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Preface

In this publication, NGOs working in Cambodia have provided observations and recommendations on important Cambodian development issues, reflecting on progress throughout 2003 and 2004.

The NGO community in Cambodia welcomes its inclusion in the process of contributing to development policy and in assessing progress. It strives to engage in this process in a positive manner offering a pro-poor, experience-led contribution both to debates surrounding poverty reduction and through its own poverty reduction activities.

NGOs, as development institutions, can contribute much to poverty reduction plans by sharing the observations and conclusions arising from their development experience.  NGOs, in their day-to-day duties, work closely with poor and vulnerable groups and therefore are in a strong position to communicate the needs of these groups to decision-makers.

NGOs have been active in Cambodia since the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979.  Following the restoration of Western development aid in 1992, they actively contributed to meetings of the International Committee on the Reconstruction of Cambodia (ICORC), which were held each year from 1993 to 1995.  Since 1996, NGOs have attended the annual Consultative Group meetings, and each year they have presented a detailed statement on NGOs’ issues and recommendations for the development of Cambodia.  No Consultative Group meeting was held in 2003 due to the preoccupation with the national elections.  This NGO Statement is intended to contribute to the policy dialogue and inform the discussions at the 2004 Consultative Group Meeting on Cambodia held in Phnom Penh on December 6-7, 2004.

NGOs in Cambodia hope that this publication may provoke debate and be an important reference tool for NGOs, government, donors, consultants, and development agencies seeking to contribute to poverty reduction in Cambodia.

 

Acknowledgements

These NGO sectoral and issues papers were prepared through the voluntary effort of many NGOs, both local and international, based on their experience of development work in Cambodia. The NGO or NGO sectoral group which led the drafting of each sectoral paper is listed in the “List of Contributors” on the following page. Drafting of the Main Statement was coordinated by the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia.  The sectoral papers were edited by the NGO Forum on Cambodia.  The Cooperation Committee for Cambodia  and the NGO Forum on Cambodia express deep appreciation to all NGOs who contributed to this publication.


Acronyms and Abbreviations

 

ADB

Asian Development Bank

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome

CC

Cadastral Commission

CCC

Cooperation Committee for Cambodia

CCSP

Commune Council Support Project

CDPO

Cambodian Disabled People’s Organization

CDW

Child Domestic Worker

CEC

Commune Election Committee

CEDAC

Centre d'Etude et de Developpement Agricole Cambodgien

CG

Consultative Group

CHRAC

Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee

CMAA

Cambodian Mine Action and Victims Assistance Authority

CNCC

Cambodian National Council for Children

COMFREL

Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia

CPP

Cambodian People’s Party

CSD

Center for Social Development

CSEC

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

DAC

Disability Action Council

DCDM

District Committee for Disaster Management

DIPECHO

Disaster Preparedness for European Community Humanitarian Office

DoF

Department of Fisheries

ECHO

European Community Humanitarian Office

EFA

Education For All

EMO

Election Monitoring Organizations

EPZ

Export Processing Zone

ESP

Education Strategic Plan

ESSP

Education Sector Support Program

FACT

Fisheries Action Coalition Team

FDI

Foreign Direct Investment

FUNCINPEC

National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia

GTZ

German Technical Co-operation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit)

HAP

Humanitarian Accountability Project

HIV

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

ILO

International Labor Organization

IMF

International Monetary Fund

IOs

International Organizations

ITC

International Trade Centre

LDCs

Least Developed Countries

MAFF

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

MDGs

Millennium Development Goals

MEDiCAM

The membership organization for NGOs active in the health sector in Cambodia

MLMUPC

Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction

MoEF

Ministry of Economy and Finance

MoSALVY

Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour, Vocational Training and Youth Rehabilitation

MOWRAM

Ministry of Water Resource and Meteorology

MRC

Mekong River Commission

NA

National Assembly

NACD

National Authority for Combating Drugs

NCDM

National Committee for Disaster Management

NCRMWEC

National Commission for Reform and Management of Weapons and Explosives

NEC

National Election Commission

NEP

The NGO Education Partnership

NFE

Non-Formal Education

NGO

Non-Governmental Organization

NGO-CRC

NGO Committee on the Rights of the Child

NPRS

National Poverty Reduction Strategy

NTFP

Non Timber Forest Products Project

PAP

Priority Action Program

PCDM

Provincial Committee for Disaster Management

PWDs

Persons with Disabilities

RGC

Royal Government of Cambodia

SCM

Supreme Council of the Magistracy

UNCRC

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

UNCTAD

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

UNDP

United Nations Development Program

UNICEF

United Nations Children’s Fund

UXO

Unexploded ordnance

WB

World Bank

WFP

World Food Programme

WTO

World Trade Organization