Monthly Archives: November 2015

Testimonial Ceremony of TPO

19 November 2015

On November 13, 2015, during Testimonial Ceremony of TPO, Khmer Rouge survivors were invited to process their traumatic experiences with a trained counselor during a series of confidential sessions. >>> More

Testimonial Ceremony of TPO

19 November 2015

On November 13, 2015, during Testimonial Ceremony of TPO, Khmer Rouge survivors were invited to process their traumatic experiences with a trained counselor during a series of confidential sessions.
Testimonial Therapy (TT) is a short-term treatment for psychological trauma that was specifically develped to improve the coping ability of survivors as well as reduce their posttraumatic stress symtoms after experiencing torture and other forms of organized political violence. The Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Cambodia (TPO) has adopted TT by integrating traditional and religious practices led by Buddhist monks in local pagodas, which in turn, reinforce the power and significance of traditional coping and healing in the country’s spirit-based culture.

TPO, in cooperation with the victoms Support Section of the ECCC (Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia) aims to improve access to legal and psychological services for Civil Parties which is generously funded by GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and SF (Swiss Foundation).”

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Translating decentralization into action – DM Charter supports sub-national councils in setting their own rules and regulations

PIC 1 - The District Council of Boribor (Battambang Province) holding its monthy council meeting11 November 2015

The National Committee for Sub-national Democratic Development (NCDD), which is responsible for the decentralization reform in Cambodia, adopted the District/Municipal Charter (DM Charter) during its meeting in August. Its goal is to strengthen district and municipal councils and to improve the performance of their administrations.

The DM Charter summarizes what is already ordained in the “Law on Administrative Management of Capital, Provinces, Municipalities, Districts and Khans” and other legislation: councils are autonomous bodies. More>>>

Translating decentralization into action – DM Charter supports sub-national councils in setting their own rules and regulations

PIC 1 - The District Council of Boribor (Battambang Province) holding its monthy council meeting11 November 2015

The National Committee for Sub-national Democratic Development (NCDD), which is responsible for the decentralization reform in Cambodia, adopted the District/Municipal Charter (DM Charter) during its meeting in August. Its goal is to strengthen district and municipal councils and to improve the performance of their administrations.

The DM Charter summarizes what is already ordained in the “Law on Administrative Management of Capital, Provinces, Municipalities, Districts and Khans” and other legislation: councils are autonomous bodies. They are responsible for the development of their constituencies, and therefore must take the interests and needs of their citizens into account, and involve them in their decision-making processes. Councils have legislative and executive powers, so governors must accept and implement their decisions.

But the reality in the districts and municipalities has been otherwise. Many councillors are not yet aware of their responsibilities and their far-reaching powers. Many governors find it difficult to hand over decision-making powers to the councils. The DM Charter, which was developed with support from the EU-SPACE program (Strengthening Performance, Accountability, and Civic Engagement) implemented by GIZ, is intended to change that. It aims to bolster the councils and to encourage them to contribute in a more active manner to the development of their jurisdiction than in the past. At the same time, the DM Charter should be used to inform the people about the roles and responsibilities of the sub-national administration.

The currently available DM Charter is a template, i.e. it serves as the basis for the districts and municipalities to develop a charter that fits their specific situation and needs. The NCDD hopes that it will now be intensively discussed in all district and municipal administrations, with the commune and sangkat councils, as well as with the citizens in the area of the respective council. The NCDD specifically emphasizes that the councils have the right to change the draft DM Charter to meet their needs. During a consultative workshop in Phnom Penh, H.E. Sak Setha, Secretary of State and Head of NCDD Secretariat, encouraged the participating key actors: “All Districts and Municipalities shall prepare their own DM Charter.”

Following discussions with the citizens and all key stakeholders, the district and municipal councils should adopt the DM Charter as a local law (DEIKA). The DM Charter will thereby become legally binding for all actors within the district and municipal administrations.

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SHP III Launching Workshop and Signing Ceremony

pic06 November 2015

On October 2, 2015, the new Social Health Protection Project (SHP) III was officially launched during a workshop with partners from the Ministry of Health, civil society and project partners at Raffles Hotel Le Royal . The new SHP Project will continue to support the Royal Government of Cambodia from September 2015 until December 2018 in:

  • implementing social health protection
  • improving health service quality
  • strenghtening participation of communities
  • improving access to health for vulnerable groups. More>>>

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All activities are implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).