GIZ Cambodia – Giz Cambodia

01 October 2018

EuroCham Cambodia, on behalf of GIZ “Support to the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI)”, organized two workshops on Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in the healthcare sector on 28^th September 2018, and in tourism sector on 01^st October 2018, Phnom Penh, aiming to address how to enhance the investment environment and promotion strategies in the health and tourism sectors where public and private sectors can better collaborate. …

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Focus Group Discussion in Phnom Penh
(Photo by Mr. Ly Chanvathanak)

04 October 2018

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A woman has her blood sugar checked at a diabetes clinic in Phnom Penh.

06 September 2018

We are at a crossroads in Cambodia: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, the so-called ‘noncommunicable diseases’ (NCDs) are already the largest cause of mortality, and the rate is rising. They cause 61.3 percent of deaths but receive the least funding and attention across the board. People living with NCDs are also hit financially: they spend ten times as much on healthcare as those without NCDs. Clearly, huge action is needed to …

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កែលម្អជីវភាពតាមរយៈផលិតកម្មបន្លែរបស់អង្គការ –

ជីអាយហ្សិតកម្ពុជា

31 August 2018

បន្លែជាច្រើនប្រភេទដែលដាំដុះលើផ្ទៃដីទំហំ ៣៥ម x ៦០ម ធ្វើឱ្យលោកស្រីទុំ អ៊ិន ពោរពេញដោយស្នាមញញឹមយ៉ាងរីករាយ។ “ខ្ញុំសប្បាយរីករាយណាស់ដែលគម្រោង ILF របស់អង្គការGIZបានជួយគាំទ្រដល់ពួកយើងដើម្បីបង្កើតទីតាំងបង្ហាញនេះ … ច្រើនទៀត >>>

The numerous types of vegetables on the 35 m x 60 m plot of land make Mrs. Tum En smile joyfully. “I am so happy that GIZ ILF has supported us to establish this demonstration plot and trains us adequately so that we can increase our income through better growing techniques… More >>>

Master lacquerer (Eric Stocker) explaining the different layers required during application of natural lacquer.

08 August 2018

Amongst their continuous conservation and restoration efforts in the Angkor Park, the APSARA Stone Conservation Unit (SCU) is currently working on two prestigious late 12^th-century Buddha statues at Prasat Pre Rup (as previously mentioned here). Both statues are, as one would expect, typically covered in various coats and layers of natural lacquer and polychromy, including decorative embellishments and faint traces of gold leaf. In order to successfully carry out … More >>>

The participants got guidance from the IT expert during the training in Siem Reap province

06 July 2018

March, April and June, 2018

Siem Reap and 10 selected provinces, Cambodia

All Cambodian nurses who exercise as medical professional assistants must register with the Cambodian Council of Nurses (CCN). In order to ease the feasibility of the registration to all nurses everywhere in the country, the online registration system was developed and launched in late March 2018. More >>>

28 June 2018

When poverty hits, people struggle to even afford their basic needs. Getting nutritious food and clean drinking water can be a challenge, compromises on education might have to be made. It can be devastating, especially when one encounters health issues.

To tackle poverty and identify those in need for support the Cambodian government with the support of its partners, Germany and Australia, implements a unique solution: IDPoor. …

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Welcome and opening remarks by Dr. Chan Phaloeun, Deputy Director General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA), Ministry of Agriculture,Cambodia

20 June 2018

Consumers in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam will enjoy fresh and safe fruit and vegetable while the three countries will benefit the better trade flow of agriculture goods, and hopefully an increase of agricultural exports and revenues among the three countries. Additionally, officers at the three border check points for food safety and phytosanitary measures will find it easier to work.

The Project of the Facilitating Trade for Agricultural Goods in ASEAN (FTAG) has initiated the Regional Study on “Assessment of Framework Conditions for Trade in Fresh Fruits and Vegetable in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam” with specific emphasis on trade in … More >>>

Blood grouping using standardized tube technique, Kampong Thom PRH blood bank, March 2018

24 April 2018

Blood transfusion and accurate laboratory results are lifesaving in many cases of complicated pregnancies. If done properly, blood transfusion and laboratory practices can help to decrease infant and maternal mortality rates. Bearing this in mind, the GIZ Improving Maternal and Newborn Care Project is addressing relevant blood transfusion … More >>>

Opening Remarks by H.E Dr. Hean Vanhan, Government Delegate in charge of Director General of GDA.

20 April 2018

The ASEAN Economic Community has determined that trade within the region is to be increased and has also defined Agriculture as a core sector. Within ASEAN approximately 30 per cent of trade take place between the Member States. Although in general the level of intra-ASEAN trade is low, trade in agricultural goods (fruits and vegetables) between Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam is significantly higher. For fresh agricultural goods, …

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Consolidation of decayed stone surface areas at linel – Prasat Pre Rup

10 April 2018

In March 2007, three local stone conservation experts, with the support of one German Development Worker, started their assignment to establish a competent and fully qualified unit of local stone conservators within the APSARA Authority, the local governmental body tasked with the management and protection of the Angkor World Heritage Site in Siem Reap. And now, ten complete years thereafter the results are compelling.

The temples of Angkor are in constant need of maintenance and care. Having been exposed over a period of hundreds of years to … More >>>

A successful workshop opening

10 April 2018

Women holding political office in Cambodia do not have it easy. They often encounter prejudice and lack of understanding, and there is little trust in their abilities. They are also underrepresented at all levels of government. In light of this, the National Committee for Sub-national Democratic Development (NCDD-S) with support from the GIZ implemented EU Project for Decentralisation and Administrative Reform (EU DAR) has taken action. … More >>>

Opening remarks

05 April 2018

ASEAN China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) framework was signed in November 2002 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and came into effect in January 2010. It marked a significant milestone in pursuing greater economic integration in the region. ACFTA became the largest free trade area in the world in terms of population and the third largest in terms of nominal GDP, trailing the European Economic Area (EEA) and North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA). Under the free trade agreement, tariffs are … More >>>

20 March 2018

“I always dream that I will be able to live with my family in the future in a proper shelter and with enough food to eat, just like other people who are also workers like me. Is it possible?” – Yang Chanda, Cambodian garment worker

On Sunday 11 March, the Social and Labour Standards in the Textile and Garment Sector in Asia (SLSG) project of GIZ, together with the Worker’s Information Center, held a reception at the … More >>>

Mr. Bernd Appelt delivers his speech during the launching event.

20 March 2018

The national dissemination workshop of the revised National Policy and Safety in Health and Quality Improvement Master Plan (2017-2021) was organized by the Department of Hospital Services of the Ministry of Health on December 29, 2017 supported by GIZ Social Health Protection Programme (SHPP). The event was presided over by H.E. Professor Thir Kruy, H.E. Professor Yit Sunnara and Mr. Bernd Appelt, SHPP Programme Manager.

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Banteay Srei Community Tourism Project.

01 March 2018

The Regional Economic Development Program III (RED III) supports government, private sector and civil society stakeholders in the provinces of Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap to promote economic development and poverty alleviation. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (SDC) and includes …

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19 December 2017

The Department of Psychology invited professionals from the field of Mental Health to exchange experience and learn from each other during presentations of projects on working with families and clinical application of family therapy from various organizations in Cambodia and international family therapists on December 15 at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). …

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14 December 2017

Despite of imbalance financial returns, organic business in Cambodia currently still keeps moving forward.

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10 November 2017

… A common question that many customers ask the organic supplier

It is a matter of quality, trust and satisfactory.

Ms. Chhounso Chenda, a sale manager at Khmer Organic Cooperative (KOC) in Phnom Penh says that customers deserve to know every detail about the products they consume.

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27 October 2017

One could see this slogan on many yellow T-shirts last Tuesday on Campus of the Royal University of Phnom Penh at the “Youth Mental Health Day”. The Department of Psychology, with financial support by the GIZ Civil Peace Service, organized this annual awareness rising event for the fifth time and more than 1700 students, lecturers and mental health professionals were following the invitation. More >>>

24 October 2017

Potato production field trial contributes to food diversification while offering a “new” cash crop to Cambodian farmers

Potato and Cambodia may not seem to match when it comes to food. But, when searching into internet, potato and Cambodia cuisine walks hands in hands in a popular Khmer red curry, which CNN also suggests it is among the ten meals that visitors to Cambodia should try.

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SCM – FTAG-Group

20 October 2017

Ten senior government officials from Cambodia, Thailand and Viet Nam met for the first time for a new project to facilitate agricultural trade at its 1st Steering Committee Meeting for Facilitating Trade for Agricultural Goods in ASEAN (FTAG) between 11 – 12 October 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Coaching in neonatal resuscitation

13 October 2017

The Maternal & Newborn Care Project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of BMZ cooperated with GFA and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) in improving skills of health staff attending deliveries in public health facilities.

Three skills labs have been established in 2017 at the Provincial Referral Hospitals in Kampot, Kampong Speu and Kampong Thom with the aim of improving Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care services provided by skilled attendants such as midwives and doctors. More >>>

15 September 2017

The Department of Psychology at RUPP has been conducting a survey on “Positive Youth Development” (founded by CPS/GIZ), comprising 1600 young people from six different high schools in urban and rural areas. …

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06 September 2017

In August 2016, the ASEAN-German Cooperation Project “Standards in the Southeast Asian Food Trade” (SAFT) project entered an integrated Public Private Partnership (iPPP) with the Khmer Organic Cooperative Co., Ltd (KOC) in Cambodia. So far two major developments can be seen: Firstly, the first two Cambodian farms have been certified according to the EU organic standard. More >>>

Group Dialogue (Retailers & Lucky Super Market)

05 September 2017

Despite a growing demand for certified foods among Cambodian and international consumers, only a small amount of food grown in Cambodia is currently certified. One of the reasons that hinder the certification is the lack of exchange among actors in the supply chain.

Although a roadmap for the implementation of GAP and organic food has already been developed by the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) with the support of the ASEAN-German Cooperation Project “Standards in the Southeast Asian Food Trade” (SAFT)“, what was still missing was a commitment of the whole supply chain – farmers, retailers and consumers – to use these standards actively. More >>>

23 August 2017

Integrated Public Private Partnerships (iPPP) are a key component of the “Standards in the Southeast Asian Food Trade” (SAFT) project. Such partnerships are based on the idea that development goals are best achieved when the public sector cooperates with the private sector. In Cambodia, SAFT entered an iPPP agreement with the Khmer Organic Cooperative Co., Ltd (KOC) for the period of 15 September 2016 to 28 February 2018, with a total volume of 95,000 Euros. More >>>

09 August 2017

Peace and conflict studies and law students from the University of Marburg visited the Civil Peace Service (CPS) program office of GIZ in Phnom Penh.

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09 August 2017

In July 2017, Regional Project Support to ASEAN Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) held a Strategy Planning Workshop in Magelang, Central Java. The workshop aimed to take stock of achievements gained so far and to develop an outlook for the remaining 18 months of the project until December 2018. Especially focusing on sustainable results of the project support to ASEANSAI, emphasis was put on the development of an out-phasing strategy that will make the most of the remaining project resources … More >>>

08 August 2017

“Because I have a disability people think I cannot start a family.”
This statement reflects the experiences of men and women with disabilities in their villages and communities. Social stigma and prejudices constitute significant barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health care information and services for persons with disabilities. One of the goals of the GIZ Improving Maternal and Newborn Care Project is to reduce those barriers. Ensuring that persons with disabilities have equal rights is a key principle of German development policy. More >>>

26 July 2017

The Department of Psychology (DP) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (DMHSA) at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital opened a new chapter of collaboration this week.

13 July 2017

Dissemination and Consultative (D&C) Fora aim to promote local social and economic development and alleviate poverty through greater democracy. Holding at least one D&C Forum in June or July every year, councils shall promote accountability, transparency and civic engagement within their jurisdictions. Specifically, D&C Fora aim to inform citizens about the council’s achievements and challenges as well as its priorities for the following year. More >>>

08 June 2017

Practical training is an important part of training students in nursing and midwifery. Before going on practical placement at hospitals and health centers and seeing the patients, students need to learn the clinical procedures. Nursing and midwifery trainings cannot be imagined without the clinical practical training because the profession has always been taught by the bed of the patient.

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27 April 2017

Experienced psychologists and social workers know about the importance of the family in Cambodia as a collectivist society. For the “Postgraduate Certificate in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice” training of the Department of Psychology at RUPP enrolled 12 of them – working in various fields of their professions. Comprehensive therapy training courses are scarce in Cambodia, and the existing trainings address mainly individuals with their therapeutic approach. Development advisor Bernhild Pfautsch, working with the GIZ-Civil peace service at the University, has set up a curriculum to meet the needs for further vocational training of graduates and practitioners. More >>>

10 April 2017

The GIZ Muskoka project supports the Ministry of Health in improving Maternal and Newborn Care with a focus on Emergency Obstetric Care. The project runs until 04/2019 and works in the provinces of Kampot, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom and Kep.

In order to improve the skills and to build capacity of the Cambodian midwives through a series of Emergency Obstetric Care hands-on trainings, GIZ partners with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM). More >>>

Canady Mao, an Assistant Director of Khmer Organic Cooperative (KOC)

10 April 2017

Phnom Penh residents start changing their behavior from eating normal vegetable and fruits which contained chemical residue to consume organic products. Though the prices of organic products are higher than the normal products, some people still prefer to eat since they know these products are good for health.

“The sales volume of vegetables and fruits has increased from 100kg a day to 300kg a day,” said Canady Mao, an Assistant Director of Khmer Organic Cooperative (KOC). More>>>

31 March 2017

On March 28, 2017, the inauguration of six newly and country-wide established One Window Service Offices and District Ombudsmen offices took place in Oudong District, Kampong Speu Province.

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27 March 2017

GIZ ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) assisted the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) to collect information of organic production and trade in Cambodia.

Since 2011, GIZ ASEAN SAS in cooperation with the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) is promoting organic rice and vegetable value chains. ASEAN SAS intervention along the organic agriculture value chain cover inputs, production, logistics, regulation, certification, logistics, processing and marketing. Project partners come from the private sectors, other development agencies and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) with which the project develop a regulation for Biocontrol Agents and a National Standard for Organic Agriculture. More >>>

Organic vegetables from the Khmer Organic Cooperative.

15 March 2017

Organic products are in higher demand in Cambodia although they do not look as nice as the chemical coated produces.

According to a shop assistant at Khmer Organic Cooperative (KOC) in Phnom Penh, about 50 to 60 customers visit the shop to buy the organic products on a daily basis. Besides, four to 10 customers call to order the products per day, especially the leafy vegetables, said Ms. Seng Sophea, 23, the KOC shop assistant. More >>>

15 March 2017

The Regional Economic Development Program III (RED III) is a Cambodian rural development program funded by Germany (BMZ) and Switzerland (SDC) and implemented with technical assistance by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The third phase of the program is scheduled to last from September 2014 to December 2017. It succeeds the GIZ-supported Regional Economic Development Program – Green Belt that was implemented in the province of Siem Reap from October 2007 until August 2014. More>>>

07 March 2017

On February 24^th winner Phoch Sreyrath and finalist Sidet Shophady of the – Civil Peace Service Program of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supported – song contest were on stage at the “Chubmet festival” in Siem Reap, to present two remembrance Songs, created as from young artists to the surviving generation of Khmer Rouge. More >>>

17 February 2017

The Civil Peace Service (CPS) program of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH co-funded a one-week conference on “Dealing with the past: Engaging in the present”. The conference was organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Cambodia and supported by One Earth Future.

The concept for the event was conceived over the course of 2016 in order to engage international post-conflict professionals, providing a space for meaningful exchange on topics related to issues that transcend borders. More>>>

17 February 2017

In 2014 the Civil Peace Service (CPS) partner organization “Transcultural Psychosocial Organization” (TPO) conducted a study called “Like ghost changes body” – A study on the Impact of Forced Marriage under the Khmer Rouge Regime. After 2 and half years of planning, fund raising and rehearsals a consortium of NGOs, including Khmer Arts Academy, Kdei Karuna, TPO and Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center created a classical dance drama and a mobile exhibition based on oral histories of survivors of forced marriage. More>>>

17 February 2017

On 08 February 2017, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs launched the Referral Guidelines and – jointly with the Ministry of Health – the Minimum Standards for Basic Counseling for Women and Girl Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

These tools were developed and tested with technical support of the MoWA-GIZ-ATJW II project, which is jointly funded by the two Governments of Germany and Australia. More>>>

16 February 2017

On Thursday, 9 February 2017, the Victims Support Section of the ECCC in cooperation with the Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyers organised a forum on the developments of the ECCC’s proceedings and reparations in Case 002/02. More >>>

27 January 2017

Ms. Ing Sarun

Since Ms. Ing Sarun grows organic vegetables for Khmer Organic Cooperative, she smiles more often.

Ms. Sarun, 58, grows rice and vegetables on her family’s land of 0.92 hectare in Kampong Nung Village in Kampot Province, Cambodia. She cultivates rice and grows vegetables such as cucumber, bitter gourd, eggplant, pumpkin, and long bean for a living. She has six members in her family including her husband and four children, two boys and two girls. More>>>

16 January 2017

Cambodia’s Senior Minister of Planning, HE Chhay Than, and other IDPoor management staff visited Kampong Preah commune in Battambang province to see for themselves the outcomes of round 10 of the identification of poor households. They were shown around by the commune chief and 4 other local implementers of IDPoor – all of them women! More>>>

09 December 2016

The first two Field and Nutrition Days of the project MUSEFO took place in the provinces of Kampot and Kampong Thom. More than 1.000 small-scale farmers and women in reproductive age could be reached and be informed about agricultural and health topics related to food and nutrition security in twelve different topic stations. The participants of the agriculture section got information about diversifying their nutrition and food production by building their capacity to grow a more diverse range of crops and small animal schemes in an organic way. More>>>

Opening of the Forum – Ms. Maraile Görgen, GIZ DAR, Mr. Sok Sothy and Mr. Khol Yuthly, both NCDD-S (from left to right)

06 December 2016

What is your challenge being a District Female Councillor in Kratie? How does it differ to the role as Female Councillor in Kampong Speu? How do you raise your voice for your citizens? How do you manage to be heard in council meetings? These and other questions about roles and responsibilities of female councillors were discussed in a nationwide Female Councillor Forum on 29^th and 30^th of November. … More >>>

Discussion between ethnic civil parties and Khmer students.

01 December 2016

The Civil Peace Service (CPS) partner organization “Kdei Karuna” launched their exhibition Voices of Ethnic Minorities in Phnom Penh on 20 November 2016. The exhibition documents the persecution and suffering of Muslim Cham and ethnic Vietnamese during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. With funding of the CPS of GIZ, Kdei Karuna has collected oral history accounts of ethnic minorities. … More >>>

GIZ Country Director MrAdelbert Eberhardt, GIZ DAR Management Team and intern Ms Cora Roos after the launching ceremony.

10 November 2016

On November 4, 2016, the first Steering Committee Meeting of the new Decentralisation and Administrative Reform (DAR) Program took place. The objective of the new DAR Program is to support selected partner districts in Battambang and Kandal Province in delivering services to citizens in a more harmonised, responsive and transparent manner. More >>>

Speakers from left to right Meisenberg, Koumjian, Stanton, Smith.

28 October 2016

On October 19^th, 2016, a first comprehensive book on the work and functioning of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) was presented at META House, at an event hosted by the Civil Peace Service program of GIZ Cambodia.
The book presentation began with an introduction by Mr. Nicholas Koumjian, Co-Prosecutor at ECCC and was followed by Mr. Simon Meisenberg, a former CIM/GIZ Advisor to the trial chamber at the ECCC, who is the co-editor of the book. Dr. Ignaz Stegmiller, the second co-editor (was not present) was a former CPS advisor working in the field of ECCC legacy. More>>>

19 October 2016

Already for the fourth time interested students and mental health professionals gathered for the “Youth Mental Health Day” on October 14^th at the Royal University’s amazing assembly hall. The event was organized by the Department of Psychology with financial support from the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Civil Peace Service of GIZ. … More >>>

23 September 2016

The Minority Rights Organization (MIRO) organised a roundtable of key stakeholders to initiate a discussion about how to engage with sustainable development goal (SDG) 16.9 on legal identity in Cambodia on September 13, 2016. The focus was on vulnerable, marginalized and hard-to-reach populations, especially minority groups. While SDG 16.9 carries a promise of inclusion by making the invisible legally visible, insisting on legal identity requirements for accessing rights and services could have the unintended effect of further excluding the most marginalized as these groups may face serious obstacles in obtaining legal identity. … More >>>

Actors mime a brawl between young Khmer and ethnic Vietnamese men

14 September 2016

The Civil Peace Service (CPS) partner organization Khmer Community Development (KCD) runs a program that makes use of theater as a tool to transform conflict between interethnic groups in a commune inhabited by Khmer and ethnic Vietnamese in Kandal province. Applying the methodological approach of Forum Theater, which developed out of Augusto Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed, … More >>>

Signature of the Agreement

02 September 2016

Germany enters a partnership with Khmer Organic Cooperative Co., Ltd to promote production schemes for organic agriculture and link producers into ASEAN markets

The Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), enters a cooperation agreement with the Khmer Organic Cooperative Co., Ltd (KOC) until February 2018, to establish two organic certified demonstration farms, focusing on fruits and vegetables. The prepared farms later on will be used as a national organic training center for Cambodia. More >>>

Exhibition on Forced Marriage under the Khmer Rouge

25 August 2016

GIZ Cambodia celebrates that victims of the widespread practice of forced marriage perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge are telling their stories in public hearings for the first time at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).

