The important contribution of NGOs in the rehabilitation, development and reform efforts of Cambodia in the past two decades is well recognized by the Royal Government of Cambodia and International Donor Agencies. NGOs play a major role in providing and supporting the provision of basic social services, often in remote areas and communities, and are present in every province and major sector in Cambodia. NGOs also bring alternative models and approaches to development, emphasizing participation, equity, gender sensitivity and environmental sustainability. NGOs have been instrumental in advocating for national reforms that pave the way for improvements in health, education, human rights, legal system, social services, environment and women and children's rights.
The number of International NGOs in Cambodia has remained at around 200 over the past few years, up from 25 in the early 1980's. The number of local NGOs and associations continues to increase and today there are a reported 800 organisations registered with the Royal Government of Cambodia, since the first local NGO was established in 1991. In addition, there are over 50 NGO sectoral and issue working groups, both formal and informal, that come together on issues of common interest in support of the development of Cambodia. Informal NGO networks exist in almost every province and have an increasingly important role in contributing to an informed dialogue on development processes and policies.
International NGO activities in Cambodia can be broadly classified into four main categories:
- Large scale service delivery dependent on bilateral and multilateral funding and implemented by large NGOs with experience in reconstruction and infrastructure development.
- Service delivery in conjunction with government institutions working through local structures and providing institutional capacity building, especially at provincial, district and commune levels.
- Community development activities carried out by well established NGOs with experience in working at the village level to tackle the basic causes of poverty
- Development of local NGOs and community based organizations, encouraged and directly supported by international NGOs, includes direct funding and capacity building through training.
Local NGO activities in Cambodia can be broadly classified into four main categories:
- Democracy and Human Rights organizations committed to promoting democratic principles and respect for human rights through policy, training and other advocacy work.
- Development organisations involved in education, health, credit, income-generating and other rural and urban development activities aimed at improving the lives of poor people.
- Support Service organisations focusing on human resource and organisation development training activities, as well as facilitating networking and advocacy related activities
- Community based organisations and associations that are taking on a more active role in participating and directly managing their own development processes.
NGOs recognize the importance of strengthening their own governance structures and management systems which will in turn increase their accountability and transparency, particularly to the communities and people they work with. A NGO Code of Ethics was developed to promote quality and professional standards within the NGO community and has contributed to discussions on models for NGO self-regulation.
A supportive legal framework for NGOs would strengthen the contribution of NGOs in the development of a market economy and encourage citizen participation in the development of the country. A Law on NGOs and Associations should provide clear guidelines for NGO operations so that both NGOs and government better understand the operating environment. A transparent and supportive legal framework should strive to achieve a balance between regulation and facilitation so that scarce government resources need not be committed to managing a complex regulatory system.
Graph1: Summary of NGOs Contributions (US $ 000'S)

Sources:
NGO
Statement to the 1997 CG Meeting on Cambodia; Non-Governmental
Organizations in Cambodia 1998 by CDC; 1998, 1999, 2000 Development
Cooperation Reports for Cambodia by CDC; 1999 Cambodian NGO Resource
Directories by Ponlok; CCC NGO Directories
1997-2000
(Note: 2001 financial estimates only) |
Graph 2: Number of NGOs in Cambodia

Sources:
CCC International Humanitarian/Development Assistance and
Cambodian NGO
Directories; Non-Governmental NGOs in Cambodia 1998 by CDC |
NGO Projects in Cambodia
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