Annual Dialogue with Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia

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Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia,

Excellencies, Deputy Prime Ministers, Senior Ministers, Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good afternoon. On behalf of the United Nations Country Team in Cambodia, thank you very much for the opportunity to review our longstanding partnership.

Samdech Prime Minister,

During the visit of the United Nations Secretary-General in November 2022, the former Prime Minister emphasized three core elements of the UN-Cambodia relationship: the work of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), peacekeeping, and this annual dialogue. We are grateful that he resumed the annual dialogue modality post-pandemic last year and that we can have our first dialogue with your government today.

The Cambodian peacekeeping tradition remains world-class, has exceeded targets on women peacekeepers and combined with the work of the ECCC, continues to offer opportunities to share Cambodia’s experience internationally. We confirm our commitment to continue supporting these efforts.

Last year’s dialogue focused on social protection and universal health coverage. We sincerely congratulate your government on the significant progress made in these two areas over the past year, are grateful to the contributions we could make and reiterate our continued strong support.

I thank the many members of r government, at all levels, with whom we work so closely. Our partnership is built on a firm foundation of transparency, dialogue and collaboration. While it keeps evolving, it remains focused on our joint mission for a secure, prosperous, fair and sustainable future for all people in the country.

At a time when global upheaval and climate change have ongoing impacts on regional and national economic outlooks, our partnership finds itself once more at a pivotal moment. The implementation of our joint Cooperation Framework has commenced, with eyes firmly set upon the Royal Government’s priorities outlined in the Pentagonal Strategy Phase 1, the 2030 Agenda (Sustainable Development Goals/SDGs) and the LDC graduation process. Our mandate is to support your government in meeting these ambitions.

Samdech Prime Minister 

For the dialogue this afternoon, I have structured my remarks in three parts with a focus on how we can strengthen the foundation for Cambodia’s 2050 ambition:

• First, a short overview of key joint achievements from the past five years.
• Second, to highlight key areas of our new Cooperation Framework for Cambodia 2024-2028.

• And third, to set the scene for our dialogue today, focusing on SDG progress and graduation from Least Development Country status. 

   

(Key achievements of UNDAF 2019-2023)

The 2019-2023 cooperation cycle followed an extensive period of economic progress for Cambodia, with reductions in poverty and gains in human development. However, in 2019, the cohort of poor and near-poor people remained significant, and there was a need for improved public healthcare and stronger public institutions. Our joint priority was to address these challenges. 

So collectively, how did we do?

Over this five-year period, notwithstanding the impact of the global pandemic, our partnership contributed to increased social and economic opportunity, and a safer, healthier and more secure environment:

• The people in Cambodia benefited from an effective collective response to COVID-19.
• Infant mortality rates were halved, and better nutrition is enabling more children to achieve their full developmental potential.
• The impacts of disease and illness are reduced, with tuberculosis cases dropping by one fifth, no malaria deaths reported since 2018, and AIDS related deaths decreased by one third.
• Universal Health Coverage has advanced, increasing services and improving financial protection. 
• More children are in school, more teachers receive training, and more schools are better equipped. 
• Women and girls have access to better support and services to address gender-based violence.
• The social protection safety net is stronger and able to support more vulnerable people, including those most marginalized in the informal sector, such as female entertainment workers. 
• Young people are better equipped for the future, through higher levels of school enrollment, a lower youth unemployment rate and more skills training.  
• There is an ambitious and forward-looking climate agenda, a focus on less plastic, more solar and preservation of key natural resources, such as forests and fish stocks. 
• Progress continued towards a Mine-Free Cambodia by 2025, with 13 provinces declared mine-free by the end of 2023. 

Furthermore, I wish to highlight our significant work in strengthening 160 policies, plans, laws and legislative frameworks. We advised on international norms and good practices including gender equity and women’s empowerment, leave no-one behind, and international human rights standards. 

This is not a victory lap. The benefits enjoyed by many are not yet experienced by all. As outlined in your government’s priorities, there remains work to be done in ensuring that economic growth is sustainable, that it benefits all people in Cambodia, that it unleashes the full social and economic potential of women and girls, that it leaves no one behind, and that it acts as a genuine foundation for opportunity and long-term, balanced and inclusive prosperity. 

(Key elements of the Cooperation Framework 2024-2028)

Samdech Prime Minister

Over the course of 2023, we jointly developed the current Cooperation Framework 2024-2028 whose expected outcomes are fully aligned with the government’s Pentagonal Strategy Phase 1 and the SDGs. It focuses on four priority areas:

• First, the human element, notably improved health, nutrition, education, gender equality and social protection.  
• Second, the economy, ensuring people can contribute to an economy that is diverse, fair, formal and green. 
• Third, the environment, strengthening protection for natural resources, improving conservation, preservation and restoration efforts, and climate adaptation including emergency preparedness and early warning.
• And fourthly, social transformation, ensuring inclusivity, equality and specifically gender equality, openness, and accountability to serve the most vulnerable. 