Through the Civil Peace Service program, GIZ Cambodia has been working since more than eight years with governmental and non-governmental organizations to seek justice for victims of forced marriage and/or sexual violence committed by the Khmer Rouge regime. More >>>

Participant presenting about challenges and opportunities of Cambodia’s SMEs in the ASEAN Economic Community.

28-29 July 2016

The GIZ Global Partners of Germany Alumni Programme commenced the 1^st module of a Blended Learning Course on Entrepreneurship in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) for Alumni in Cambodia and Vietnam with an introductory face-to-face meeting at GIZ Country Office in Cambodia.

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25 July 2016

Older people make up an increasing proportion of the population in low- and middle-income countries. This brings a number of challenges, as their health requirements are greater than, and different from, those of younger people. More >>>

Minister HE Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi delivering remarks.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, 4^th July 2016 – The Ministry of Women’s Affairs today led a special meeting with representatives from 15 line ministries and civil society organizations to boost the implementation and monitoring of the Second National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against Women, the key national policy to address intimate partner violence and sexual violence in Cambodia. More >>>

HE Dr Mam Bunheng, Minister of Health, presided over the International Nurses Day 2016.

15 June 2016

The International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated internationally and marks the invaluable contribution of nurses to society.

The Cambodia Council of Nurses (CCN) organised the IND on the 15^th June 2016 which was presided over by H.E. Dr Mam Bunheng, Minister of Health. The over 360 participants were comprised of professional and student nurses from across the country as well as officials from the Ministry of Health, national hospitals, regional training centres and NGOs.

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30 June 2016

“We have the right to love but we do not dare to love”. This statement of a group of Cambodian women with disabilities illustrates that men and women with disabilities do not only face a number of barriers to marriage, they also fear rejection because of their impairments. Thus, sexual and reproductive health, rights and needs of persons with disabilities are invisible. In order to overcome the information gap and identify and address challenges, an evidence base is required to inform the implementation of disability inclusive sexual and reproductive health programmes.

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26 May 2016

On April 28th, 2016, Kdei Karuna (KdK) – a partner organization of CPS – implemented a Youth Community Dialogue at Phnom Trung Bat crime site in Kralanh district, Siem Reap province, giving survivors of the Khmer Rouge crime site and local high school students the unique opportunity to speak about the past. Approximately 80 persons participated in the fruitful dialogue event where survivors shared their experiences from the past, addressing the history of the crime site and their home community.

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30 April 2016

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, under support of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and German Academic Exchange (DAAD), the Cambodian-German Friendship Association (KDF) organized its first alumni talk on the topic “Entrepreneurship in the Context of ASEAN Economic Community and Business Opportunity” at Cambodian German Cultural Center (Metahouse). The event aimed at discussing among association members and alumni the complete business of running small and medium business know-how and its practices in Cambodia and across countries in the region focusing on ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

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The head of the Cambodian delegation, H.E. Thor Sethana, Under Secretary of State from MCS (2nd from right), H.E. Pich Vicheakunthy, Director General from MCS (right), Mr. Vafadar Misirov, Deputy Chairman from CSC (2nd from left) and Ms. Narmin Zeynalova, Head of International Relations from CSC during the opening of the exchange visit.

20 April 2016

A delegation headed by the Ministry of Civil Service (MCS) with the support of GIZ’s Administrative Reform and Decentralization Program (ARDP) visited the Civil Service Commission under the President of the Republic of Aserbaijan (CSC) for an exchange of experiences and lessons learnt in March 2016. The objective of the visit was to learn from the experiences the Civil Service Commission had made in developing and implementing transparent and effective entry exam procedures for Azerbaijan’s citizens who aim to enter the civil service. More>>>

18 March 2016

Mrs Hout Phally is a 38-year-old midwife in the Hospital of Trapaing Kraloeung, Phnom Srouch operational District, Kampong Speu province. She felt insecure in some professional situations, and was often unsure about the correct course of action to take in medical emergencies as she lacked knowledge. Now, thanks to further professional training, Mrs. Hout Phally has improved her technical skills and recently applied these skills during a complicated delivery. More >>>

Accessing RED III documents on DMS

2 March 2016

The Regional Economic Development Program III (RED III) is a Cambodian rural development program supported by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The program is scheduled to last from September 2014 to December 2017. It succeeds the GIZ-supported Regional Economic Development Program – Green Belt that was implemented in the province of Siem Reap from October 2007 until August 2014. More>>>

19 February 2016

Agricultural lands in Southeast Asia are predominately occupied by small-holder farmers, who have limited resources and capability (knowledge and technology) to manage the soils efficiently to optimize crop production.

Current land use practices together with harsh climatic conditions and population pressure have led to soil degradation, loss of soil fertility, declining crop yields and malnutrition, subsequently declining in livelihood. An enhancement in productivity of food crop is unlikely to be achieved without ensuring that crops have adequate and balanced supply of nutrients.

Sustainable agricultural system is based on managing soil according to their constraints and thus capabilities. Rehabilitation of the productive capacity of soil for crop production is the key issue to be addressed in ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS). If soil quality is poor, it cannot function effectively thus incapable to sustain a productive agriculture. This could be achieved through integrated approach to conserve and manage soil and nutrient. Accomplishing this could have enormously impact on sustainability of agriculture and food production in the region….

More on >>> http://www.asean-agrifood.org/what-we-do/soil-and-nutrient-management-2/

Money Flower Ceremony in Bendei Pagoda (2015)

11 February 2016

Preikuy commune, Kampong Svay district, February 2015 – In Kampong Svay, a local initiative has created a new and innovative way to support the poorest and the most vulnerable members of the community: persons with disabilities and older persons. During a money flower ceremony at Bendei pagoda $3,289 were donated by the community to enable those in need to visit a doctor when falling ill. The money was then donated to finance moto dubs, which are contracted, to bring the most vulnerable people from their home to a health centre. This basic service could be a matter of life or death for many that cannot afford the transport to get to health centres. The initiative was jointly started by the local government and religious authorities and facilitated by GIZ. More>>>

Mr. Haenert addressing the participants

2 February 2016

From 18 to 22 of January 2016, the Ministry of Land Management Urban Planning and Construction conducted an Introductory Training Course for Urban Planning with the support of GIZ Land Rights Program II. It aimed to provide an insight into urban planning in general and to the first steps of an urban master planning process in particular. Participants were representatives of the 25 provincial spatial planning committees, mandated with the elaboration of spatial plans in the country. The training showcased the attempt of the ministry to increase subnational capacities for spatial and urban planning. More>>>

29 January 2016

Kampong Kandal, Cambodia, January, 2016 – In Cambodia, community participation in health care services is paying off. A nationwide roll-out of Health Centre Management Committees (HCMC) are strengthening local governance and enhancing community participation in the health sector, Communities are now getting involved with the co-management of facilities and exchange of information among citizens, health care providers and local authorities leading to improved accountability and transparency, more efficient services and stronger leadership. More>>>

Yort Norng (2015)

13 January 2016

Kampong Thom, July 2015 – Yort Norng was living with her eight children and her husband, a soldier and the village chief of Samrong, Preah Damrei commune in a rural area in Kampong Thom. In 1986, her life drastically changed when her husband died.

Norng is highly motivated to improve the life of the villagers in Samrong village, “I really wanted to help my community,” she said enthusiastically.

Soon after this tragic event, her community chose her as the new village chief of Samrong, as they valued her strong engagement with the community.

Norng continued to serve her village as leader for 26 years before she was elected in 2012 as commune chief for her district in Preah Damer, Kampong Thom. More>>>

Ms. Him Sothea is an example of the woman who could change her life from nobody to a well-recognized organic rice farmer.

12 January 2016

Him Sothea, 49, a mother of three daughters, living in Chum Teavchreng Village, Tang Krous commune, Kampong Chhnang Province. Her older daughter is 21 years old, studying at university in Phnom Penh while the youngest is studying at grade 7 in the community. Ms. Sothea has been working in agricultural farming since she was young. Her parents and so do her grandparents were farmers. After her graduation at grade 6, she married and cultivated rice on one and a half hectares of land in the same way her ancestors had been doing. More>>>

Handover of the certificates. From left: H.E. Dr. Sum Map, H.E. Joachim Marschall von Bieberstein, H.E. DPM Dr. Sok An, Ms. Tean Saroth (SCU), Thomas Bernecker
Regardless of the official completion of the training, the students still keep on learning as they get special further training in the laboratory, with special scientific devices and new materials. So SCU can ensure that the work they carry out in various conservation projects in Angkor meet all the international standards.

11 January 2016

Siem Reap, Cambodia- The achievements of the young conservators of APSARA Stone Conservation Unit were acknowledged during a graduation ceremony at an internationals conference in Siem Reap.

ICC, the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor, is an international forum where experts in various fields can exchange their experiences and views for the preservation and development of the cultural heritage of Angkor. This 2-day- conference is held twice a year by APSARA Authority under the patronage of UNESCO. More>>>

Senior Minister H.E. Im Chun Lim of MLMUPC handing over the collective land title to Mr. Reyeum Pcheul of Pu Trom Community.

30 December 2015

As the ninth of Cambodia’s indigenous peoples communities Pu Trom received its collective land title on November 30th. After successfully passing the various steps of the complex indigenous people communal land titling process, Senior Minister H.E. Im Chun Lim of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC) handed over the communal land title to the community representatives during the land titling ceremony in Pu Trom Village.

Since 2005 GIZ’s Land Rights Program is advising MLMUPC in designing, piloting and implementing the process of the indigenous people communities land titling. So far nine communities in Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri received their collective land title. With the support of the Land Rights Program almost 40 more communities qualified for a collective land title and are in the process of receiving it during the next years. More>>>

IDPoor stakeholders convene consultative session in late-September 2015.

04 December 2015

September 29, 2015 – Since 2006, GIZ has supported the Cambodian Ministry of Planning (MOP) in developing and implementing a procedure to identify the country’s poor households. By now, the poverty identification in rural areas is a well-established process that is based on a participatory approach executed by villagers themselves, which greatly relies on trust within the community. More >>>

03 December 2015

GIZ works towards the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the health sector in Cambodia. We are proud to present the experiences and lessons learned from the GIZ Social Health Protection Programme. The case study has been selected by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) due to its novelty and importance in light of the BMZ Action Plan for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. It documents and critically reflects the early experiences of an important new approach.

Link:

Every person counts: Promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the health sector in Cambodia

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

11 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>>>

06 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>>>

01 October 2015

28 September 2015 at General Secretariat of National Council for Sustainable Development (GSSD), there is a signing ceremony on Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD) and GIZ Cambodia, GIZ-Climate Finance Readiness Programme in order to support the implementation of National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process for Cambodia. More>>>

Participants-includes-public-sector-and-regulators-practitioners-extension-workers-academia-NGOs-SMEs-farmers-and-private-sector.

08 September 2015

The 2nd “National forum on regulation, use and trade of Biocontrol Agents (BCA) in Cambodian Agriculture” was held on 28-29 July 2015 in Siem Reap, Cambodia aiming at:

Providing a platform to different stakeholders in the agricultural sector including the public sector and other regulators, practitioners, extension workers, academia, NGOs, SMEs, farmers and the private sector for sharing their experiences and identify synergies in promoting environmentally friendly agriculture production;
Promoting the use of BCA and showcasing the benefits of BCA through visiting field trials; More>>>

Mr. Sun Song, 32, farmer using Trichoderma, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.

07 September 2015

Mr Sun Song is a farmer in the Siem Reap province in Cambodia. He has been using an organic fertilizer and pesticide called Trichoderma to protect his cucumbers and string beans from harmful fungal infestation and to improve the growth of his crops for the past year. Trichiderma is a green fungi naturally living in the soil. Before using Trichoderma, Mr Song applied chemical pesticides to control diseases. Trichoderma can be mixed with compost and distributed on the field to improve the soil quality and control harmful fungi, Mixed with water, it can also be used for seed coating to accelerate germination and protect the seed against pathogens. Or, it can be directly sprayed on infested plants. More>>>

Cambodian Land Recipients Raise Chickens to Improve Livelihoods

24 August 2015

“After receiving training, I had a new desire to raise chickens,” said Yem, an Othom Village land recipient.

In every direction one looks in Othom Village, chicken pens and gardens line the villagers’ houses. Chicken raising is now a priority and new interest for the people of this social land concession village in Kampong Thom, according to a recent agro-ecological assessment and agriculture needs assessment. More>>>

InVEST Workshop in Sen Monorom, July 2015.

30-31 July 2015

Sen Monorom, Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia – This July 50 representatives from government, academia, international organisations and civil society attended a workshop to discuss the possibility of using modelling software to better inform decision makers regarding the sustainable territorial development within their jurisdiction.

The two-day workshop, initiated by the provincial administration of Mondulkiri, WWF, the Royal University of Phnom Penh, and GIZ Land Rights Programme II, reviewed the possibility of using the modelling software ‘InVEST’ for sustainable spatial planning. More>>>

21 August 2015

The Regional Fit for School Programme in Cambodia aims to prevent infectious diseases among public primary school students to improve school attendance through three simple and low-cost interventions: 1) daily hand washing with soap; 2) daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste; and 3) bi-annual deworming.

In July 2015, as part of the collaboration with UNICEF to expand the Fit for School Programme to more primary schools in Cambodia, 58 group washing facilities have been installed in 6 Primary Schools in Phnom Penh. More>>>

20 August 2015

Siem Reap Province, Cambodia–In Siem Reap Province, commercial vegetable farmers are catching on to the benefits of public private partnerships. In less than a decade, public private partnerships have spurred local commercial vegetable production, planting roots for the sub-sector in Siem Reap.

The partnership between the Siem Reap Provincial Department of Agriculture (PDA) and supply companies have become a cornerstone of the GIZ Regional Economic Development (RED) Programme, and have created a new market opportunity, offering local produce to consumers. More>>>

Maraile Görgen, GIZ Land Rights Program II, and Mr. Mean Chanyada, Administration Director of Phnom Penh Capital Hall, are handing over to each other the signed MoU.

24 July 2015

Guided by the motto „Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because and only when they are created by everybody“ GIZ’s Land Rights Program II and Phnom Penh Capital Hall signed a MoU on July 10. With the technical support of GIZ, Phnom Penh Capital Hall aims to strengthen the capacity of their staff to identify and implement replicable, transparent and participatory procedures to provide land tenure security for urban poor settlers. More>>>

Dr. Vinai Pitipont, Permanent Executive Technical Consultant to the Deputy Director takes Mr. Heang and Ms. Rothany Srun, entrepreneurs, for a tour at Central Lab Thai.

22 July 2015

Father and daughter exploring Thailand’s fruit juice standard in improving Cambodian SMEs market

Heang Srun and his daughter Rothany Srun want to develop their own fruit juice business in Cambodia, Mr. Srun’s home land.

Mr. Srun traveled from Minnesota, USA to meet his daughter in Bangkok, Thailand. Ms. Srun flew from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to see her father. They were going to visit four fruit production factories, one manufacturer, and one laboratory to learn about food standard and quality in the Thai food and beverage industry.

The four-day study trip was organized by German’s ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) with its goal to heighten food safety and quality standard in ASEAN countries. More>>>

17 July 2015

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – There is no room for mistakes when identifying urban poor households. As IDPoor Programme team from the Cambodian Ministry of Planning demonstrated at a March workshop, urban poor household identification requires accuracy in the questions evaluators ask and a reliable scoring system. More>>>

23 June 2015

In Kampong Thom Province, communities are working together to eradicate hunger. Since March 2015, the land recipient community of Othom village has established 16 communal food security interest groups, comprising of 10-22 households per group – driving the movement for communities to be self-reliant. Established on the principals of GIZ’s Improvement of Livelihood and Food Security (ILF) project, the food security interest group has received up to 700 kg of milled rice and has provided access to food for 300 households that are residing in a near-by new settlement. More>>>

24 April 2015 – Meeting between German Ambassador H.E. Joachim Baron von Marschall and Kratie provincial working group co-chaired by H.E Sar Samrong, Provincial Governor, and H.E Dr. Sareth Boramy, Director of Land Distribution Sub Sector Program at MLMUPC, LASED Project Director (picture by GIZ).

April 23-28, 2015

Northeastern Cambodia – German Ambassador H.E. Joachim Baron von Marschall, senior GIZ officials and development partners visited a trip to Northern Cambodia to witness first-hand land tenure security and food security issues for indigenous communities. The field trip was an opportunity for officials to experience the challenges and achievements of GIZ’s Land Rights Programme (LRP), GIZ’s Improvement of Livelihood and Food Security (ILF) Project, and Deutsche Welthungerhlilfe (WHH)’s projects. More than 100 representatives joined the delegation to Kratie, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri and Tbong Khmum Provinces to learn about issues surrounding land tenure, food security and livelihood support for Idigenous Communities, and former landless and land-poor households. More>>>

26 May 2015

Corporate sustainability is the enterprise-related, systematic, strategy-based adoption of economic and social responsibility, responsibility for climate and environment, as well as political participation. The coordinated and continuous improvement in these fields supports the innovative abilities and sustainability of our company and increases the quality of our services in international cooperation for sustainable development. More>>>

21 April 2015 – Battambang Master Plan Team shared experiences on Heritage Conservation in Battambang Municipality to Vietnamese Team.

A study trip on heritage conservation had been conducted to Hoi An city, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam in partnership between Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction and GIZ. The study trip was from April 20 – 23, 2015. Totally there were 19 people from National and Sub-National levels including Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Takeo and Kandal provinces within the GIZ support to the Land Management Sub-Sector Program.

The study visit served to exchange the knowledge and experiences on preserving heritage and on urban planning and management, particularly between Battambang Municipality and Hoi An city. More>>>

H.E. Minister Pech highlighting ambitious future activities of Public Administrative Reform in fields such as public services, gender, e-government, human resource management, training of civil servants and pay reform.

20 May 2015

Phnom Penh – Teachers conducting exams without asking for extra money, health stations opening for full days providing adequate services, ID cards being issued at no additional charge within a reasonable period of time – such are behaviours of the civil service desired by citizens and the vision of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

In January 2015, the National Program for Public Administrative Reform (NPAR) 2015-2018 was officially approved by the Council of Ministers. This came as a big milestone after the Royal Government of Cambodia had established the Ministry of Civil Service in late 2013 for the purpose of overseeing and reforming all matters related to the public service and its workforce. More>>>

18 May 2015

Phnom Penh, 21 March 2015. “Economic progress in the region in many cases lacks an enabling environment fostering the inclusion of persons with disabilities”, Mr Adelbert Eberhardt, Country Director of GIZ Cambodia opened the workshop titled ‘Bridging the gap between policy and practice – cross-sectoral innovations on economic inclusion of persons with disabilities’. More>>>

11 May 2015

Introducing and promoting Biocontrol agents as an alternative to commonly used chemical agricultural inputs was at the core of the ‘National Forum on the regulation, trade and use of Biocontrol Agents (BCA) in Cambodian agriculture’ held from 22-23 April 2015 in Battambang, Cambodia.

The two-day workshop was hosted by the GIZ ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems project (ASEAN-SAS) in collaboration with the USAID Cambodia HARVEST funded program and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). More>>>

07 May 2015

On 13 and 14 January, 2015, the regional workshop on health financing and social health protection arrangements for vulnerable groups such as older persons, persons with disabilities and persons with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) took place at the Phnom Penh Hotel.

