Deciding who and how many constitute the poor in Cambodia requires a broad understanding of poverty, and not simply a limited income/consumption approach. This broad understanding of poverty should include the concept of human rights as well as actively requiring the participation of the poor themselves, not only in defining poverty but also in identifying why they think they are poor and how they believe they can rise out of poverty. It is from this perspective that NGOs approach poverty reduction.
The I-PRSP recognizes broad dimensions of poverty that include lack of opportunities, vulnerability, low capabilities and social exclusion. While it presents some of the factors that cause poverty as well as policy recommendations to address them, it glosses over the importance of structural causes of poverty. These structural causes are closely linked to why certain groups of individuals continue to control Cambodia’s productive resources, to the detriment of the poor majority population. The structural causes of poverty perpetuate inequity: currently, some Cambodians are able to live in luxury in the Phnom Penh area while others eke out a meager existence in remote villages, isolated mine-affected pockets, on urban rooftops or even in the forest. Therefore, the empowerment of the poor and voiceless should lead to policy actions that distribute Cambodia's productive assets equitably and build upon the social networks and institutions of the poor.