, Under Secretary of State, stressed that Cambodia has already demonstrated its commitment to green economy principles as a means to promote sustainable development and the economic, social and environmental balance within the Kingdom of Cambodia. With its strong commitment, Cambodia developed National Policy on Green Growth and National Strategic Plan on Green Growth 2013-2030, as well as the Environment and Natural Resources Code and submitted its Long-Term Strategy for Carbon Neutrality (LTS4CN) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Thereby, joining this global partnership will leverage the country’s efforts in mobilizing additional support in terms of new and advanced knowledge and finance to expedite the transformation towards an inclusive green economy.

Mr. Asad Naqvi, Head of PAGE secretariat, elaborated on a unique strength of PAGE programme which brings together expertise in economic growth, employment, industrial competitiveness, national development planning and finance, and capacity building. Those are key ingredients needed for the transformation of the whole economy and finance. "Transforming the economy is not an easy task that can be accomplished by a single institution." "We are proud of Cambodia's application because it brought together the big set of ministries, private sectors, civil society organizations, academia, and research institutions, which is what is needed for transformation," he continued.

Speaking on behalf of the five UN agencies supporting the implementation of PAGE Cambodia, Mr. Narin Sok, UNIDO's Country Representative, reiterated the Joint UN commitment to work closely with relevant line Ministries to ensure that PAGE Cambodia contributes to promoting green and inclusive economic growth in Cambodia. The implementation of PAGE programme is fully aligned with and will contribute to the realization of the overall objectives of new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2024-2028.

The event brought together 100 participants from various relevant ministries, private sectors, civil societies, academia, national research institutions and development partners. It concluded at 17 :00 PM.

Note:

The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) is a global flagship initiative involving  five UN agencies, including the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in responding to the growing need for coordinated action to address the challenges of sustainable development and climate change following the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil held in 2012. PAGE is supported by the generous contributions of its partners. Their support, financial and in-kind contributions are integral to enabling countries to transform their economies into drivers of sustainability. PAGE funding partners include the European Union, Germany, Finland, Norway, Korea, Sweden and Switzerland. Further details about PAGE can be found: https://www.un-page.org/

The PAGE project in Cambodia is coordinated by UNITAR. The coordinating Government institution is the Department of Green Economy.

PAGE Cambodia Focal Point:

Ms. Rachana Kong

National Project Coordinator

Email: rachana.kong@unitar.org

Phone: +855 12 644 649

UNITAR Focal Point:

Ms. Amrei Horstbrink

Senior Specialist,

Green Development and Climate Change Programme

Email: amrei.horstbrink@unitar.org