It was hosted by the P4H initiative and jointly organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in collaboration with the Cambodian Ministry of Health. The event was focused on the lower Mekong sub-region, including Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. More>>>

Daniel Blessing, GIZ Advisor to the ASEANSAI project, and Mr. Khampoun Phengthirath, Deputy Director General, Department of Planning and Finance, National Assembly of Lao PDR, exchange the signed cooperation agreement in Vientiane, Lao PDR

07 April 2015

A Supreme Audit Institution is a crucial institution in a state’s public finance system. They monitor how public money is spent according to rules and laws and whether the amount of money spent on certain issues is reasonable. With their annual reports, Supreme Audit Institutions provide valuable information to government, to parliament and civil society.

Established in 1998, Lao PDR’s Supreme Audit Institution is still relatively young among the other nine ASEAN member states. More>>>

Delegation from Cambodia exchanges experiences on the structure and management of civil service with the Indonesian Ministry of Bureaucracy Reform.

March 2015

Jakarta, Indonesia––With the wish to learn from the Indonesia’s practical decentralisation experiences, a Cambodian delegation visited Jakarta and West Java Province in March 2015. The delegation was led by H.E. Sak Setha, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior, and was interested in various topics that would contribute to their sub-national democratic development reform in Cambodia, including:

Organization and management of Indonesia’s civil service;
Personnel management and development practices of Indonesia’s local governments; and
Assignment of functions, responsibilities and resources to Indonesia’s central and local government tiers. More>>>

02 April 2015

Cambodians, both rich and poor, are moving to the cities. One-in-five call a town or city their home and the urban population growth rate is double that of rural areas (UN data, 2010-15). Social services need to keep up with the population and reach the poor in urban areas just as well as in the countryside.

The IDPoor Programme of the Cambodian Ministry of Planning identifies poor households so that they can access targeted services to help improve their livelihoods. More>>>

24 February 2015

Phnom Penh – GIZ, in collaboration with School Health Department of Ministry of Education Youth and Sports launched the School and Community Manual and Video for the Fit for School Programme, aiming to improve sanitation and hygiene in schools throughout Cambodia. The materials are human capacity development tools that will be used to train school teachers and communities to implement the Fit for School Program in their schools. More>>>

Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Sok An (Right), Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, and Chairman of the Cambodian Royal Government Task Force on the Khmer Rouge Trials, and H.E. Joachim Baron von Marschall (Lelf), German Ambassador to Cambodia, pull the strings to inaugurate a Memorial to Victims of the Democratic Kampuchea Regime (Khmer Rouge regime), this morning at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh @Photo: Khim Sovannara,

Agence Kampuchea Presse

26 March 2015

Phnom Penh, the Victims Support Section (VSS) of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) together with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Royal Government of Cambodia inaugurated a Memorial to Victims of the Democratic Kampuchea Regime, built for the dedication to and in memory of all victims of the Democratic Kampuchea regime, especially to the at least 12,272 victims who were unlawfully detained, subjected to inhumane conditions, forced labour and torture, and eventually killed at Toul Sleng detention center, the execution site of Choeung Ek, or the labour camp of Prey Sar (S-24).

More than 300 national and international guests, including survivors of Khmer Rouge regime, students and several dignitaries gathered around the Memorial on the compound of the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, listening to the presided-over Chairmen – H.E. Dr. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, and Chairman of the Cambodian Royal Government Task Force on the Khmer Rouge Trials; and H.E. Joachim Baron von Marschall, German Ambassador to Cambodia. More>>>

Final Exam

24 March 2015

Siem Reap, Cambodia – It was a special day for the 18 students of APSARA Stone Conservation Unit: After two years of intense training they were about to finish their studies with a final exam last Monday.

APSARA is the only Cambodian institution offering a vocational training programme to become a Stone Conservator in Cambodia. It addresses the urgent need for skilled conservators to safeguard the temples of Angkor and others located in remote areas. The programme puts the care of Cambodian heritage back into the hands of local people.

The design of the two-year training programme was based on the German vocational training system. The curriculum consists of theoretical lessons and guided practical work. Following the specially developed “Handbook Stone Conservation and Restoration in Angkor”, the students learned how to classify types of natural rocks; their cultural history; how to assess damage on decorated temple walls and how to treat them accordingly. More>>>

សូមគោរពមិត្តរួមការងារនិងមិត្តភក្តិ,

យើងមានការសោកស្តាយខ្លាំងណាស់ដែល លោកបណ្ឌិត Franz-Volker Müller (អ្នកគ្រប់គ្រងកម្មវិធី សិទ្ធិដីធ្លីនៅក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា) ដែលជាបុគ្គលិកយូរអង្វែងរបស់អង្គការ GIZ បានទទួលមរណៈភាពនៅលើជើងហោះហើរចេញពីទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញទៅកាន់ទីក្រុងវ៉ាស៊ីនតោន ឆ្លងកាត់ទីក្រុងសេអ៊ូលនៅថ្ងៃអាទិត្យទី 22 ខែមិនាឆ្នាំ 2015 ដែលបានកើតឡើងមុនថ្ងៃខួបកំណើតទី 65 របស់គាត់។ លោកបណ្ឌិតMüllerបានទទួលមរណៈភាពខណៈពេលគាត់កំពុងទទួលទានដំណេកនៅលើយន្តហោះពេលចុះចតនៅទីក្រុងសេអ៊ូល។

លោកបណ្ឌិតFranz-Volker Mül

lerទទួលបានការគោរពយ៉ាងខ្លាំងពីសហការីនិងមានកិត្តិយសកេរ្តិ៍ឈ្មោះល្បីល្បាញ នៅក្នុងកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការអន្តរជាតិជាច្រើនឆ្នាំប្រកបដោយការទទួលខុសត្រូវខ្ពស់ ។ គាត់បានរួមចំណែកយ៉ាងច្រើនដល់កេរ្តិ៍ឈ្មោះអន្តរជាតិ / កិត្យានុភាពដែលអង្គការ GIZ មាននៅក្នុងប្រទេសអាល្លឺម៉ង់និងនៅបរទេសផងដែរ។ ក្រៅពីនេះលោកបានដឹកនាំរួមចំណែកដើម្បីផ្ដល់ឱ្យមានការកែលម្អស្ថានភាពរស់នៅរបស់មនុស្សជាច្រើននៅក្នុងប្រទេសកំពុងអភិវឌ្ឍន៍។

គាត់មិនត្រឹមតែស័ក្តសមនឹងទទួលបានការដឹងគុណដ៏ស្មោះស្ម័គ្រចំពោះកិច្ចការដ៏អស្ចារ្យរបស់គាត់ ប៉ុណ្ណោះទេប៉ុន្តែ លោកនឹងស្ថិតនៅក្នុងការចងចាំរបស់យើងថាជាមិត្តរួមការងារដែលខិតខំប្រឹងប្រែង និងមិត្តភក្តិដ៏ស្មោះត្រង់ម្នាក់។

យើងសូមចូលរួមរំលែកទុក្ខជាមួយនឹងក្រុមគ្រួសាររបស់លោក។

យើងនឹងមិនអាចបំភ្លេចលោកបណ្ឌិតVolkerបានទេ។លោកនឹងស្ថិតនៅក្នុងការចងចាំនិងក្នុងដួងចិត្តរបស់យើងដោយសេចក្ដីគោរពជារៀងរហូត ។

ជាមួយការកាន់ទុក្ខដ៏ជ្រៅនិងទុក្ខព្រួយ,

ប្រធាននិង បុគ្គលិកអង្គការGIZ ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា /

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We are very sad to inform you, that all of a sudden and quite unexpectedly our long-standing employee, Dr. Franz-Volker Müller (Programme Manager for the Land Rights Programme in Cambodia), has died on the flight from Phnom Penh to Washington via Seoul on Sunday, March 22, 2015; just short before his 65th birthday. Dr. Müller passed away while sleeping, before landing in Seoul.

As a longtime, popular, deservedly esteemed and very respected colleague Dr. Franz-Volker Müller has been engaged in the international cooperation all these years tirelessly with a high sense of responsibility. He has contributed a lot to the international reputation/prestige which GIZ has in Germany and abroad. Besides, he decisively gave important impulses to improve the living conditions of many people in the developing countries.

Not only he deserves our heartfelt gratitude for all his great work, but also he will be remembered as a dedicated colleague and a loyal friend.

We feel connected with his family in the pain and the sorrow of his unexpected departure.

We will not forget “Volker”; his memory will remain in our minds and hearts with great honor and respect.

In deep mourning and sorrow,

GIZ Cambodia Country Director and Colleagues Deutsche Gesellschaft für

Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

04 March 2015

The GIZ-ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN-SAS) project in Cambodia has brought people together to strengthen the capacity of farmers in organic production techniques, to help them establish linkages to international markets. To that end, the technical staff of GIZ ASEAN-SAS (Cambodia and Thailand), the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC), and CEDAC Sahakreas Ltd. (SKC) undertook a study tour to Thailand, which took place 25-29 January 2015. The aims of the study tour were:

To share experiences with entities working in the organic food sector in Thailand,
To study agricultural best practices, including CO₂ fumigating procedure for organic rice, and
To strengthen the network between practitioners in the organic agriculture sector. More>>>

02 March 2015

Improving logistic performance in hinterland is considered to be the main factor for ports efficiency and fostering regional integration. Therefore, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports regional integration through the “Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia” Programme. In the light of the ongoing programme phase the Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has commissioned the Institute for Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) to develop training curricula for the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (Kingdom of Cambodia) and implement trainings to support maritime chains and clusters in the Pan-Beibu Gulf Region. This training project started in September 2014 with a pre-assessment of training needs and an initial training and continued in January 2015 with one week-long training conducted in Phnom Penh.

In January 19-23, 2015, the second training under the topic “Support for Maritime Chains and Clusters in the Pan-Beibu Gulf Region” was conducted. During the week, the two lecturers – Prof Dr. Hans Dietrich Haasis and Dr. Irina Dovbischuk worked simultaneously with two groups. Each group consisting of about 20-25 participants. More>>>

Dr. Irina Dovbischuk (t.h.l) and Prof. Dr. Hans-Dietrich Haasis (t.h.r.) give an overview on cluster development and port marketing for group “Cloud” and “Mobility”

08 January 2015

Phnom Penh, two experts from Indonesia and the Philippines shared their experiences on how responsibilities for basic service delivery have been transferred with the necessary financial and personnel resources to local governments in their countries with various Ministries and representatives of sub-national administrations in Cambodia. More >>>

By Navy Kieng

16 February 2015

Kampong Thom, Cambodia, 2 September 2014 – In the remote Cambodian village of Porproak, mothers and pregnant women sit quietly on the ground under a wooden house listening intently at a session organised by village health volunteer, Mrs. Sophy. On a chair in front of the group she holds up pictures and explains what antenatal care services are, and how to prepare for birth. When she asks what the women learned from the session, it is amazing to see her audience enthusiastically engage with each other to provide the answers. More >>>

12-13 November 2014

PHNOM PENH – The 6^th International Summer School, Comprehensive Land Policy – Fundamental for Sustainable Urban and Rural Development was held by the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC), jointly organized with the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA), and the Technical University Munich (TUM), in partnership with GIZ. More >>>

Cambodian Delegation in Nay Pyi Taw Myanmar.

02 – 04 December 2014

PRESS RELEASE

Nay Pyi Taw, 02 December 2014: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the German International Cooperation (GIZ) together with the Department of Agriculture of Myanmar’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation organized the 5^thProject Partner Meeting of the “ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems” and related meetings on 2-4 December 2004 at Shwe Pyi Taw Hotel, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. More >>>

“I am happy that I have been increasingly recognized for my work as a midwife at Chey health center” (Ms.Sun Phany)

08 December 2014

The situation in 2009 / 2010

Chey Health Center
Location: Kon Thnot village, Chey commune, Kampong Thom (rural Cambodia)

Population: 9,803 persons (15 villages)

Poverty rate (date): 25%
Staff in 2010: 5
Founded in: 1990

When Ms Sun Phany, a 24 year-old and newly graduated primary midwife started working at Chey Health Centre in 2009, she experienced challenges like many other midwifes all around rural Cambodia. More >>>

20 November 2014

On November 11, the 5^th round table on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in German Development Cooperation’ took place. Dr. Gerd Müller, Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, opened the meeting and put emphasis on the importance of the issue. He stressed inclusion as a shared responsibility and genuine participation as an opportunity for all of us – they are quality characteristics of the German Development Cooperation. Country representatives from Cambodia, Zimbabwe and Indonesia were invited to lead three thematic working groups. The GIZ Social Health Protection Program presented their inclusion strategy and activities for persons with disabilities in the Cambodian health and social protection sector. The round table for inclusion serves as a forum for exchange between different actors of the German Development Cooperation, working to advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities.

For German version, and more information, please refer to: http://www.bmz.de/de/presse/aktuelleMeldungen/2014/november/20141111_pm_109_Eroeffnung-des-Runden-Tischs-zur-Inklusion/index.html Share on Facebook

05 November 2014

SIEM REAP, Cambodia– ASEAN is strongly committed to establishing dispute settlement mechanisms in all fields of cooperation, said the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, H.E. AKP Mochtan, in his opening remarks at a workshop to familiarize stakeholders with ASEAN Dispute Settlement Mechanisms (DSM) held in Siem Reap, Cambodia last week. “DSM is a key component in the realisation of a rules-based community, where the rule of law is strengthened and disputes are resolved through peaceful means with legal certainty and predictability,” DSG Mochtan told the participants.

According to DSG Mochtan, the successful conclusion of the Protocol to the ASEAN Charter on Dispute Settlement Mechanism in 2010 has shown ASEAN’s strong commitment to realise the ASEAN Charter’s objective of creating dispute settlement mechanisms in all fields of ASEAN cooperation. “This Protocol to the ASEAN Charter, together with the existing Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Protocol on Enhanced Dispute Settlement Mechanism (EDSM), is a significant achievement in establishing reliable and trustworthy dispute settlement mechanisms,” he added.

In his remarks, H.E. Dr. SOK Siphana, Advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia and Chairman of Board of Directors of the Cambodian Development Research Institute stated that “I believe that workshop would provide an excellent opportunity for all participants to obtain new knowledge and best lessons-learned with regard to the ASEAN disputes settlement mechanisms to better prepare themselves for the arrival of the ASEAN Community in 2015, which is only one year ahead and beyond.”

The Workshop, which was attended by Cambodian participants from various line Ministries, practicing lawyers, think-tanks, private and financial institutions and civil society organisations, as well as ASEAN Secretariat staff members, provided a forum for participants to exchange views and ideas with speakers and experts on ensuring the effectiveness of these mechanisms within both national and regional contexts. There was also a panel discussion that focused on challenges and next steps on the ASEAN Protocol on EDSM.

The Workshop was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat and with the support of the “Capacity Building for the ASEAN Secretariat” project, a partnership between the ASEAN Secretariat and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, which is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.

The press release was prepared by the ASEAN Secretariat.

For more information, please visit: http://www.asean.org/

21 October 2014

The ASEAN-China Pan-Beibu Gulf (ACPBG) Economic Cooperation was jointly launched in 2006 by ASEAN member states and the PRC. It puts strong emphasis on maritime trade and port cooperation and identifies, among others, two priority sectors: ports and logistics and trade finance.

Improving the logistic performance in hinterland is considered to be the main factor for ports efficiency and growth. Therefore the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has commissioned the Institute for Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) to develop training curricula for the Autonomous Port of Phnom Penh (Kingdom of Cambodia) and implement trainings to support maritime chains and clusters in the Pan-Beibu Gulf Region. This training project started in September 2014.

Prof. Dr. Hans-Dietrich Haasis and Dr. Irina Dovbishuk visited the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port in September 06-09, 2014 for initial trainings and further assessment of the current situation in the port. Meetings with Mr. Hei Bavy and his senior management of Phnom Penh Autonomous Port were held to discuss topics like sustainable port management, integrative IT-management of port, seaport marketing, logistics and hinterland transport, transport corridors, cluster formation and port cooperation. On September 7^th training needs were also further identified in the framework of an excursion to the New Container Terminal Low Mekong 17 of Phnom Penh Autonomous Port. The ISL team also reached out to the private sector for further assessment. Important port-oriented supply chain actors like Cambodian Freight Forwarders Association (CAMFFA), Cambodia Trucking Association (CAMTA), Teng Lay Group, KAMSAB, Mitsui O.S.L. Lines and Toll Royal Railway where questioned about pressing issues. One of the challenges for logistic companies is the unsufficient logistic knowledge of human capital in the country.

The second training is scheduled for January 2015.

For further information about the GIZ “Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia” programme please refer to: http://www.scribd.com/RCI%20Asia

Contact Details

GIZ

Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (RCI) Programme

Magnus Brod,

ISL

Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics

Dr. Irina Dovbishuk,

GIZ

Sustainable Port Development in the ASEAN Region Programme

Ms. Patricia Lauko,

The National Audit authority is located at Building Number 5, Road Doung Ngeab III, Chambak Village, Sangkat Tek Tla, Khan Sen Sok, Phnom Penh.

02 October 2014

Phnom Penh, Cambodia –Nearly fifteen years ago, Cambodia’s National Audit Authority (NAA) was founded as an independent public institution under the Audit Law.

The authority aims to fulfil its function as an independent Supreme Audit Institution and is responsible for implementing the external audit of the Royal Government of Cambodia which consists of Financial Statements, Performance and Compliance Audits.

Realistically, the NAA in legal aspect has turned out its history by starting the public auditing operation in early 2002. During the two mandates which are the first 10 years, beside the administrative management and human resource capacity development, the achievements in terms of the audit reports showed that some negatives points were started improving and strengthening by most of ministries-institutions and audited entities according to their capabilities from year to year with accountability.

A successful ten years has led to the authority extending its operations. The longer the authority operates its mission, the more resources it requires, especially in the area of human resources. As of now, the authority’s work has expanded and staff numbers are on the rise, which created a cramped work place.

To cope with a sudden rise in staff, the authority’s management located a new office space to accommodate its growing numbers. Recently the transition has started and the authority is making home in its new facility. Operations picked back up in August this year and the authority is now running smoother than ever.

For more information, please contact Mr. Juergen Lehmberg, Project Manager of GIZ Support to the National Audit Authority Project (Tel: +855 12 333 101; )

Seminar Discusses Poverty Reduction Policies in Cambodia and Beyond

Ole Doetinchem presents the GIZ IDPoor programme.

12 August 2014

Combatting poverty and bringing about better living conditions remains one of the cornerstones of international German development cooperation. In Cambodia, Germany, in cooperation with Australia, has been supporting the IDPoor programme for a number of years as a thematically cross-cutting issue within its good governance portfolio.

On August 12, 2014, the German Embassy and GIZ organised a session on poverty with participants from the Cambodian Ministry of Planning, bilateral and multilateral development partners and non-governmental organisations. The session was moderated by Ole Doetinchem, GIZ team leader of the Identification of Poor Households Programme support project. In a brief presentation, he outlined the key aspect of how IDPoor works and what issues the programme is currently working on:

IDPoor is a nationwide poverty targeting mechanism run by the Cambodian Ministry of Planning. It systematically identifies poor households to enable targeted poverty alleviation interventions. To achieve accurate results that are accepted by the local population, the programme has adopted a process combining means testing and participatory local consultation.

At present, the IDPoor programme is carrying out its eighth annual identification round, covering the provinces Kampong Speu, Kampot, Kep, Koh Kong, Mondul Kiri, Preah Sihanouk, Prey Veng and Svay Rieng.

IDPoor Programme Looks Forward

As a future priority, the IDPoor team is currently developing the procedures for programme extension into urban areas. Simultaneously, the IDPoor database is being moved to the cloud to enable better data access and offer web-based services to its users. IDPoor is also considering current trends in poverty and how its data may support combatting vulnerability.

Internationally, Germany has supported the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network in publishing the third Chronic Poverty Report. Dr Chiara Mariotti outlined the report’s key findings and how this report relates to poverty eradication efforts in Cambodia:

Achieving the goal of Zero Extreme Poverty by 2030 requires a new public policy approach to understanding and acting on poverty. This approach requires three action areas: (i) tackling chronic poverty (i.e. bringing people up to the poverty line); (ii) stopping impoverishment; (iii) and sustaining the escapes people make out of extreme poverty.
World-wide evidence, demonstrates that there are three sets of policies that work in achieving all the three goals above:

(i) Social assistance including cash transfers or employment programmes to help the poorest get closer to the poverty line and provide a safety net against impoverishment;

(ii) Massive investment in pre-school, primary, and post-primary education, ensuring access and quality to all, including poor children;

(iii) A bundle of policies that promote pro-poor growth. These include industrial policies that promote expansion of labour-intensive sectors, coupled with apprenticeship schemes or training to match skills to opportunities; the promotion of small and medium enterprises; labour legislation that ensures that the jobs created. pay a decent salary and respect minimum health and safety conditions. These three sets of policies will then have to be complemented by more specific interventions tailored to each country’s poverty dynamics.