Partnership is fundamental to every level of our collective work. In all, 26 United Nations agencies, funds and programs are signed on as partners in the Framework, working across all government ministries. Importantly, we acknowledge the countless NGOs, civil society groups, communities, the private sector and development partners who are essential partners in our joint efforts. It is through this broad partnership that we can support Cambodia’s long-term growth, prosperity and security. 

Furthermore, I am pleased to confirm that the Framework is fully aligned with ongoing United Nations Reforms as mandated by our member states, including Cambodia. This includes realizing the efficiency agenda and establishing a United Nations House, a proposal we initiated with your government in the fall of last year.  

(Focusing on the future – SDG and LDC graduation)

Samdech Prime Minister

A reality check of global SDG progress reveals significant challenges. Globally, only 15% of the SDGs are on track. For the Asia and the Pacific region, the current estimates by ESCAP show that a “business-as-usual” approach will see the SDGs reached not by 2030, but by 2062. 

For Cambodia, the Government led 2023 Voluntary National Review demonstrated significant progress on several of its SDG targets, including poverty reduction and universal access to education at primary school level to just name two.  

Notwithstanding this significant progress, a “business-as-usual” approach will not see Cambodia achieve the 2030 Agenda neither, nor set the stage for Cambodia’s 2050 high-income goal. Therefore, globally, the United Nations has proposed 6 priority areas for greatest acceleration towards the SDGs: (1) food systems; (2) renewable energy; (3) digital connectivity; (4) education; (5) jobs and social protection; and (6) climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. 

We have integrated these into our joint work in Cambodia, and we have also committed to focus on data transformation and addressing gender-based violence. 

This is not a new agenda. Rather, this member state-driven United Nations reform transforms how we operate to best support Cambodia. Action will be needed across multiple policy levels, spanning economic, social and environmental dimensions. We will focus more on policy development, capacity building at scale, improved financing and more frequent and focused convening of various stakeholders in support of the implementation of the governments priorities. 

Samdech Prime Minister

Our dialogue today is framed by LDC graduation and focuses on the critically important priorities of skill development and education. Before we turn to these, two issues fundamental for successful LDC graduation and for Cambodia to achieve its 2050 vision deserve mentioning.

First, climate change could cause a 10% reduction in annual average GDP growth by 2050 and a 6-percentage point increase in the poverty rate by 2040. Building on the ambitious commitments made by your government at last year’s COP, it is of critical importance to revise Cambodia’s climate plan, the NDC, accordingly. This must be completed over the coming year ahead of COP 30 in 2025 in Brazil. The next 12 months will thus set Cambodia’s climate agenda for the next five years, which in turn set the trajectory towards the 2050 goal. 

Second, good governance and Leave No-One Behind. Critics frequently focus on some human rights in Cambodia. The positive engagement with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process and constructive collaboration with the United Nations on a range of human rights issues demonstrates that this is an important element of our ongoing partnership and a precondition to achieve the 2050 ambition. The United Nationsremains committed to working with your government across all human rights issues – economic, social, cultural, civil and political.

We reaffirm our partnership with the Royal Government to Leave No-One Behind. Cambodia will be stronger, grow faster, and be more peaceful and resilient if all people in the country have both a stake and a say in its future. To this end, I encourage the Royal Government to progressively integrate the full SDG agenda into Cambodia’s national frameworks.

As mandated by our member states and based on the United Nations’s rights- and gender-based approach, we remain focused in our joint endeavors on all vulnerable communities, including persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, indigenous people, the LGBTQI+ community, refugees, statelessness and migrants, to ensure that Cambodia’s future prosperity is realized for all.

All of the aforementioned issues and ambitions are aligned with the Government’s priorities, enshrined in the Cambodian Constitution, and supportive in assisting Cambodia in meeting its international commitments and opportunities. It is our mandate and our privilege to support your government in this endeavor.

(Conclusion)

Samdech Prime Minister

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

This annual dialogue remains the centerpiece of the United Nations’ partnership with the Royal Government of Cambodia. It is a vital mechanism for accountability, ensuring that the United Nations family is aligned with the expectations and aspirations of the Government as our main partner. 

The agenda before us collectively is ambitious, and rightly so. The challenge in meeting these targets will be in ensuring effective and impactful implementation of the Government’s priorities. The United Nations Country Team in Cambodia stands with the Royal Government to support the realization of the 2030 and 2050 targets. You can count on us.

Thank you.