Designing the policies needed to tackle chronic poverty, stop impoverishment and support escapes from poverty requires panel surveys, which follow the same households over several years, enabling the tracking of movements in and out of poverty. Significant investment in national (and sub-national) panel data by governments, donors and international institutions need to be part of the effort of eradicating extreme poverty.

You can download the Chronic Poverty Report at http://www.odi.org/chronic-poverty

The author (middle) sitting with workshop participants discussing indicators for the ASEANSAI Strategic Plan.

26 August 2014

When I was younger, I used to ask my mom the time she would come home from work to play with me. She used to tell me: “I´ll be there at 4.30pm; I took the car to get home quickly.” Every day, at 4pm I would sit in the kitchen, checking the hour regularly to see when my mom would arrive. If she arrived after 4.30, I would reproach her with the exact amount of minutes she was late and ask her to give a reason. If she blamed the traffic, I would try to convince her that she should take the bike next time, to avoid being late again.

Simply put, this is what strategic planning and monitoring is all about:

Set a clear and measurable goal: be home at 4.30pm.
Decide on a strategy to achieve the goal: take the car.
Check on the achievement or failure: number of minutes late.
Discuss reasons for failure: traffic jam.
Revise the strategy to avoid future failure: go by bike.

In a regional organization of 10 Supreme Audit Institutions from ASEAN countries (ASEANSAI) deciding on strategic goals and setting up monitoring systems is much more complex, especially when dealing with good financial governance issues. Yet, the logic remains the same.

In a 4-day Workshop in May, participants from 6 members of ASEANSAI discussed how the goals of their ASEANSAI Strategic Plan can be amended with measurable indicators and what activities they needed to pursue to achieve the defined goals. As in other monitoring workshops, the challenge proved to be in the trade-off between relevance of indicators and costs for data collection. The ASEANSAI participants opted for a pragmatic solution: do not set goals too high and include proxy indicators for goals that are difficult to measure. I would like to recommend that approach to everybody dealing with monitoring on governance related topics.

For more information contact

04 August 2014

Phnom Penh, Cambodia –Six private and social business companies leading the local market in providing inputs for agriculture and trainings in organic agriculture sent eleven of their representatives to join GIZ for a consulation this week. GIZ ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (Biocontrol) program hosted the consultation with local companies to discuss moving the concept of a ‘green center’ in Cambodia forward. The new center will aim to bring bio-agricultural companies under one roof, to provide their high quality inputs for a sustainable and environment friendly sound agriculture. Open to the public, the center plans to act as platform for training and dialog activities for national and international development partners, extension workers and farmers, and will provide seminars to consumers interested in learning about agriculture and urban gardening.

To push their vision forward, the participants of the workshop developed an action plan to map out the next steps for the center.

Companies that joined the consultations have the common aim to promote sustainable agriculture with little or no chemical (organic) use. These companies include Bayon Heritage Holding Group Co, Ltd., Angkor Green Investment and Development Co. Ltd., EX-M (Cambodia) Co. Ltd., iDE Cambodia, and Entrée Baitang Co. Ltd., which met at the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC).

For more information on the development of Cambodia’s first ‘Green Center’ contact:

Mr. Claudius Bredehöft

National Project Coordinator Cambodia

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (Biocontrol)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

M +855 12 21 54 30

E [email protected]

Display of certified organic products during COrAA’s 2nd Organic Fair, March 2014

11 August 2014

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Issues of food safety and nutrition have become a part of public discussions in many countries. Also in Cambodia, the number of people who are concerned about the quality of food and make an effort to consume safe and healthy foodstuff is continuously increasing. When in search of wholesome food, organic is the best option. However, many people rightfully ask, “How do we know that it is really organic? How can we trust claims that certain rice, fruits or vegetables were produced organically?” Commonly, certification of producers and processors is the means to enable consumers to trust products.

To gain consumer trust in organic products, the Cambodian Organic Agriculture Association (COrAA), with support from GIZ, is developing a certification system for the domestic market. To independently certify processes throughout the value chains for organic, chemical-free or other food production standards has been the founding mission of COrAA since 2006. However, it was only in 2010 that COrAA started to conduct inspections and to develop a certification system. Currently over 30 producers have obtained certification based either on the Standard for Organic Crop Production or the Standards for Chemical-free Crop Production.

On request, COrAA sends an independent inspector to inspect the farm, plantation, or food processing operations. Farmers are inspected individually, or in a group. Smallholders usually

An inspector, accompanied by the owner, checks an organic rice field.

join an organic producer association or a cooperative, which have set-up an Internal Control System to safeguard the integrity of the organic quality of their products.

All persons dealing with the products are identified, registered, instructed on the requirements for organic certification and contracted to ensure compliance. The activities of the persons involved are then monitored in a system of regular visits and documentary control. The inspectors of the group visit every field at least twice during the growing season and record their findings. COrAA’s inspectors check if the group can manage its control system. During the inspection they check different areas of the farms at random.

Farms and processors are inspected once a year, while organic vegetable producers are examined twice a year. However, certification bodies also have to conduct unscheduled inspections to assure that producers follow standards. During the audit, the inspector assesses the producer’s understanding of basic organic farming rules and tests for the possible contamination of organic fields with chemicals from adjacent fields. Then, the inspector will check the fields and all storage facilities, including the farmer’s house. The findings are summarized in the inspection report. Deviations or non-conformities and corrective measures will be pointed out. The COrAA-assigned inspector has to discuss the findings with the farmer or operator.

After this, the inspection report is submitted to the Certification Committee, which is composed of three people independent from COrAA. Based upon the review, the committee will decide if certification can be granted. COrAA can reject an application for certification if the respective standards were not met, or if they were violated.

Certification is expressed to the public by COrAA’s certification marks, also known as labels. These are marks of conformity, not to be confused with trademarks. A mark can only be used on products which come from farms that have been certified based on one of COrAA’s standards.

COrAA strives to further professionalize its certification system by upgrading the skills of the inspectors and the certification managers as well as by further defining the certification processes. In addition to cooperating with regional certification bodies that are members of the Certification Alliance (CertAll), COrAA is also working towards the recognition of its certification system by other ASEAN member countries. In the future, COrAA hopes to offer certification for international markets such as the EU at reasonable costs through CertAll members, which have obtained respective accreditation.

The Certification Alliance includes members from China, India, Nepal as well as several ASEAN countries. The aim is to improve exporting conditions for Cambodian organic products to reach buyers in the region.

COrAA is also preparing the certification for food products obtained through ‘wild collection’, such as honey. Commercial inputs for organic agriculture, such as organic fertilizers, are another area of concern. Furthermore, COrAA currently prepares guidelines for organic inputs to enable the certification of such products.

For more information, please contact Mr. Winfried Scheewe (email: [email protected]).

10 July 2014

German Ambassador Joachim Baron von Marschall and GIZ Country Director Mr. Adelbert Eberhardt witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by H.E. Chuch Poeurn, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, and H.E. Kranh Tony, Acting Director of the office of Administration of Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) on the establishment of a memorial for Khmer Rouge victims at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Phnom Penh, on 10 July 2014.

The funds for this memorial have been provided by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through German Organization for International Cooperation (GIZ) as part of the German support for the ECCC Reparation Program 2013-2017, an extensive program of eleven reparation projects and five non-judicial measure projects for the benefit of the victims of the Khmer Rouge which is coordinated by the Victims Support Section of the ECCC.

Please follow the link below for the speech of the German Ambassador Joachim Baron von Marschall:

http://www.phnom-penh.diplo.de/Vertretung/phnompenh/en/00__start/Unterzeichnung_20MoU_20-_20Bo_20Rede.html

Seminar on Vocational training for stone conservation in Cambodia.

28 April 2014

SIEM REAP, Cambodia–APSARA National Authority and GIZ recently organized a seminar on vocational training in stone conservation in Cambodia as part of a study to determine the annual demand of trained stone conservation experts inside and outside of Angkor Park and who might be interested in contributing to a long-term vocational training program for stone conservation.

Angkor is an outstanding UNESCO World Heritage site and people around the world are increasingly gaining awareness of the importance and its central role in the Khmer civilization. But there are many more ancient sites all over Cambodia that have not received comparable attention, as all temples of Angkor are in critical need of conservation. At present, the government of Cambodia is unable to suitably protect and preserve these sites due to a lack of sufficient financial and human resources.

Representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (MOCFA), APSARA National Authority, national and international conservation teams working in Angkor, UNESCO, as well as private companies were invited to visit the facilities of the APSARA Stone Conservation Training Center and to attend the seminar held last month. The director general of APSARA, H.E. Bun Narith and other Excellencies and guests from APSARA, as well as GIZ country director, Mr. Adelbert Eberhardt also attended the meeting.

Representatives of the Ministry of Culture, APSARA Authority and international conservation teams visiting the APSARA Stone Conservation Training Center.

GIZ advisor Ms. Josephin Rösler and conservation expert Mr. Long Nary presented the study objectives and introduced participants to the APSARA Stone Conservation Training Program.

As part of the study, questionnaires were distributed to participants. The information gathered from this study will be used to determine if a long-term vocational training program for stone conservation is feasible for the future.

To ensure heritage site conservation is carried out in the best way possible in the future, all stakeholders will need to prioritize investing in vocational training. There will be a role for everyone to contribute to, including the government, international donors, as well as the private sector.

For more information, please contact: Josephin Rösler (email: [email protected])

A commitment to form TVET Network within ASEAN.

07 July 2014

Siem Reap, Cambodia – GIZ support to the development of countries throughout Southeast Asia has led to a growing number of alumni over the years. The expertise and experiences of GIZ alumni have supported change and development processes within this region.

The GIZ Regional Alumni Networking Conference on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Green Sector in Siem Reap, Cambodia from June 12 to 14, 2014 was an opportunity for alumni to synergise, collaborate on regional cooperation in Southeast Asia and discuss cross-sectorial issues, particularly in the area of network establishment and management between the field of TVET and the green sector.

H.E. Dr. Say Samal, Minister of Environment, Cambodia opened the conference with Mr. Adelbert Eberhardt, GIZ Cambodia Country Director. In his opening remarks, H.E. Samal underlined the impact of vocational education in his country and the importance of international collaboration on subjects such as green investments and green technology.

Within three days, conference participants gained insights on the green strategies of partner countries. Alumni presented green projects from their respective countries, as well as in the final results of the transfer projects from the three ILT programmes (Master Trainer in TVET, Media Development in TVET, and TVET, Climate Change and Green Jobs) of the TVET sector.

The conference, attended by about 150 alumni programme participants and employers, also marked the close of the GIZ programme Regional Leadership and Capacity Development in TVET in Lao PDR, Indonesia and Vietnam.The joint conference aimed to:

Recognise and promote the importance of regional cooperation both in the area of improving quality and relevance of education and training of TVET teachers and in the green sector;
Develop proposals for regional multi-stakeholder partnerships and cooperation in fields of TVET teacher and instructor education;
Prepare the structure and establishment of a TVET alumni network for Southeast Asia; and
Prepare the guiding framework for the proposed Southeast Asian regional alumni network of Green Sector professionals.

From the TVET sector, each country presented how their programme was developed, structured and what the next steps are for the establishment of TVET networks. Employers from Lao PDR, Indonesia and Vietnam were invited to state

Group work on TVET Network formation.

their expectations for their national alumni networks and to develop ideas on how to support their success. The goal: to establish a regional TVET alumni network in Southeast Asia.

The conference’s green sector emphasis focused on the progress of establishing a Southeast Asian regional alumni network: a network, which could serve as an umbrella association for the Green Sector Networks of Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines. As an outcome the network’s vision has been established: By 2020, to be recognised as one the prime movers in the Green Sector. Additionally, the mission of the Southeast Asia Green Sector Network (SEAGN) has been developed, organizational structures defined and an action plan through end-2014 has been decided.

The formal launch of the network has been planned November 2014 at the next network meeting, which will take place in the Philippines. Stay tuned for more information on the development of the Southeast Asia Green Sector Network.

Ms. Klemp vistits worksite of the Stone Conservation Unit and meets trainees.

22 April 2014

Siem Reap, Cambodia–On April 22, Ms. Ludgera Klemp, counselor of the German Embassy visited the APSARA Stone Conservation Unit (SCU) and the Stone Conservation Training Center in Siem Reap. During the visit, Ms. Klemp met trainees and discussed their motivations and learning experiences with them.

That afternoon, Ms. Klemp also met the Director General of APSARA National Authority, H.E. Bun Narith and other delegates of APSARA. During the meeting, APSARA was informed that UNESCO, the German

Ms. Klemp meets DG of APSARA, H.E. Bun Raith.

Embassy and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (MOCFA) are trying to integrate the protection of the cultural heritage sites of Angkor in the National Social Development Plan 2014-2018 process, with APSARA playing an integral part in the preservation of the sites.

APSARA committed to initiate the first steps regarding the certification of the stone conservation training.

For more information, please contact: Ms. Josephin Rösler (email: [email protected])

11 June 2014

A successful Stakeholders Consultation on Case 002/02 Reparations: Lessons Learned, Best Practices & Next Steps, presided over by H.E. Tony KRANH, Acting Director of the Administration Office of the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), was conducted on 11 June 2014 in Phnom Penh.

In preparation for the next trial, Case 002/02 which is about to start End of July 2014, the Victims Support Section and the Lead Co-Lawyers Section of the ECCC consulted with civil party lawyers and representatives of civil society organizations, victims associations, state authorities, and donors to identify and discuss potential reparation requests for the benefit of victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. A wide variety of criminal charges will be included in this next trial, including the genocide of ethnic minorities, forced marriages and rape, and internal purges. Accordingly, the Victims Support Section and Lead Co-Lawyers Section are seeking to develop a diverse range of reparation projects that will address the specific harms suffered as a consequence of the crimes charged, and bring redress to civil parties.

Voices of Participants:

“I am very satisfied with the Stakeholders Consultation, which provided an opportunity to discuss projects that will benefit civil parties of Case 002/02. I wish to make an appeal to national and international donors to please make a donation to our requested reparation projects.”

Mr. CHUM Mey

Civil Party in Case 002 and President of Ksem Ksan Victims Association

“I think that this was an excellent opportunity for stakeholders to sit together and discuss the issue of reparations in Case 002/02 for the interest of the civil parties. It was a meaningful and dynamic consultation between the participants and organizers, who collaborated to formulate reparation projects and to request financial support from potential donors.”

Mr. Peou Dara VANTHAN

Deputy Director, Documentation Center of Cambodia

+++++++

H.E. Keat Chhun, Deputy Prime Minister and guests attend the opening session of the National Workshop for Administrative Reform 2014 – 2018.

25 June 2015

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Parents seeking a quality public education for their children; citizens requiring an ID card or a marriage certificate; a small entrepreneur wanting to register her business; the victim of petty crime awaiting a police investigation – these people all have one thing in common: in times of need, they are expecting efficient and effective public services from their government. Yet as everybody in Cambodia knows, this is not always the case. With the aim to provide more effective and efficient public services, the government of Cambodia has pledged to reform its public administration.

To support this process, the newly established Ministry of Civil Service is working to establish a new 5-year National Programme for Administrative Reform 2014-2018.

The Ministry of Civil Service, with the support of German Development Cooperation provided through the “Decentralisation and Administrative Reform Programme” that implemented by GIZ, organised a National Workshop on 29-30 April 2014 to review progress made on public administrative reform. The purpose of the workshop was to consult with more than 300 representatives from ministries and institutions at national and sub-national level on the next stage of the reform.

The Ministry of Civil Service commenced by outlining the three core strategies of the administrative reform: 1) strengthening the quality and delivery of public services; 2) strengthening the management and development of human resources within the Civil Service; and 3) further reforming the compensation regime of civil servants.

Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports presented their achievements in improving public service delivery in order to provide participants with insights into effective approaches and practices.

The World Bank and the German Embassy, as development partner representatives, took the opportunity to voice their support for ongoing administrative reform and encouraged the ministry to take a demand-driven approach to implementation in order to engender ownership and ensure that the reforms address ministry priorities and are harmonised with sectoral reforms.

Participants and guests at the National Workshop for Public Administrative Reform 2014-2018, on 29-30 April 2014 held at Intercontinental Hotel.

Participants were then invited to participate in discussion groups on the topics of public service delivery; human resource management; human resource development and remuneration. Facilitated discussions encouraged participants to share current practices and trends; to identify issues and constraints; and to identify priorities for the next phase of administrative reform.

These discussions demonstrated awareness of a growing demand for reform among civil servants that is driven by following points:

Cambodian citizens are better educated and more informed; they expect improved public services and a more responsive government; and they are less willing to accept the need to make informal payments;
Cambodia’s objective of becoming a middle-income country by 2030, and a well-integrated member of ASEAN, as well as an internationally accepted player in the global economy;
Civil servants want to be well-respected members of a society and be appreciated for their contribution to the well-being of their nation; and
The civil service needs to compete with a burgeoning private sector to attract and retain qualified and well-motivated staff.

In his closing speech, His Excellency Pich Bunthin, the new Minister of Civil Service, stressed that the workshop “created an important public forum to review experience and to identify in-depth actions for public administration reform”. It presented a clear message to all ministries and institutions that they hold ownership and are accountable for effective reform in their sectors, and are therefore responsible for adopting a proactive approach in implementing the National Programme for Administration Reform.

The National Workshop will be followed by a series of targeted workshops to focus on aspects of the reform programme in order to develop a broad base consensus on how best approach its implementation. It is envisaged that the national programme will be finalised in coming months, will focus on early successes to build momentum and commitment while at the same time gradually introducing more fundamental longer term reforms.

4 June 2014

Kompong Chhnang, Kompot, Kompong Thom, Phnom Penh and Takeo Provinces, Cambodia – Diseases related to lack of hygiene, such as diarrhea and respiratory infections, are still the leading cause of death for children living in Cambodia. By the time children enter school, more than half are diagnosed with intestinal worms and vast majorities have dental caries, virtually all untreated. Compared to healthy pupils, students suffering from pain and disease are frequently absent from school, sleep less, and demonstrate an overall lower academic performance: Health status and school performance are closely related.

GIZ’s Regional Fit for School Programme in Cambodia aims to prevent infectious diseases among public primary school students with the aim to improve school attendance through three simple and low-cost interventions: 1) daily hand washing with soap; 2) daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste; and 3) bi-annual deworming.

8,000 students in Cambodia benefit from hygiene programme, 100,000 to follow

The programme has been supporting the School Health Department of the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) of Cambodia implement its schemes since December 2011. Since programme inception in Cambodia, nearly 8,000 students have benefitted from improved hygiene in ten public primary schools in Phnom Penh and other four provinces: Kompot; Takeo; Kompong Thom; and Kompong Chhnang. This regional programme is also being implemented in three other countries: Lao PDR, Indonesia and the Philippines. The programme aims to further support the MoEYS to scale up the program in collaboration with other partners to benefit 103,000 more primary students in Cambodia by 2015.

Regional programme partners include SEAMEO INNOTECH, a regional center of the South-East Asian Ministers of Education Organization.

Partners collaborate to improve programme expansion support

After two years of programme implementation, the Regional Fit for School Programme in Cambodia is now supporting the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport prepare for programme expansion in collaboration with partner organisations active in water, sanitation and hygiene projects (WASH) in schools, namely UNICEF Cambodia, ESC-BORDA and World Vision Cambodia. The programme expansion is led by the School Health Department of the MoEYS, and is supported financially by partner organisations that include daily group hand washing in schools in their respective WASH programmes. GIZ provides technical assistance on integrating daily hygiene activities in these programmes and instruction on how to support schools to construct necessary group washing facilities.

The geographical areas covered by the expansion include: additional schools in the five existing Regional Fit for School provinces, plus schools in Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces. To prepare for the expansion, the Regional Fit for School Programme team has been working very closely with the School Health Department and partners, and has been preparing and finalising programme tools necessary for building the capacity of educational officers at sub-national level. This capacity development will prepare the officers for the implementation of daily hygiene practice at the schools. The tools, which can also be used by the schools and communities to reinforce their participation in the programme, include the Fit for School School-Community Manual and video, and a group washing facilities catalogue. All materials were developed jointly with the MoEYS.

Parallel to this expansion, the Regional Fit for School Programme is introducing a new group hand washing facility design, which includes low-cost and easy-to-install features, while saving water. The design is able to accommodate 22 children at a time, has been tested successfully, and installed in approximately 100 locations in the Philippines. Currently, a prototype of the facility is being produced in Cambodia and following a successful test run, the program will work with partners to introduce the design and installation in the expansion schools. For more information on the design facility visit the Facebook group on Hardware for Group Hand Washing in Schools: https://www.facebook.com/groups/632408213516487/

With promising prospect, the Regional Fit for School Programme is committed to continuing collaboration with key stakeholders to ensure that the expansion is a success. Along the way, the programme will fulfill GIZ’s commitment to the health and well-being of Cambodian children and national development.

For more information on GIZ’s Regional Fit for School Programme, please contact:

Ayphalla Te Country Project Manager

Email: Mobile phone: +855 12 906 908

H.E. David Lane, US Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome meets trainees of the stone conservation unit at Angkor Wat temple

08 December 2013

SIEM REAP, Cambodia – H.E. David Lane, US Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome toured Angkor Park in December 2013. At Angkor Wat, he met the trainees of the Stone Conservation Unit (SCU) who were taking part in a workshop withICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) consultant and conservation expert Simon Warrack.

During the workshop, students studied chisel marks on an unfinished wall to determine what tools the ancient stone carvers used.

“In his way they can understand how their ancestors carved the temple,” Simon Warrack explained. “Later, they will actually carve some sandstone using these traditional techniques.” By understanding how the temples were built, the students improve their ability to preserve them into the future.

The US Mission to the United Nations supports the conservation of cultural heritage, such as preservation projects at Angkor Wat and Phnom Bakeng.

10 June 2014

Cambodia has one of the highest rates of disability in the world. GIZ is working with the Cambodian government and local NGOs to promote inclusion of persons with disabilities in the health service. That includes a screening and referral system for rural children at risk of long-term impairments.

Moreover, part of GIZ’s work in Cambodia is promoting the voice of the disabled to overcome stigma and help them get access to health care.

For more information:

Home

http://health.bmz.de/topics/Social-protection/studies_and_articles/Breaking_down_Barriers/index.html

Participants listen during the last consultation workshop on the White Paper on Land Policy

20-21 May 2014

Sihanoukville, Cambodia – “The workshop was a clear success. Therefore, we can go ahead and finalize the draft of the White Paper on Land Policy in the next weeks in order to submit it for approval by the Council of Ministers in the third quarter of 2014,” said Cambodian Secretary of State Lim Voan.

Mr. Voan made this statement in his closing words of the final public consultation workshop on the White Paper on Land Policy in Sihanoukville, thanked all representatives of more than 15 ministries, and an impressive number of NGOs that contributed to workshop discussions.

An achievement for Cambodia, the ‘White Paper’ is internationally seen as the supreme policy on sustainable and just land use and land rights. Additionally, it outlines the government’s direction on land administration and management. In November 2014, the White Paper is planned to be presented by Senior Minister Im Chhun Lim.

Mr. Phann Sithan from NGO-Forum facilitates a group discussion on the White Paper

At this recent workshop, more than 80 experts discussed the White Paper draft for two consecutive days. This draft is a result of five years of consultations and discussions among experts and policy makers. As in previous consultation workshops, GIZ provided flexible moderation, which gave enough time for discussion and group work. As a result, the participants involved themselves actively in the discussions during the full two days. Five years after the approval of the Declaration on Land Policy in 2009, Cambodia will finally have a comprehensive land policy.

Ms. Touch Setha from NGO-Forum facilitates a group discussion

Technical Advisor to the former Council of Land Policy and Land Expert Prof. Dr. Ing. Holger Magel – who provided guidance on the White Paper development during the entire process – underlined in his closing remarks that the White Paper process was itself a model of good governance, thanks to very transparent procedures and broad participation. Regarding the contents and quality of the White Paper, Magel expressed his satisfaction that, in his opinion, all relevant international standards in terms of land governance, and respective land tenure and other rights were intensively discussed and presented. It is expected that this comprehensive land policy will have a far reaching multiplier-effect throughout the country.

As a result, all government agencies, private-sector companies, and the public will receive information on land rights and their responsibilities. There is also no doubt that the White Paper is fundamental for the implementation of Cambodia’s upcoming sustainable development goals.

12 May 2014

Phnom Penh, Cambodia –

To support environmental protection efforts, the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) has set up in October 2000 a working group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA). Last week in Vietnam, the group met to exchange experience on three audit topics: atmospheric environment, sustainable energy and solid waste. Dr. Denis Roy, GIZ Senior Advisor to the project, Support to ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI) joined among other officials.

“The Mekong River is the heart and soul of mainland Southeast Asia. Populations of at least six countries depend on the Mekong for food, water, transportation in their daily lives,” Dr. Denis Roy said. “The Mekong River also supports one of the world’s most diverse fisheries.”

From 2011-2013, the German Government, through GIZ supported a cooperative environmental audit on the Mekong River Basin management. Currently, it is planned to start a second environmental audit with the participation of the Supreme Audit Institutions of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

GIZ is working with the Supreme Audit Institutions throughout the ASEAN region and is also very active with several regional and bilateral projects in the area of environment and climate change. With this in mind, GIZ is in a good position to bring together knowledge and expertise needed to improve environmental audits.

“Environmental audits play a crucial and vital role in the implementation of environmental goals and objectives, including those enshrined in multilateral environmental agreements,” said Alexander Beetz, project manager of the GIZ project, Support to ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI).

Supreme Audit Institutions have a difficult but very important task: Their task is to make sure that the state uses public money in an effective and efficient way to achieve best possible results. This includes spending for education, health and agriculture, for example. Supreme Audit Institutions require expertise knowledge to be able to assess the spending of public money in these areas. One area audit institutions are now focusing increasing attention to is environment protection and climate change adaptation.

Explanation of picture:

During the 5th Seminar on Environmental Auditing held in Hanoi in April 2014, country participants from ASOSAI WGEA (Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions Working Group on Environmental Auditing) were invited to Ben Thuyen Trang An ecotourism site. Located 80 km south of Hanoi, Trang An is often referred to as an inland Halong Bay and its community is seeking UNESCO world heritage site status. On this visit, over 20 Asian countries representatives participated in a tree planting ceremony. Dr. Denis Roy, Senior Advisor to ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions participated in the ASOSAI WGEA meeting to discuss a proposal for a cooperative audit on the Mekong River Basin. During the ceremony, he planted a tree on behalf of the GIZ Cambodia office.

February 2014

Kampot and Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia

A mother’s worry, eased.

Uy Kosal, 26 years old, is a mother from ChhorVillage in KampongThomProvince. Her village health support group instructed her to bring her 4 months old daughter, Vat Varny, to Trea Health Centre for a medical check-up on ‘Health Centre Day’.

Uy Kosal now understands how to feed her daughter better and has plans for corrective cleft lip surgery

On this particular day, eye and ear doctors from Kampong Thom hospital and trained health centre staff provided consultation services to children under ten years old. Health care professionals focused their attention on children with impairments. Kosal was very worried about her daughter, born with cleft lip. Her daughter’s cleft lip makes feeding time difficultand as a result, she is under-weight. Cleft lip is closely linked to some ear diseases and may slow speaking.On Health Centre Day at Trea Health Centre, Kosal received information on how to feed her daughter and when and where she should bring her daughter for further treatment. Kosal was more relaxed after learning that the lips of her daughter can be treated at the age of 5 months with surgery at the Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap. She is now motivated to breast-feed more often to help her daughter gain weight. She plans to take her daughter to Siem Reap province for the cleft lip surgery recommended by her doctor.

Health Centre Days reach 10,000 children and caregivers in Kampong Thom and Kampot Province

Health Centre Days are special events supported by GIZ and implemented by health centres and hospital doctors in Kampong Thom and Kampot province with support of Handicap International. The aim is to raise awareness on impairments and disabilities and to support early detection and intervention for children. Children that receive support with their disabilities will be more likely to achieve their full potential. Almost 10,000 girls, boys and their caregivers have participated so far. Over 330 children with disabilities were detected and referred to appropriate medical and support services. Services include those available at the NationalPaediatricHospital in Phnom Penh and AngkorHospital for Children in Siem Reap.

For more information, please contact or , GIZ Social Health Protection Project, Cambodia.

How can councils get closer to citizens? During the exchange visit, councilors from Aek Phnum and Chet Borei district share their best practices.

April 2014

Kratie and Battambang, CAMBODIA – In May 2014, the first term of district, municipal and provincial councils in Cambodia will come to an end. This is a good opportunity to look back and review the experiences of local government officials over the past five years.

Councillors and representatives of the administration of Chet Borei District of Kratie Province visited councillors of Aek Phnum District, Battambang Province to exchange and learn from one another’s experiences in office. The exchange was jointly facilitated by the Secretariat of the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development, Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and the GIZ implemented joint European Programme for Strengthening Performance, Accountability and Civic Engagement (EU SPACE).

VSO, an international development charity works with volunteers alongside local organisations that serve the poor. In Cambodia, VSO volunteers work with several districts. EU SPACE is the technical cooperation mechanism of the NCDD-S, European Union, Sweden and Germany and is implemented by GIZ. Its objective is to promote transparent, citizen responsive, accountable and capable councils at the sub-national level.

At the event, district and commune representatives came together, eager to learn how serving as an official representative developed their careers, and changed their lives.

The power of peer-to-peer learning

VSO and EU SPACE are not strangers to the value peer-to-peer learning offers. In 2013, VSO and EU SPACE organised similar exchange visits, which proved to be a success. The exchange visits demonstrated that peer-to-peer learning complements expert inputs as well as technical and policy advice.

Since 2011, EU SPACE in cooperation with the NCDD-S have also facilitated exchange between Cambodian and German representatives. Over the past few years, two German municipal councillors have visited their Cambodian peers.

Councillors reflect on the past five years in office

During the visit, district councillors shared their experiences on how their professional and personal lives have changed since they entered office in 2009.

What can be done better during the next mandate? Councilors jointly reflect on experiences and lessons learnt.

The atmosphere during the one-day exchange visit was relaxed and lively. The facilitators of EU SPACE as well as representatives from the two districts made an effort to make everyone comfortable and encouraged discussion from the beginning. Together, the councillors reflected on their roles and responsibilities, on their strengths, weaknesses and challenges. They shared experiences on how to better engage with citizens and civil society organisations; how to implement and disseminate decisions of the council; how to organise the planning process of councils; and how to encourage more equitable gender participation. They highlighted that the relationship between councillors and citizens has improved through the increased engagement of councillors with their local communities.The councillors discussed the impact of their political careers on their personal life. “I am quite popular in my area,” a councillor of Aek Phnum candidly shared. “There is hardly a social event in my district, which I am not invited to.”

Challenges persist

The lively discussions between the councillors also exposed the challenges local governments in Cambodia face. The councillors of both districts pointed to unclear responsibilities which hamper their effectiveness; a lack of resources; and the need to build capacity. Further, they mentioned that it remains difficult to promote the participation of citizens in remote areas.

“We will bring back many new ideas applicable to our daily work,” a participant of Chet Borei District pointed out. Participants also recommended that further exchange visits should take place in order to give more district councillors the opportunity to learn from each other.

Media interviewed Ms. Tiv Chhat a farmer from Thmor Reap village, Pong Ror Commune, Rolea Baear District.

22 March 2014

Kampong Chhnang – Forty-one costumers of Natural Agri-Products shops (NAP), a social-business branch of the Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) in Phnom Penh, joined a one-day field trip to Kampong Chhnang province to see where their food is sourced. The field trip, including local media, visited organic vegetable produces in Thnoung Kambot village; Svay Chhroum commune and Thmor Reap village; Dok Kroung village; and Pong Ror commune of Rolea Baear District.

The visit is part of CEDAC’s Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) – a locally focused quality assurance system. The consumers certify producers based on active participation and foundation of trust, transparent relationships and dialogue as well as knowledge exchange.

Consumers learned the behind-the-scenes of organic farming and biological control approaches to agriculture. The Cooperation between CEDAC and the GIZ project ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (Biocontrol) supports farmers to strengthen their knowledge on irrigation techniques, organic fertilizer production, protection of useful insects (predators) and application of other useful Biocontrol Agents (BCA) like Trichoderma Harzianum.

The customers of the NAP shops in Phnom Penh enjoyed the trip out of the city and actively discussed organic agriculture, health and environmental issues with farmers and the advisors from CEDAC and GIZ.

Consumers bought fresh products from Ms. Chan Simoeun, farmer in Thnoung Kambot village Svay Chhrum Commune, Rolea Baear District

The participants of this field visit are now 100% confident of product origin and quality of the organic vegetables available in eight NAP shops in Phnom Penh. They want to share their impressions with their friends and relatives as well.In addition to the consumer field trips, CEDAC and GIZ are introducing a new Documentation Handbook for farmers, which is based on IFOAM Standards – an internationally applicable organic standard that can be used directly for certification. The farmers have to document every input and activity for their production. The data is controlled and verified first by commune leader, then by the internal inspector, and finally by the ICS Supervisor in CEDAC Headquarters. Trust and Control are going hand in hand.

Visit NAP on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CEDACNAP

Contact:

Claudius Bredehöft

National Project Coordinator Cambodia

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (Biocontrol)

Mobil: +855 12 21 54 30

Email:

ASANSAI Symposium on Enhancing Public Accountability in ASEAN”

19 January 2014

Jakarta, Indonesia. 19^th January 2014. Seven ASEAN member states (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam) reached an agreement to implement measures for improving transparency and efficiency of their Supreme Audit Institutions in a meeting supported by GIZ.

The ASEAN member states participating in the symposium ‘Enhancing Public Accountability in ASEAN to achieve Regional Competitiveness and Prosperity’, organized in Jakarta (Indonesia), have decided to take crucial steps to overcome barriers for public auditing by 2017. These measures include: 1) To amend existing laws and regulations or to develop new regulations to strengthen the institutional and organizational capacities and autonomy of Supreme Audit Institutions; 2) To engage more actively with auditees and stakeholders such as the Public Accounts Committees, civil society, media and the public; 3) To increase awareness on public accountability amongst decision makers, politicians, etc.; and 4) To strengthen networking and sharing of good practices amongst ASEAN’s Audit Authorities.

Mr Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Ambrin Buang, Auditor General of Malaysia and Chairman of ASEANSAI Knowledge Sharing Committee of ASEANSAI

Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Ambrin Buang, Auditor General of Malaysia and Chairman of ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions’s Knowledge Sharing Committee, presented a summary of results agreed by representatives from ASEAN member states during the meeting. The Malaysian Auditor General also highlighted a number of constraints for an effective public auditing system in the region: weak law enforcement; lack of coordination and cooperation between Supreme Audit Institutions and audited entities; limited parliamentary oversight; low transparency in public reporting; lack of mechanisms to ensure audited entities follow-up on Supreme Audit Institutions’ recommendations; and lackof qualified human resources, amongst others.Supreme Audit Institutions play a key role to promote good governance and monitor public finances. These institutions ensure that public finances are managed in compliance with state regulations in an efficient, accountable and transparent way. Supreme Audit Institutions also strengthen capacities of civil servants to ensure that their roles and responsibilities are clear as well as to facilitate their participation for monitoring governments’ public expenditures.

For more information, please visit the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions’ website: www.aseansai.org

11 March 2014

A new data set on poor households from seven provinces and the rural areas of Phnom Penh is now accessible and can be used by government institutions, non-governmental organizations and specialized aid agencies in order to target services and development assistance to the people living in poverty more effectively.

With support from the Identification of Poor Households program -implemented by the Ministry of Planning of Cambodia and its provincial departments with technical support from GIZ- the Ministry has just made available more data of households identified as poor in Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Beantey Meanchey, Kratie, Oddar Meanchey, Stung Treng and the rural areas of Phnom Penh.

This data includes lists of poor households with their poverty category; details of all members of poor households (name, sex, age/year of birth, relationship to head of household); photos of poor households; poverty rates at the levels of village, commune, district and province: household-based and person-based; and aggregated socioeconomic and other special characteristics of poor households.

The data is presented in form of reports (pdf and excel formats) and maps:

Report 10: Summary statistics (per province)

Report 13: Poor household list

Report 8: Profile of all household members

Report 14: Poverty Rate Comparison Report (district, commune/Sangkat, and village levels)

Report 15: Names and photos of poor household members (to be provided as per requested by users with approval from the Identification of Poor Households program).

Report 16: Household data summary (to be provided as per requested by users with approval from the Identification of Poor Households program).

Access to some information is restricted due to its personal nature. In order to receive it, the user (a person on behalf of the institution or organization) will be required to register as a data user and to request permission from the Identification of Poor Households program ().

GIZ provides advisory support to the Ministry of Planning and its provincial departments in all steps of the implementation of the Identification of Poor Households program and supports relevant capacity development measures (). The Identification of Poor Households program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), DFAT, UNICEF and the Royal Government of Cambodia.

03 February 2014

More than one billion people across the world live with some form of disability, a large majority of whom live in developing countries. Poverty and disability are often interrelated. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) represented a major step towards making disability a human rights issue, and became an important framework for disability-inclusive development cooperation. The CRPD, ratified by Germany in 2009, encouraged and influenced development cooperation partners in their efforts to ensure greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in programmes and policies. Following its ratification, Germany developed a National Action Plan on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) elaborated its own Action Plan for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (2013), which aimed to ensure systematic mainstreaming of the inclusion of persons with disabilities in German development policy. It outlined several strategic objectives and measures to be incorporated into development cooperation. One measure is the inclusion of persons with disabilities within the health sector in Cambodia, building on the existing partnership with the Cambodian Government in this area.

Cambodia ratified the Convention in 2012, committing itself to promoting the equality of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society. In 2011, the Royal Government of Cambodia and the German Government agreed during its cooperation meetings to develop ideas about how to mainstream the inclusion of persons with disabilities in current and future cooperation activities to ensure that one of the most vulnerable groups of Cambodian society could increasingly participate in and benefit from poverty reduction programmes and development initiatives. Based on this decision, Germany provided additional resources for the priority area Health (Social Health Protection Programme) of Cambodian-German bilateral development cooperation. They were allocated in June 2012 to the Technical Cooperation (TC) project implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), operating on behalf of BMZ to enhance the inclusion of persons with or vulnerable to disabilities.

With this article, the authors aim to show how the political commitment to include persons with disabilities and other groups such as older persons has been translated into practice in the Cambodian health sector. Based on the

principles laid out in BMZ Action Plan for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, the authors present key developments and lessons learned from the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Social Health Protection Project, which is part of the Cambodian-German Social Health Protection Programme. The first section provides a brief overview of disability prevalence and different forms of disability as well as main challenges persons with disabilities face in relation to health care access in Cambodia. In the second section, the authors describe the process of mainstreaming the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the health sector, outlining key elements of this work and factors influencing success.

Please find the full article here: http://www.zbdw.de/projekt01/media/pdf/2013_3_BiE.pdf

17 January 2014

Background

With the aim of advancing social health protection in Cambodia, operators of social health protection schemes across Cambodia joined forces to establish an association that would allow for a collective voice and provide a platform for collaboration. The initiative would also enable access to quality technical support, attracting financial resources; and promote information sharing and policy development within the sector.

Therefore, a number of organisations joined hands and contributed to the establishment of a new capacity development institute for NGOs active in the social health protection sector e.g. as operators for the Health Equity Funds (HEF), integrated social health protection schemes (extended HEFs through voluntary enrolment programmes), and Micro Health Insurance (MHI). This new institute, the Social Health Protection Association (SHPA), began its operations, with support of GIZ, in May 2012.

SHPA’s mission is to support and promote the quality, sustainability and coverage of voluntary enrolment programmes and other social health protection schemes in Cambodia.

Its main objectives are to support social health protection schemes:

To provide a collective voice and platform for collaboration;
To establish a high-quality resource centre for all social health protection schemes; and
To provide an information and communication platform for all stakeholders.

To fulfill its aims, SHPA developed a work-plan, based on key support needs identified by its members, with additional inputs from the Ministry of Health and other key partners. In line with the plan, SHPA organised various workshops and capacity building trainings.

Client Satisfaction and Quality improvement

The majority of the Cambodian population initiates medical treatment in the private sector. Approximately 30% initiates care in public health facilities. The main reason for this is the perceived low quality of care in the public sector. Many Cambodians prefer private providers because they are seen as friendlier and more responsive to patients’ needs, even if the technical quality of services is inferior to that provided in the public sector.

Improving misperceptions of the quality of public health services, and thus overall client satisfaction, is essential to ensure optimal operations of a social health protection scheme. The Ministry of Health guidelines for SHP schemes require operators to address these issues through specific activities to monitor and respond to clients’ feedback. In response, a client Satisfaction Survey Tools (CSST) was developed by the Quality Assurance Office of the Ministry in 2009 with assistance from GIZ. The intent of the CSST is to provide a standardised survey instrument and data collection methodology for measuring clients’ perspectives on care provided by hospital and health centres.

Social health protection schemes have a strong incentive to improve clients’ perceptions of health services by contracted providers, as enrolment –and service utilization- correlates with the population’s satisfaction with these services. Measuring client satisfaction with feedback on the results to providers to inform quality improvement activities, together with effectively addressing complaints while allowing the communities to voice their opinions, are important tasks of SHP operators. Most SHP schemes conduct satisfaction surveys amongst their members and have mechanisms for dealing with complaints and raising issues with healthcare providers. However, these are not standardized across the schemes.

Workshop on Quality and Client Satisfaction for Integrated Social Health Protection Schemes

Figure 1 and 2: Participants discussed a wide-range of topics from improving client satisfaction to strengthening external feedback.

Following a situation analysis of existing tools and approaches SHPA’s member organisations requested the Association to support them by:

1) Improving the use of existing quality and client satisfaction tools and processes; and

2) Initiating a process of standardisation to assist operators and the Ministry of Health to monitor perceived quality and client satisfaction within and between schemes

In response to these requests, SHPA conducted a workshop on Quality and Client Satisfaction for Integrated Social Health Protection Schemes on 17-18 October 2013.

During the workshop the operators, SHPA, and representatives from the MoH, and GIZ focused on client satisfaction surveys and tools, complaints mechanisms, data collection, storage and analysis, internal review of data and feedback, and strengthening external feedback to clients, communities, providers and local authorities.

Key issues defined by the operators for further discussion and support included:

A clear desire by the MoH to standardize tools for measuring client satisfaction;
Development of a standard database for client satisfaction assessment results;
Development of standard complaints format and roll-out of an online complaints system together with training to enable staff to effectively handle complaints, to strengthen their interviewing/survey skills and to analyse results of the surveys; and
Development of standard operating procedures for all associated processes.

Following the results and recommendations from this workshop, SHPA will continue to advocate for the standardisation of tools and approaches, continue the collaboration with the MoH on the development of a data system, and organise a follow-up workshop in 2014 on interview skills and data entry and analysis for field-level staff.

Opening ceremony of the workshop, Development Partnerships in Agriculture: Experience Exchange, organized by the RED-Green Belt programme of GIZ in collaboration with Provincial Department of Agriculture and the representative office of East West Seed International Ltd

6 December 2013

SIEM REAP – On 6 December 2013, a workshop on development partnerships was held in Siem Reap. The event was facilitated by GIZ programme for Regional Economic Development (RED) – Green Belt and organised in collaboration with Provincial Department of Agriculture (PDA) and the representative office of East West Seed International Ltd. (EWS).

The workshop brought together over 40 representatives from the public and private sectors as well as development agencies operating in Cambodia. Participants presented and discussed on-going development partnerships, i.e. collaboration agreements between agricultural input companies, on the one hand, and government or development agencies, on the other.

The event built on the experience of RED and its partners in the implementation of development partnerships in Siem Reap province since 2009. The Provincial Department of Agriculture (PDA) Siem Reap, EWS and the NGO Agricultural Development Denmark Asia (ADDA), among others, presented achievements and lessons learned from partnership initiatives that matured in the framework of RED. The representatives of Provincial Departments of Agriculture from Kampong Cham, Kampong Chnang and Kanda shared their perspectives as well.

Participants expressed agreement on the effectiveness of development partnerships as a tool to engage the private sector in the role of a know-how provider in agriculture. Similarly, private sector representatives shared the view that development partnerships can fit in their long-term commercial strategies.

Discussion unfolded on the challenges faced by public and private sector stakeholders and on ways forward. All participants stressed the difficulties involved in the identification of the “right” partner and advocated for a “brokering function” as RED has played in Siem Reap. Secondly, trust, transparency and clear communication procedures were identified as cornerstones of a successful partnership. Finally, participants debated on the contributions and functions that each partner should bear and expect. Lack of clarity on such matter is, in everyone’s opinion, a reason for failure.

Group discussion on benefits and challenges of development partnerships. Participants discuss success factors and limitations of public-private collaboration agreements and their effectiveness as vehicles to deliver services to farmers and producers.

The need for a policy framework that enables and regulates development partnerships also led to discussion. On this matter, the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Dr. Mak Soeun, emphasised that partnerships with the private sector are already endorsed by government policies, while guidelines for their design and implementation still need formulation.

In conclusion, partnerships with private sector were recognised to play a significant role to promote access to know-how and innovations in agriculture, and increasingly so, as the public sector progressively embraces regulation, facilitation and coordination functions. However, challenges still lay ahead and further experience exchange will be required to establish guidelines and models that will orient development partnerships in the future.

6 November 2013

The end of the two-day International Summer School in Phnom Penh welcomed many satisfied faces, and all voiced positive feedback.

The Summer School took place from 5-6 November 2013. It is organized every year by the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, the Royal University of Agriculture – Faculty of Land Management and the Technical University Munich; supported by GIZ Land Rights Programme.

This year’s Summer School was chaired by H.E. Im Chhun Lim, Senior Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction. It focused on the topic, “Strategic Spatial Planning: Responding to Territorial Development Challenges in Rural Areas”. About 22 high quality speeches and presentations of national and international experts from Lao PDR, the Philippines, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Germany provided a strong foundation for further discussions with panelists and the audience.

The picture shows H.E. Im Chhun Lim, Senior Minister Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (in front). From left: Dr. Franz-Volker Müller, Program Manager GIZ Land Rights Program; H.E. Pen Sophal, Secretary of State; H.E. Lim Voan, Secretary of State; H.E. Ou Vuddy, Secretary of State; H.E. Sar Sovann, Secretary of State; H.E. Seak Vanna, Undersecretary of State.

Discussions touched upon some of the most important topics for developing and emerging countries: How to mitigate the rural-urban migration? How to avoid the rural exodus? How to strengthen rural areas in terms of social and physical needs of the population? How to create jobs in rural areas and transform dormant rural towns to lively rural centers? And, what role does comprehensive spatial planning play to respond to these various challenges mentioned above?

In order to respond to these challenges, participatory planning activities are of utmost importance. However, coordination, cooperation and communication among all stakeholders are necessary preconditions. The role of all stakeholders must be clarified and they should actively take part and contribute to the common objective. In his summary, Prof. EoE Holger Magel remarked, “It’s all about People and Land!”

The Summer School was attended by more than 150 persons from national and sub- national government institutions, international experts, NGOs, students and representatives of the private sector.

Marion Kütemeyer and Christian Weiser – assisted by an interpreter – discussing the role of city councils in local economic development with members of the Sangke District Council.

02 December 2013

It was Christian Weiser’s third time to travel to Cambodia, and this time Marion Kütemeyer accompanied him. In 2011, the EU SPACE programme of the National Committee for Democratic Development (NCDD) suggested, for the first time, inviting members of city councils from Germany to promote experience sharing, to improve mutual understanding of local self-governance, and to strengthen the roles and responsibilities of Cambodian councils..

They came to Cambodia at the request of the Secretariat of the NCDD, bringing along their experience as members of the council of the German city of Eppstein. Their mission: Eight dialogue forums with district, municipality and provincial councils from the provinces of Battambang and Kampong Chhnang as well as a national workshop attended by around 400 participants. This year’s topic: promotion of local and regional development.

The large number of questions and lively debates that arose during the dialogue forums provided evidence that this glimpse beyond Cambodia’s borders had been both interesting and helpful

The starting point, however could not have been more dissimilar: in Germany, there is a long tradition of local self-governance, and the councils of cities and districts elected by the people are largely responsible for the development of their localities. They are responsible for energy supply and trash collection, for urban planning, schools and the promotion of local development, just to list a few examples. In Cambodia, commune councils were elected for the first time in 2002 and district, municipality and provincial councils were established in 2009. The scope of their activities is limited, since most responsibilities are still under the purview of the central ministries.

Christian Weiser explaining the relationship of sub-national councils and administration in Germany at a meeting with the Battambang Municipal Council.

Nevertheless, the NCDD-S believes that the Cambodian councils can and should begin to develop an initiative, particularly in the area of local and regional economic development. During the national workshop the Regional Economic Development Program of GIZ (RED) showed with examples from Siem Reap, how such an initiative could work. Councils could, for example, create a profile of their district or municipality, identifying economic strengths and weaknesses. They could also invite representatives of the private sector to advise on potential improvements, and they could link experienced business people with younger less experienced ones in order to facilitate their entry into the business community.

In order to ensure that the sharing of experiences with the two members of the Eppstein city council and the RED presentation would not be one-off exercises, the NCDD-S recommended developing a handbook for the councils on the promotion of local economic development. The handbook should be created with support from EU-SPACE and the RED programme and disseminated to councils in the first half of 2014.

Apropos sharing of experiences: the Cambodian councillors were surprised that the two visitors from Eppstein city council belong to different political parties. Christian Weiser is a member of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), while Marion Kütemeyer is a member of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD). Even during the forums in Battambang and Kampong Chhnang provinces, they made no secret of their frequent differences of opinion. They were playful and quick-witted as they parried the arguments of their respective “opponents”, much to the amusement of their Cambodian audience. This exchange not only provided an important contribution to the promotion of local development, but also to improving the political culture.

The EU-SPACE programme receives funding from the European Union and the governments of Germany (through BMZ) and Sweden (through Sida). It is implemented by GIZ as a component of the German-assisted “Decentralisation and Administrative Reform Programme” (ARDP).

26 November 2013

The Cambodian Ministry of Health and its partners are taking on the challenge of securing universal access to quality health care. The act aims to do so without risking impoverishment and indebtedness, by covering patients’ direct expenditure related to health through social health protection schemes.

Out-of pocket expenditure for health care an impoverishment risk

Out-of-pocket expenditure constitutes more than two thirds of overall health spending in Cambodia. The health sector’s high reliance on ‘fees for services’ coupled with lacking social health protection puts people at financial, social and economic risk. It can further deter them from seeking health care when in need, as expenses are unpredictable.

With lower risk of debt, more pregnant women will seek maternal healthcare.

Providing access to Social Health Protection mechanisms for all

In January 2013, the ‘Integrated Social Health Protection Scheme’ was launched in Stoung Operational District in Kampong Thom Province. This innovative approach supported by GIZ’s Social Health Protection Project allows voluntary enrollment in a Social Health Protection Scheme by extending the services of Health Equity Funds. Families can protect their members by joining the scheme and paying an affordable contribution. Through this mechanism, health care users with greater health needs can access public health services whenever needed without risk of impoverishment, of falling into debt and poverty because of unaffordable or unpredictable health care bills.
Without discrimination, all pre-identified poor households as well as voluntary enrollees are granted access to the same package of health services. In the scheme’s first months, membership of the scheme has experienced a positive upside trend, increasing to 29% of the population in Kampong Thom.

Families identified as ‘poor’ may now be better reimbursed for their health care costs.

The Non-governmental Organisation Action for Health (AFH) operates the scheme. Its tasks as operator include, promotion of voluntary enrolment, awareness raising, collection of contributions, reimbursement the providers for medical service costs. But most importantly, AFH also represents the interests of all scheme-members, poor, which are exempted of contributions, or voluntary. By doing so, AFH plays an important role in securing scheme-members rights and promoting adequate health service provision for the entire population in Kampong Thom.

The schemes’ expansion demonstrates strengthened efforts to make quality health services affordable, accessible and more equitable for all Cambodians. The scheme extends health care to those previously untreated and reduces the risk of slipping into poverty and debt when falling ill and seeking care. The expansion constitutes another step towards Universal Health Coverage.

GIZ and the National Audit Authority holding an evaluation meeting in Preah Sihanouk province, June 2013

18 October 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Cambodia’s National Audit Authority recently agreed on a way forward to improve human resource management, as well as standards for greater transparency with the public.

In a discussion facilitated by GIZ in Preah Sihanouk province, Cambodia’s National Audit Authority learned how to overcome bottlenecks hindering the implementation of guidelines for public financial auditing. Discussions also committed to accomplish further organizational changes to improve employee capacity.

Previously, GIZ advised the National Audit Authority on developing and implementing two handbooks – the Human Resource Management Handbook and Training Programme Handbook, which are considered key for building organisational and human capacity, as well as strengthening the authority’s quality assurance system.. The National Audit Authority will report on the status of the implementation of the handbooks by the end of this year, so lessons learned can be incorporated into the future performance of the institution.

In the briefing remarks to the Cambodian Auditor General, Som Kimsuor, held in Preah Sihanouk province, Juergen Lehmberg, Project Manager of the GIZ National Audit Authority Project, said, “Improved human resources management and stronger capacities for public transparency of the National Audit Authority will definitely contribute to build the trust and confidence that all Cambodian citizens deserve.”

Since 2005, GIZ has provided strategic technical support to the National Audit Authority of Cambodia. This work also comprises facilitation of learning and knowledge exchange at regional and international levels, such as the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).

For more information, please contact Mr. Juergen Lehmberg (Tel: +855 12 333 101; )

October 2013

Mondulkiri/Kampong Cham, Cambodia – In preparation for the governmental consultations on October 17, the continued German support to the Land Administration, Management and Distribution Program (LAMDP) was the occasion for an informative joint field visit to Mondulkiri and Kampong Cham provinces. The international delegation comprised the Desk Officer for Cambodia of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Ms. Stefanie Ruff, alongside several participants from the German Embassy, the Embassy of Finland, European Union (EU), KfW Development Bank, GIZ Cambodia, FINNMAP, ILO and representatives of local NGOs. The field visit was organized by the Ministry for Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC), Provincial Authorities from Mondulkiri and Kampong Cham together with Provincial Land Department of Mondulkiri and Kampong Cham and the GIZ Land Rights Program.

While also introducing into the work of the provincial cadastral offices on systematic land registration, the focus of the first half of the field visit was the support to indigenous people’s (IP) communities land registration in Mondulkiri province. The delegation visited the IP communities in Sre Khtom and Oo’Rona and learned about their experiences and involvement with the process of land registration, which had led to the issuance of collective titles for these communities.

A visit to two indigenous Bou Sra communities highlighted as well the difficulties of IP land registration to the delegation. The IP of the villages in Lmes and Poulu articulated their concern with multiple conflicts pertaining to their land boundaries, while not having received a collective title yet. It became very clear that resolution of conflicts during IP communities land registration is a complicated and lengthy process that needs further support.

The second half of the 3-day field visit, focused on reviewing the situation of land recipients on social land concessions in Kampong Cham province. While still poor, the land recipients showed to the delegation members in which manifold ways they were able to improve their livelihoods. As a side event, a pre-cut of a short film about a photo-documentation by famous war photographer Tim Page was screened in the community hall. The film stars several of the villagers, which squeezed into the community hall, next to the delegation team, to watch themselves and their fellow villagers on the screen.

The topics and lessons learned from the field visit were picked-up again during the governmental consultations and contributed by informing on agreed proposals, e.g. on the further strengthening of the support to IP communities land registration and post-project support to the German-supported land recipients.

For more photos, please visit: http://on.fb.me/1gtIrlM

19-20 September 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – As organic rice production continues to expand in Cambodia, the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture(CEDAC) and GIZ are working to ensure that farmers are properly supported to reap the benefits of organic agriculture. To this end, the Second General Assembly of the National Organic Rice Producer Confederation in Cambodia was held on September 19-20, 2013 at CEDAC’s head office in Phnom Penh. Over 50 rice farming community representatives participated in the meeting. Mr. Keam Makarady, CEDAC Director of Health and Environment and Mr. Claudius Bredehoeft, National Project Coordinator for GIZ ASEAN Biocontrol (ABC) for Sustainable Agrifood Systems facilitated the meeting.

Dr. Ludgera Klemp, Counsellor and Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy delivered the Opening Remarks in Khmer. She spoke about the German government’s long support for CEDAC, saying “it’s a pleasure to look back on the established cooperation with CEDAC since 2003 and the progress made through technical support for organic agriculture and market development for farmers since then.”

The assembly’s primary objective was to generate the 2013-2014 organic rice production plan. But according to Mr. Bredehoeft: “This meeting is also about sharing knowledge about the situation in the fields, in the market, and this year’s rice production.” In addition to reviewing the numbers of organic farmers, respective yields and the Fair Trade premium available to certified groups, participants were encouraged to discuss their successes and challenges. “It is very important that we learn from each other,” Mr. Bredehoeft stressed.

Other presenters included CEDAC President, Dr. Yang Saing Koma and Mr. Sou Savorn, CEDAC Sahakreas Operations Manager. Dr. Koma gave an overview of the essential System of Rice Intensification practices as well as the Fair Trade and organic certification processes, explaining how the farmers can benefit from this linked system.

Author: Mr. Alexander Davis (CEDAC)

8 August 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – With financial support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Cambodian-German Friendship Association (CGF), a newly registered association held its inauguration ceremony on August 8, 2013 at the German Cambodian Cultural Center, or Meta House. The event was presided over by H.E. Khieu Tharavith, Secretary of State, Ministry of Information and H.E. Wolfgang Moser, German Ambassador to Cambodia. A total of 57 participants that include the association’s Executive Committee, advisors, members and interested participants attended the event. The gathering celebrated the Association’s inauguration, to promote public relations with all partners and stakeholders, and to encourage membership enrollments.

“I strongly believe that with the participation of its Executive Committees, General Secretary and members, the Association will flourish,” said H.E. Wolfgang Moser, German Ambassador to Cambodia.

The seminar ended with a cocktail reception to foster informal networking.

08 August 2013

Kompong Chhnang, Kompot, Kompong Thom, Phnom Penh and Takeo Provinces, Cambodia – Diseases related to lack of hygiene, such as diarrhea and respiratory infections, are still the leading cause of death for children living in Cambodia. By the time children enter school, more than half are diagnosed with intestinal worms and a vast majority has dental caries, virtually all untreated. Students suffering from pain and disease are frequently absent from school, sleep less, and demonstrate an overall lower academic performance, compared to healthy pupils: Health status and school performance are closely related.

GIZ’s Regional Fit for School Programme in Cambodia aims to prevent infectious diseases among public primary school students to improve school attendance through three simple and low-cost interventions: 1) daily hand washing with soap; 2) daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste; and 3) bi-annual deworming.

The programme has been supporting the School Health Department of the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) of Cambodia with the program implementation since December 2011. Regional programme partners include SEAMEO INNOTECH, a regional center of the South-East Asian Ministers of Education Organization. Since its inception in Cambodia, the programme has benefitted nearly 8,000 students in ten public primary schools in Phnom Penh and other four provinces: Kompot; Takeo; Kompong Thom; and Kompong Chhnang. This regional programme is also being implemented in three other countries: Lao PDR, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Facilitating regional learning and knowledge exchange

A regional networking meeting was organized in Cambodia from 25-26 June 2013 to allow delegates from Indonesia’s Regional Fit for School Programme the opportunity to observe programme implementation in Cambodia, exchange programme information and experiences with implementation. Six representatives from Indonesia’s Department of Health, Department of Education, and Department of Community Welfare in Bandung and Indramayu, Indonesia represented the delegation. Dr. Ramon Bacani, Director of SEAMEO INNOTECH, and Regional Fit for School Coordination Team and Project Managers in Indonesia and Lao PDR, also joined the visit. The School Health Department of the MoEYS Cambodia hosted the event in coordination with GIZ’s Fit for School Programme’s country team.

Indonesian Delegates receive warm welcome

At MoEYS in Phnom Penh, H.E Nath Bunroeun, Secretary of State, expressed his warm welcome to the Indonesian delegates and noted that the Regional Fit for School Programme applies evidence-based and low-cost interventions to address school health issues in Cambodia. Interventions such as these make the programme suitable for scale-up, countrywide. H.E. congratulated the School Health Department and thanked GIZ and all implementing partners for their support and collaboration efforts to improve the well-being of Cambodia’s children.

During the two-day event, the delegates visited three programme model schools in Takeo and Kompong Thom Provinces to observe the students’ daily hand washing and tooth brushing activities. Additionally, the delegation held meetings with school principals, teachers, commune councils and School Support Committees to discuss success and challenges with implementing the Regional Fit for School Programme.

Indonesian delegation, ‘impressed’ with Cambodia’s progress

Mr. Rigil Munajat, Project Manager of the Fit for School Programme in Indonesia, noted that he was ‘impressed by Cambodia’s commitment to the programme and that model schools in Cambodia implement hand washing and toothbrush activities with their students every school day’, six days a week. The delegates were also impressed by the steps taken by the School Health Department to secure programme sustainability by including a budget for programme materials for the upcoming year submitted to the national government. This action will support the School Health Department with the development of a plan to cover the costs of programme materials from next-year onwards.

For more information on GIZ’s Regional Fit for School Programme contact:

Ayphalla Te Country Project Manager

Email: Mobile phone: +855 12 906 908

The need for harmonization in planning and implementation

31 July 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia Following on from the webinar “ICT to support Social Health Protection” organized by GIZ Bangladesh and the Joint Learning Network in October 2012, CIM expert Michael Stahl proposes in this article that harmonizing health information systems should be a priority for technical assistance for social health protection.

Many developing countries in Asia, such as Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia and the Philippines, have already introduced social health insurance schemes to different extents, but are now dealing with highly fragmented IT applications among health care implementers. The same issues are found in several African countries.

Other developing countries have yet to implement health insurance programmes, or are in the final planning stages, and their governments would like to avoid making the same mistakes as neighboring countries. Cambodia, Bangladesh and Nepal are good examples of countries, which are beginning technical implementation of social health insurance systems.

In addition, planning and experimentation of these systems are happening in isolation within each country, when viable solutions may already have been developed in other countries. Apart from many practical concerns in achieving health care goals in developing countries, one of the main issues is the use of information technology (IT) in health services, and the lack of harmonized approaches in planning, developing and implementing IT solutions for social health protection implementation.

This paper focuses on the operational side of social health protection implementation in developing countries, explaining how harmonization of social health insurance schemes benefits all stakeholders, and describing how monitoring and evaluation activities can be unsuccessful or lead to wrong results. The relationship between improperly working operational aspects of data management, and the difficulties that arise from this situation, are also examined. Lastly, the reasons for high fragmentation rates among social service implementers are discussed.

Please find the GIZ discussion paper here

26. August 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia The mass crimes committed under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the period of 1975 to 1979 are known to many. Less known is the fact that apart from torture, murder and forced labor, gender-based violence in particular against women was also committed. Even among the Cambodian population the myth of the puritan Khmer Rouge soldier who obeys a code of conduct prohibiting so-called “immoral offenses” against women is prevalent. Such a myth reinforces the taboo on rape and other crimes against women who are thus excluded from the transitional justice process.

In order to thwart this myth and to give victims a voice in the historic record, three GIZ CPS partners in Cambodia have created www.gbvkr.org. This website contains a unique collection of documents, publications, articles, background information and video/audio-material on this topic which mainly originates from the work of the CPS Partners: Victims Support Section (VSS) at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, Cambodian Defenders Project (CDP) und Transcultural Psyschosocial Organisation (TPO). These three organisations have joined forces to advance the participation of women in the transitional justice process through outreach activities, legal and psychological support and attendance at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.

Information on violence against women in the Khmer Rouge period is rare and scattered. By setting up this website VSS, CDP and TPO are accomplishing pioneer work in the field of transitional justice in Cambodia in the hope that in future these silenced crimes will be acknowledged and condemned to the same extent as other crimes against humanity.

29 March 2013

Siem Reap, Cambodia On 29 March 2013, APSARA’s Stone Conservation Unit held the official opening ceremony for the new Stone Conservation Training Center. The Center will provide a new space for knowledge exchange in the field of conservation and restoration. With the aim to support the increasing demands of qualified conservators in Cambodia, the space includes a classroom, office, a small laboratory and workshop, as well as a library and meeting room.

H.E. Ros Borath, Deputy Director of APSARA National Authority; German Ambassador, H.E. Dr. Wolfgang Moser; GIZ Deputy Country Director Dr. Petra Schill; Madame Mao Loa, Director of the APSARA department DCMA; GIZ Advisor JosephinRösler and the Stone Conservation Unit, as well as a number of guests from APSARA and international conservation teams attended the ceremony.

APSARA’s 2-year-stone conservation training was launched in March 2013. Three local stone conservation experts from the Stone Conservation Unit are teaching theory and practice. Other conservation and science professionals with expertise in archaeology, mineralogy, history and microbiology will provide specialized trainings. Until recently, it was not possible to study stone conservation in Cambodia. With this new training programme, APSARA is now able to train new conservators on international standards.

14 August 2013

Kampong Thom, Cambodia Mothers and their newborns in three provinces (Kampong Thom, Kampot and Kep) will benefit from equipment and supplies to improve their health, funded by the German Government as a result of a partnership agreement between the German international cooperation agency, GIZ, and the UN children’s agency, UNICEF.

With the German grant, UNICEF procured equipment valued at more than $ 500,000 including ultrasound scanners, foetal heart detectors, sterilizing apparatus, surgical delivery instruments and resuscitators, to enhance the delivery of quality essential and emergency obstetric and newborn care services to some 300,000 women of reproductive age attending government health centres and hospitals in the three provinces. The supplies also include newborn kits with baby care items to be given to mothers attending government health facilities, with a view to encouraging community demand and utilisation of health services.

While Cambodia has made good progress with reducing maternal and child mortality, three out of four newborn deaths occur in their first week of life, especially during the first day, largely due to complications at birth and lack of postpartum care.

At the handover ceremony for the medical equipment and supplies, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Dr. Wolfgang Moser, congratulated the Royal Government of Cambodia for the progress so far achieved: “This success persuades the Federal Government of Germany to continue its support to the Ministry of Health in view of responding to the needs of the Cambodian population.”

In her remarks, UNICEF Representative in Cambodia, Rana Flowers said, “UNICEF is pleased to partner with GIZ, to contribute our experience and expertise in procurement, to provide critical, quality, value-for-money supplies from reliable manufacturers, to support the government to deliver and scale-up essential services for mothers and newborns.”

Receiving the equipment, the Secretary of State for Health, Ministry of Health, His Excellency Professor Eng Huot, said, “Limited resources – human and financial – continue to be a major constraint to scale-up essential and life-saving health interventions to reduce maternal mortality. We are therefore, most grateful that the German Government and UNICEF have responded together to work with us to address this issue.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic and Development (BMZ) is funding development cooperation programmes in 50 developing countries worldwide. The cooperation with the Royal Government of Cambodia was resumed in 1994 and is mainly implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ, and KfW Entwicklungsbank. Health and Rural Development are the two priority areas of German Development Cooperation in Cambodia, facilitated by a cross-cutting area Good Governance. Technical and financial assistance in the health sector is provided through the “Social Health Protection Programme”, with a focus on health care financing, health service delivery, and health system governance. The Rights-based Family Planning and Maternal Health (Muskoka) project is part of this programme.

6 June 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia On June 6, the Cambodia’s Ministry of Planning, with support from GIZ and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), conducted a consultative forum on the use of the different information sources and data products offered by the Identification of Poor Households (IDPoor) Programme. Excellency Tuon Thavrak, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Planning opened the forum, underlining the importance of the IDPoor data, which is used by a growing number of organizations and poverty-reduction programmes as a tool for efficient poverty targeting.

The forum aimed to collect feedback from a group of key stakeholders including Government agencies, bi- and multi-lateral donor organizations, as well as non-governmental organisations, on the usability of different existing formats (website, data DVD, IDPoor Atlas) of IDPoor and how they could be further improved. Participants also had the chance to provide feedback on potential data products linked to an online database, which GIZ supports the Ministry of Planning develop. Last but not least, participants had the opportunity to inform the Ministry of Planning what additional types of data, reports and formats they would like to have and need for their work. Ideas included services to poor households, and support to plan their programmes, monitor progress or prepare reports.

Most participants agreed that the IDPoor data is very useful for their work and appreciates that the Ministry of Planning provides access to this information. However, some organisations – specifically smaller organisations at subnational level – still face difficulties finding the most up-to-date information, as well as extracting and analyzing the data that they need for their work. Therefore, participants welcomed the idea of making more information available online in the future and the Ministry of Planning’s efforts to include new, more user-friendly features.

The feedback and recommendations received during the Consultative Forum complement the feedback received from a larger group of organizations from an online survey designed by GIZ and disseminated by Ministry of Planning in May. The feedback from the Forum and the online survey will be used to make IDPoor information and data formats easier to use and better fitted to the different users’ needs. This will help promote the utilisation of IDPoor data as the primary basis for identifying poor beneficiaries and targeting development programmes to the households and areas that are most in need of support.

The “Support to the Identification of Poor Household’s Programme” implemented by GIZ is funded by German Development Cooperation and Australian Aid.

For further information on the IDPoor Programme please visit: http://www.mop.gov.kh/Projects/IDPoor/tabid/154/Default.aspx

10 July 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia Production of Cambodian organic rice is rising rapidly as international demand for the product increases, experts said at a forum for growers and other industry members held Tuesday at the Phnom Penh headquarters of agricultural NGO Cedac.

“In the first six months of this year we’ve exported about 200 tons of organic rice, which is about double last year’s figure,” said Cedac president Yang Saing Koma, adding that farmers aren’t producing enough to meet demand. “We hope that by next year, we’ll be exporting 1,500 tons annually.”

Although there are about 100,000 farmers who produce organic rice in Cambodia, only about 200 meet international standards, Mr. Saing Koma said.

He said Cedac hopes the number of certified organic farmers will rise to 700 by next year, but certification is a strict, three-year-long process, and farmers who are certified are subject to annual inspections thereafter.

Claudius Bredehoeft, national project coordinator for the regional program ASEAN Biocontrol for sustainable Agrifood Systems of GIZ, the international development arm of the German government, said at the forum that Cambodian farmers are well-positioned to carve out a niche in the rice market. GIZ together with CEDAC is building up the organic rice value chain for the national and international market since 2003. The organic production is preserving the soil fertility on the one hand and supports the farmer to save the costs for chemical inputs on the other. Through the organic and fair-trade certification and market driven approach the farmers are increasing their income as well.

“Since Thailand has introduced minimum rice prices, and Cambodia can export tax-free to the E.U., it has advantages Thailand and Vietnam do not,” he said. “With the fair trade and organic price premium, there are good market incentives to [continue to grow the rice industry].”

Heum Sothea, a farmer from Kompong Chhnang province and forum participant, said that growing organic rice had improved living conditions for her family.

“When I grew conventional rice, I spent a lot of money on fertilizer and chemicals, and cultivated only 1 to 2 tons per hectare. I sometimes had to sell pigs to pay my debts,” she said.

“But now that I grow organic, I harvest about 3 tons per hectare and sell at higher prices. I can use the profit to send my children to school and buy them plots of their own.”

By: Mech Dara and David Kaner

4 to 7 June 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia Twenty-two 3^rd year students from the Royal University of Agriculture took part in a lecture series on “Rural Development through Regional Management”. Under the GIZ Programme on “Regional Rural Development through Innovative Regional Management” in Southeast Asia (Cambodia and Lao PDR) the lecture series aims to strengthen capacity in rural development in Cambodia. The focus is put on an understanding of the importance of “regions” as subnational, decentralized units (e.g. districts) as entities that can better promote development based on the needs of people in their area.

The regional management approach promotes interaction and cooperation between stakeholders of the public and private sectors and civil society. Local and regional actors and institutions identify constraints and potentials for increased incomes and employment. They work out a concept for the development of their regions and plan and implement joint initiatives to promote the local economy.

GIZ sponsored the series with the objective that regional development will be integrated into the Royal University’s curriculum.

June 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia More than thirty percent of Cambodia’s population is between 15-30 years old; half of this young generation consists of women. However, women – and young women in particular – are not yet well represented and actively engaged in political decision-making processes of the country. For example, young women are not represented in the National Assembly and the Senate at all. Eight-teen percent of the commune councillors are women, but women at the age of 25 to 35 hold only 281 out of 11,450 commune council seats – a proportion of 2.5 percent. Of the 1,633 commune council chief positions, only 8 are held by women of this age.

Against the background of this situation, the Committee to Promote Women’s Political Participation (CPWP) has developed a study in cooperation with the GIZ-implemented EU Programme for Strengthening Performance, Accountability and Civic Engagement (SPACE) of Democratic Councils in Cambodia.

Testimonials demonstrate concerns and hopes for political participation

This case study and the accompanying film, “Polishing a Diamond – Young Women’s Political Participation and Representation in Local Governance in Cambodia”, reflects the voices, experiences, and life stories of young women. The young women interviewed are not a representative sample, but they provide strong testimonials illustrating the concerns, issues, inspirations and hopes regarding political participation and representation.

To give a few examples:

“I moved to Phnom Penh and started working in a garment factory almost 11 years ago. I work 10 hours a day, and I earn US$140 a month. I dropped out of school at grade 9. I understand what politics are: I am aware of my power as a voter and my rights as a citizen. I listen to the radio, and I understand what the commune council is about. But, I am absent from my commune and far from my daughter. I need to work and help my family.” (29 year-old factory worker)

“I do not remember anyone ever telling me that I could be a leader […] but I have [all those] voices in my head, talking about my role as a good daughter and wife.” (30 year-old factory worker)

“We have better education compared with our mothers; we work outside the kitchen; we have access to information, the Internet, Facebook, mobile phones, and SMS. We have CYWEN (a membership-based network for young women [100 members]), and we have more decision-making power both in our own family and in our community compared with our mothers.“ (30 year-old CYWEN member)

“I will support and encourage my daughter to consider joining local politics. I am thinking that women are doing a better job than male councilors. After 10 years of having women as council members, I can see their values. They do not waste time and they are practical. Young women would be even better. I will vote for them. Women in the past could only take care of chickens and the kitchen, but now it is different. They can be leaders, and they are doing a good job.” (57 year-old male commune member)

“[…] I am not sure how I can do it [get involved in politics]. Political parties are not providing us with clear information and simple instructions on what the channels are for young people to obtain more information about a party and its platform, policies, and the youth/women’s movement. How can I join them or approach/contact them? What is the requirement to stand as a candidate? I feel also, it would be so strange if you just go to their office and ask for information. I am personally in the dark and do not want to walk in the dark. What I mean is, politics is a dark tunnel for me, and I need some lights before I can join.” (25 year-old university student)

“Cambodian families expect for their sons to attain public status or high positions, and not for their daughters to do this. I am reflecting on my own experience, which my mom often reminds me of, that I should be modest and not aim for a position that may place me at a higher status than my husband. To put it simply – she wants him to shine, not me. This is not an isolated experience, but a common one among those of us with successful professional careers. We talk about it, we laugh about it, and we are working on it to change our families’ perceptions […]” (30 year-old CYWEN member)

“I send home US$70 per month […] My dad passed away in 1997 when I was 16, and since then I have been the breadwinner of the family. I can imagine myself as a commune councilor, but I stop thinking that thought immediately […] We need to eat, pay for rent and medical bills, and […] I think then politics is not for the poor and young women like me who need to support their families. It is simple, we can’t afford it.” (32 year-oldowner of a car repair shop)

“In 2002, who could have even imagined that in 2012, 18 percent of commune council members would be women? This will be the story for young women, too. Cambodia is changing. And change is happening (mostly) at the local level. Cambodia and people in the communes are ready to vote for a 25 year-old single woman. […] Political parties are smart, and that is why they are now recruiting young people in all the villages. Village youth leaders of different political parties are joining and attending their commune council meetings.” (19 year-old CYWEN member)

“I am doing my best to recruit more young people for my party. We now have 12 members (youth, ages 18–25) for each village, and I must admit that they are mostly women. Young men refuse to be group leaders, but young women are interested. Women can bring votes for political parties, and both the CPP and the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) are aware of this. Women can mobilize people in the village and get lots of support. They talk, and they go door to door to listen to villagers. They are so close to the community.” (50 year-old female commune chief)

Bringing new perspectives into politics

Young women recognize the lack of their interests in politics. Their reasons have to do with politics perceived as irrelevant to their concerns, and their feelings of alienation from an arena dominated by an older generation. This older generation appears to many young women as unapproachable and hierarchical. However, young women also believe in the notion of balancing leadership by including more women and young people. They believe inherently that women will bring new perspectives to solving problems and are interested in what younger candidates might have to offer.

Locating entry points

Through the study and the film, CPWP looks into possibilities, opportunities and entry points for greater engagement in local politics and hopes that this work will serve as a starting point for further discussion and advocacy among relevant stakeholders.

About CPWP

CPWP is a non-profit, non-partisan network of local organizations committed to enhancing women’s political participation and representation in Cambodia, established in 2005. The goals of the CPWP are to promote and advocate for equal access, participation and representation of women and men in political decision-making. The findings of the case study were presented and the accompanying film launched in a Consultation Forum on Young Women’s Leadership in Local Governance with representatives of political parties, relevant ministries, elected commune councilors; youth Networks, women’s rights organizations, relevant local and international non-government organizations and development partners in early 2013.

If you would like to watch the whole documentary “Polishing a Diamond” please visit GIZ Cambodia’s YouTube-Channel!

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Meghan Olson from the Muskoka Project took part in the Women Deliver conference in Kuala Lumpur from 28 to 30 May 2013. During the three day conference she attended lectures on: the social and economic benefits of investing in women’s reproductive health; comprehensive sexual education; closing the gap in MDG 5; gender and family planning; women’s health; challenges for women in leadership; global progress in family planning; gender based violence and sexual and reproductive health and rights; benefits/challenges of public private partnership; ending violence against women; contraception in the post 2015 agenda; adolescent girls in health and development; population, sustainability, and women’s rights; and male involvement in maternal and newborn health.

This conference provided an invaluable opportunity to learn from the experiences of other professionals and organizations in the field and share first experiences of the GIZ Muskoka project. Meetings took place between colleagues from GIZ HQ and MEDICONSULT (Muskoka Consultant Ms. Pinging Yeoh) to discuss and conclude on the baseline study on knowledge, attitude and clinical practice of midwifes. Dr. Alexandra Piprek from Malteser International also attended. Her participation has been supported by GIZ and the EU.

Please visit the conference site to find information on the program, media, partner events, exhibition and sponsorship opportunities, and more. You can watch the archived videos at new.livestream.com/womendeliver.

31 May 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Three programs Support to the Identification of Poor Households (ID Poor); Regional Economic Development Programme-Green Belt; and Support to Administrative Reform and Decentralisation (ARDP), have won the first ‘Gender Equality Competition’ for GIZ Cambodia. Eight initiatives from seven programmes participated in this competition with the goal of encouraging managers and technical advisors to promote gender equality and mainstreaming within GIZ’s work.

During the award ceremony held in Phnom Penh on 30 May 2013, Mr. Adelbert Eberhardt, Country Director of GIZ Cambodia said, “Due to the high quality of several proposals we have decided to award three programs, which will all be the winners of the ‘Gender Competition’ of GIZ Cambodia. I hope that all GIZ staff in Cambodia will continue making gender equality a priority in our daily work.”

The initiative “promoting women’s participation in the identification of poor households” of GIZ’s ID Poor programme was selected because of its impact on reducing gender gaps when identifying poor households; its high client demand; and potentials for business acquisition. This initiative also targeted women from socially disadvantaged groups, such as rural-illiterate women and women who are head of households.

Meanwhile, the “RED-Green Belt gender initiative” from RED-Green Belt programme was awarded based on its achievements in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women in district workshops, at quantitative and qualitative levels.

For example, participation of women in district awareness workshops increased from 20 percent in 2008 to 33 percent in 2012, while women’s participation in cross visits increased from 16 percent in 2008 to 38 percent in 2012. This initiative from RED-Green Belt programme also successfully engaged men for gender equality and is, in fact, a good example of cooperation with decentralized institutions.

Finally, the initiative, “Helping get their voice heard – Strengthening newly elected female councillors”, from the ARDP programme, was also awarded for targeting 44 women councilors in two provinces. In addition to contributing to the participation of women in critical areas, such as decision-making at the sub-national level, this initiative effectively supported women councilors to improve their skills and leadership. As a result, this initiative gained interest from different partners.

Together, four judge assessed the initiatives and made the final call for the awards: Mr. Adelbert Eberhardt; Ms. Barbara Haeming, Regional Gender Focal Person for Asia-Latin America Department from GIZ Headquarters; Ms. Cornelia Grade and Mr. Rodrigo Montero, country gender officers of GIZ Cambodia, An assessment grid was especially designed and used by the judges for this competition. All initiatives will be published in a special digital publication in the upcoming weeks.

Further information:

Mr. Rodrigo Montero Cano, Gender and Communications Advisor, GIZ project ‘Access to Justice for Women’ Phone: +855 129 237 71

eMail: ]

May 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Surgery is an essential part of health care. It can cure illness, reduce morbidity and save lives. Surgery also frequency leads to complications that include excess bleeding, wound infection, anesthesia problems and even death. Surgical complications are caused by many factors depending on the condition of the patient ranging from old age to health status. However for complications that are related to quality of health care, it is estimated that at least half could be avoided by routinely checking common safety issues and improving team communication.

General data for Cambodia is not available, but international studies show that complications due to surgery occur in up to 10% of cases. In high-income countries, death related to surgical complications can occur in 0.9%, whereas in low- and middle-income countries the rates soar to 11.7 % of surgery resulting in complications and 2.1% in death.

Simple ‘checklist’ may save lives – local adaptation recommended

To increase the safety of surgery, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed “Surgical Safety Checklist” in 2008. The checklist targets 10 essential objectives for safe surgery, such as surgery location, provision of safe anesthesia, the management of airway problems and hemorrhage.

The checklist is grouped into three sections, requiring the verbal check and exchange of information immediately before the induction of anesthesia, immediately before the skin incision and right after skin closure. WHO encourages local adaptation of the checklist if appropriate. It is recommended for the checklist to be read aloud and verbally confirmed within the operating team. This potential life saving process clocks-in at less than two minutes.

Effectiveness proven

The checklist has been evaluated in 8 different countries and settings and has proven its effectiveness. The use of the checklist reduced the rate of postoperative complications by more than one-third. WHO estimates that with the general use of the checklist up to half of related death case could be avoided. It is estimated that 234 million people are operated each year and more than one million of these individuals die from complications fatalities. Using the surgical checklist could result in more than 500,000 lives saved on an annually basis.

Improving quality of health care a top priority

The improvement of the quality of health care is one of the top priorities of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and is supported by the Social Health Protection Project of GIZ. Therefore the Quality Assurance Office of the MoH together with WHO Office in Cambodia identified the checklist as a ‘promising tool’ to increase the quality of surgical care.

Surgery in Cambodia, which is provided in public CPA 2, 3 and National Referral Hospitals, is on the rise. The changes in morbidity towards non-communicable diseases, such as cancer and traffic accidents are two of the reasons why this trend will probably persist.

Together with WHO, the Quality Assurance Office of the MoH developed a project plan to test the feasibility and the effects of the checklist. Financial support was received by funding from the Australian Agency for International Development, AusAID. The project included establishing an expert advisory board, a two-phased pilot, and a staff evaluation survey in participating hospitals.

Members of the advisory board included experienced surgeons as well as anesthesiologists and scientific associations, such as the Cambodian Surgical Society, donors and pilot hospitals. Pilot hospitals included the National Pediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh and the Referral Hospital in Svay Rieng.

Project pilot sites show promising results

The pilot, that took place from October 2012 to January 2013, showed promising results. As surgical safety improved, surgical complications (especially wound infections) decreased. Additionally, communication among surgical staff improved and awareness for quality improvement raised.

Survey results completed by surgeons, anesthesiologist and nurses showed a very positive attitude. For example, all participants affirmed that they would like the checklist to be used in case they had to undergo surgery themselves.

Checklist adapted nationwide

Due to these convincing results, MoH quickly officially approved the checklist. The Cambodian “Safe Surgery List” is now to be used nationwide in all public hospitals where major surgery is performed. Two dissemination workshops in February 2013 marked the official nationwide roll-out. The 170 participating surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses of the according hospitals learned about the checklist, its use and expected effects. To enable them to train the staff in their institutions, they were provided with materials for training and dissemination.

Members of the advisory board took a very active role in this process. For example, their experience and expertise was applied to adapt the original WHO checklist to survey results and the local context and language. The board also provided the workshop audience with hands-on peer experience when presenting their results and answered critical questions related to content and handling of the checklist.

The checklist will be included in the up-dated CPA Guidelines, which define the role, function and service of public hospitals. An additional measure to ensure its national routine use will be the assessment of the checklists’ use during hospital assessment surveys. The monitoring and evaluation of the routine use this year will be supported by GIZ. These steps exemplify successful project cooperation.

The pilot was conducted by the QAO with technical support from a WHO officer and the integrated CIM-expert, funded by AusAID. Monitoring of its routine use in 2013 will be supported by GIZ.

Cambodia is now the 26^th country worldwide and the 6^th country in the WHO pacific region, which has implemented the checklist nationwide.

For more information on the Surgical Safety Checklist contact, Dr. Dominik Dietz, MPH, Quality Management Advisor, MoH, Hospital Service Department/ Quality Assurance Office (GIZ Social Health Protection Project)

Please find the Cambodian surgical safety checklist here:
English
Khmer

May 2013

Siem Reap, Cambodia – GIZ’s Regional Economic Development (RED) Green Belt Programme supports private and public sector partners in Siem Reap to strengthen the handicraft sector and improve the competitiveness of handicraft producers, particularly in rural areas.

In Siem Reap, handicraft production significantly contributes to the economic development of rural areas due to a winning combination of tourist volume and natural fiber processing industries. Today, handicraft production is one of the most important non-agricultural income opportunities in rural areas, particularly for low income and landless households.

However, most local producers face serious difficulties making full-use of their product’s potentials. Often, they struggle to enter national and international markets. The existence of basic business development services, an important precondition for improving the competitiveness of handicraft producers, is currently underdeveloped.

Angkor Handicraft Association provides essential institutional framework for handicraft entrepreneurs

In 2011, GIZ-RED Programme, in cooperation with the Siem Reap Provincial Department of Commerce, supported handicraft enterprises establish the Angkor Handicraft Association (AHA). Today, the non-profit business association represents the Siem Reap handicraft sector in private-public forums, such as Small and Medium Enterprise Private Sector Working Group meetings in Phnom Penh, that aim to improve the business climate in the handicraft sector.

AHA also offers important business development services to its members and implements various initiatives that strengthen the competitiveness of local handicraft producers. Meanwhile, AHA has grown from 15 founding members to its present 42 members.

GIZ-RED, and its programme partners, provide advice to AHA during the planning and implementation of AHA initiatives and assist with management and steering capacities of the association through trainings and seminars.

“Seal of Authenticity” promotes locally produced handicrafts

Each year tourists visiting the Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap spend around USD100 million on souvenirs. Most tourists prefer locally produced handicraft products. Often, tourists are unable to distinguish local souvenir products from imported items. In order to make better use of the long-standing and untapped high demand for locally produced souvenir products AHA has introduced the “Seal of Authenticity.

The Seal guarantees that artisans from Siem Reap Province made the product. At present, 32 handicraft companies are using the Seal of Authenticity.

Design Competition” fosters the development of authentic souvenirs in Siem Reap

In 2012, AHA and its supporting partners, held the “1^st Siem Reap Souvenir Design Competition”. The objective of the design competition is to facilitate links between university-level Cambodian design students and the handicraft sector. These links support the strengthening of product and design development. More than 100 participants developed souvenir designs in 5 different categories.

As 2012’s competition was a success, AHA is currently preparing for this year’s.

Providing market access for local handicraft producers – The Siem Reap Handicraft Trade Center and the AHA Souvenir Market

The recently opened Siem Reap Handicraft Trade Centre displays locally produced handicraft products from all handicraft sub-sectors in the area. The handicraft trade centre facilitates commercial connections between national and international traders and Siem Reap handicraft producers.

In addition to supporting the Siem Reap Handicraft Trade Centre, Angkor Handicraft Association (AHA) also provides trade related advice and services to Siem Reap handicraft enterprises and its national and international customers.

In 2012, AHA and its members jointly established the AHA Souvenir Market – the first and only Souvenir Market in Cambodia that displays only locally produced handicraft products. The market provides an additional trade platform for local handicraft producers, particularly for producers from rural areas who have limited access to customers.

15 May 2013

Today’s young Cambodians did not experience the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror. Nonetheless, their generation is affected by the traumas of the past, which deeply mark Cambodian society.

Sun Py was nine years old when he was separated from his parents and three siblings in 1976. He survived the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime but suffered considerable distress as a result of losing his family and not knowing what had become of them. Thirty-four years later, Sun Py found those he had lost with the help of a TV programme. Cameras recorded the reunion, capturing the moment when he embraced his mother for the first time and broke down in tears.  A year later Sun Py was interviewed by Ly You Y and Lay Rattana for their documentary film “Finding Lost Ones”. He told them: “I feel very happy, both physically and mentally.” He added: “I know my identity.” His mother, who had thought her son dead, described her relief: “I feel like I have recovered from all my illness.”  One of the two film-makers who shot the documentary about Sun Py and others, Ly You Y, is 22 years old. That is the average age of the Cambodian population. Like more than 60% of her compatriots, she did not directly experience the Pol Pot dictatorship from 1975 to 1979. Even so, she was affected by it in a deeply personal way: “My mother lost three of her six brothers and sisters during that time,” the young woman explains. Ly You Y made her film in 2011 as part of her studies in the Department of Media and Communication (DMC) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. The project was supported by the Civil Peace Service (CPS) of GIZ.  However, the film-maker had less luck than her main character. Her relatives are still missing: “We did everything we could to find them. But now we have no hope anymore.” They remain among the hundreds of thousands of people who disappeared without trace. For the TV programme “It’s not a Dream”, which reunited Sun Py with his family, Cambodian broadcaster Bayon reported receiving at least 20 missing persons enquiries a day.

Years of terror

Most people search in vain. An estimated 1.7 million fell victim to the Khmer Rouge. That was approximately a fifth of the population at the time. Men, women and children lost their lives in the “Killing Fields” or on death marches…

Please find the whole post here>>>

Minister of Women’s Affairs Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi and representatives from GIZ, line ministries, women’s organizations and other development partners participated on 21^st May in a follow-up event on the remarkable agreement reached at the 57^th Commission on the Status of Women to end violence against women and girls.

The historic 57^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women produced an agreement by 123 countries that paves the way for action to prevent and end violence against women and girls worldwide. Representatives from the Royal Government of Cambodia participated in this international conference held in New York in March 2013. GIZ project ‘Access to Justice for Women’ supported Cambodian Delegation by setting up an internal process within the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to prepare inputs in a participatory manner and review progresses and challenges on the fight on violence against women and girls to be reported in the international forum.

As part of the follow-up event at Cambodian level organized on 21^st May in Phnom Penh, Minister Phavi said “Cambodia will move forward with the Second National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against Women 2013-2017 in line with international standards and commitments such as the 57^th Commission on the Status of Women. We will make sure that perpetrators are held accountable and that women survivors receive the necessary support. Further improvements will have to be made in critical areas, such as prevention and response to sexual violence, including rape and sexual harassment.”

In fact, the unique process to develop the Second National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against Women 2013-2017 was shown as one of the best Cambodian practices during the international conference held in New York. The referred process has involved women survivors of violence, civil society organizations –including women’s organizations-, line ministries and development partners who have participated in more than 10 consultations at national and sub-national level in the last year. This policy plan builds on the results and lessons learnt from the First Action Plan 2009-2012 and will come into force after final endorsement by the Council of Ministers of the Royal Government of Cambodia in the upcoming months.

Dr. Andreas Selmeci, Team Leader of the GIZ project ‘Access to Justice for Women’, said during event “Interventions under the umbrella of the Second National Action Plan are expected to be more human-rights and gender responsive, more socially inclusive and more empowering. In addition, actions would target women who are at higher risk of sexist violence, such as garment factory workers, sex workers, women with disabilities, women living with HIV/AIDs, women from indigenous, ethnic or religious minorities, as well as lesbian and bisexual women and transgender people.”

Mr. Paul Keogh, Counsellor Development Cooperation of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), said during event “Violence against women is a significant human rights violation. It devastates lives, fractures communities and undermines good development. The Second NAPVAW is an example of the commitment and cooperation of the Royal Government of Cambodia with their partners to address this issue. Australia is very pleased to be working with Royal Government to help develop and implement this important initiative.”

Agreed conclusions of the 57^th Commission on the Status of Women urge all countries to strengthen legal and policy frameworks, with important provisions on ending impunity of perpetrators, ensuring accountability and access to justice for women, as well as putting in place coordinated multisectoral services that respect confidentiality and the safety of women who suffer from gender-based violence.

“In March this year, the United Nations convened the 57^th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW),” noted United Nations Resident Coordinator Claire Van der Vaeren. “It offers global standards on actions to end violence against women, and Cambodia’s efforts are already in line with many of the Commission’s recommendations. The United Nations continues to support the Royal Government and development partners to prevent violence against women and girls, and to address the root causes– gender inequality and discrimination.”

In addition, H.E. Chou Bun Eng, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior; Ms. Pok Panha Vichet, Executive Director of Cambodia Women’s Crisis Center; and Ms. Sok Panha, Executive Director of Banteay Srei, participated as well in the event to highlight national responses and challenges to eradicate violence against women and girls in Cambodia

For more information on GIZ project ‘Access to Justice for Women’ please contact:

Mr. Rodrigo Montero Cano Gender and Communications Advisor Tel.: +855 129 237 71

eMail: [email protected]

The EU Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility (EUEI PDF) is currently assisting the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME) in the development of a National Energy Efficiency Policy, Strategy and Action Plan that seeks to contribute in a cost-efficient manner to increase Cambodia’s energy security.

The EUEI PDF is a multi-donor-funded instrument of currently six EU member states and the European Commission, which operates globally. The Project Management Unit of the EUEI PDF is hosted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

As part of the development of Cambodia’s National Energy Efficiency Policy, Strategy and Action Plan, the EUEI PDF, with support by GIZ Cambodia, organized the final workshop of its activity with MIME on 29-April 2013, which was launched by His Excellency Suy Sem, Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy.

Link : http://on.fb.me/15iXSVy

7 March 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia In commemoration of the 102^nd Anniversary of International Women’s Day, the National Audit Authority (NAA) organized an event around this year’s theme: “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunity to Accelerate Progress”. Her Excellency Som Kimsuor, Auditor General of the NAA, presided over the event while 59 women from the NAA and the GIZ project to support the NAA joined the event as well.

Advancing technical knowledge to advance women’s status

Ms. Kuoy Lang, representative of the women of NAA, conveyed the message from Her Majesty Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. This year, messages focused on improving technical knowledge of women to strengthen their rights and improve career opportunities. Ms. Kuoy Lang also summarized the activities and outcomes of women’s work inside the NAA.

In addition to Ms. Kuoy Lang’s speech, Auditor General Som Kimsuor stressed that achieving “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities to Accelerate Progress” requires promoting rights and opportunities for allowing the participation of women in the country’s development. This also requires encouraging Cambodian women and men to take action and stand as champions of gender equality.

Government Commitments to Reduce Gender Disparities

The 1993 Constitution states “Men and women have equal rights before the law and enjoy equal participation in political, economic, social and cultural life. This includes equality in marriage and family; employment; and equal pay. It also includes measures to prevent and eliminate of all forms of discrimination and exploitation of women.”

Additionally, the National Strategic Development Plan and the Cambodia Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) highlight the Government’s commitment to reduce gender disparities in all development sectors; the need to put in place effective measures to remove barriers that women face; and to increase opportunities for women to fully participate and benefit from development.

Precisely, GIZ also applies a gender mainstreaming strategy to help anchor the gender aspects of its work. This involves managing the development, and evaluation of decision-making processes and measures from a gender perspective while also measuring the impact of interventions on the lives of both women and men.

3 May 2013

Cambodia – With support from GIZ, the Ministry of Planning and Provincial Departments of Planning have successfully completed “Round 6” of identifying poor households (“IDPoor”).

Village meetings and household interviews took place in all rural areas of seven provinces including Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Beantey Meanchey, Kratie, Oddar Meanchey, Stung Treng and the capital, Phnom Penh. Up-to-date lists of poor households are now available for these areas, covering a total of 4,821 rural villages. With support from GIZ, the data will now be entered into the IDPoor database.

Equity Cards provide access to social services

Households identified as poor during the IDPoor process will receive so-called “Equity Cards” from the Ministry of Planning. The cards will enable them to qualify for and access a range of services and receive support from various poverty reduction programmes.

GIZ advises the Ministry of Planning and Provincial Departments of Planning in all steps of the IDPoor implementation process and supports relevant capacity development measures; this support is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Australian Aid.

For further information on the IDPoor Programme please visit: http://www.mop.gov.kh/Projects/IDPoor/tabid/154/Default.aspx

5 April 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – On-the-job training is known to be an effective approach to putting technical skills into practice. By adopting this approach, GIZ’s National Audit Authority Programme helps Cambodia’s National Audit Authority (NAA) strengthen its capacity and team skills of auditors in charge of auditing at the Central Bank. Auditors at the Central Bank are mainly responsible for monetary policy and bank supervision of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Development of Audit Guidelines listed as, ‘an urgent task’

Momentarily, the NAA is working to urgently finalize the (draft) Audit Guideline for the Central Bank. At the same time, staff training is underway with the aim to raise the quality of independent audits.

In 2008, NAA initiated an audit at the Central Bank and Parliament discussed its audit findings in 2012. In coming years, NAA Central Bank audits are planned to continue. Guidelines would aid this process, and provide a foundation for auditors to work from.

Audit Working Group overcomes challenges through training

Her Excellency, Auditor General Som Kimsuor, recently established a new Working Group to conduct audits at the Central Bank to aid the process. However, as audit topics have evolved from previous ones, the newly established Working Group is anticipated to face some difficulties.

To overcome their challenges, GIZ’s NAA Programme engaged a German audit specialist, Dr. Uwe Roger Schreiner, to facilitate hands-on training for the audit team responsible for the Central Bank audit. The objectives of the training that took place on 11-15 March 2013, included:

1) Contextualizing the (draft) Audit Guideline to better suit Cambodian needs;

2) Training the Working Group on the audit process – from planning to reporting – at the Central Bank by providing some best practice examples from the German Bundesbank; and

3) Drafting the Audit Programme for the audit at the Central Bank.

The result of this work will be discussed with the Working Group and included in the Audit Guideline.

Trainings deliver solutions. moving the process forward

As a result from the training, the Audit Guideline on the Central Bank will be restructured to comply with the general standards of the INTOSAI. The Working Group will continue to refine the Guideline’s content and will submit the final product to the Auditor General for approval. Training participants have not only developed their professional capacity and technical knowledge through these trainings, they also feel more confident to conduct the audit at the Central Bank.

It is a challenging task for NAA to perform an audit on a specialized institution, such as the Central Bank. The Guideline was developed to aid this process. As the Guideline is a ‘living document’, its drafting is just the beginning a longer process ahead. To ensure its effectiveness, the Guideline must be tested and regularly updated to reflect changes in the Central Bank, and assist with the development of new audit methodology.

For more information on GIZ Support to the National Audit Authority Project, please contact:

Mr. Juergen Lehmberg Team Leader Tel: (855) 12 333 101

Email: [email protected]

April 2013

Kampot Province, Cambodia – Artistic expression is a common human characteristic, unlocking creative potential and defying borders. Epic Arts, a disability-arts NGO (http://www.epicarts.org.uk), works towards equality by reaching out to people with physical and learning disabilities and provides deaf education and education for children with learning disabilities as well as vocational training in Kampot Province, Cambodia. Through art, Epic Arts seeks to live out the values of inclusion, understanding, justice and equality.

The organization celebrates the richness of diversity through dance and theatre performances and creative workshops. Additionally, it runs a café, selling handicrafts produced by people with impairments. The café not only offers employment to the disabled, but also acts as a social hub for people with disabilities.

Documentary showcases benefits of disability inclusion

Students of the Women’s Media Centre produced a short documentary on the work of Epic Arts with support from the DW Academy (http://blogs.dw-akademie.de/asia/2013/01/09/reporting-about-people-with-disabilities/) and the GIZ Social Health Protection Project.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, GIZ supports the Royal Government of Cambodia in disability inclusion in the development process. With the government’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, disability inclusion assumes a more prominent role in development cooperation programmes, to ensure that the most vulnerable groups in society benefit from poverty reduction and development. To promote the inclusion of people with or vulnerable to disabilities the GIZ’s Social Health Protection Project deploys a mainstreaming approach in all its areas of intervention and supports selected, targeted activities in close collaboration with Handicap International Cambodia and other organisations representing people with disabilities, such as Epic Arts.

Advocating for inclusive health services

The GIZ Social Health Protection Project will further cooperate with Epic Arts in awareness rising activities and advocating for inclusive health services in the province of Kampot, one of the project’s target-areas. GIZ Social Health Protection Project seeks to involve people with disabilities and civil society as much as possible in local processes of health sector development and to complement existing efforts.

For more contact:

Dr. Heike Krumbiegel

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: + 855 23 88 44 76

To view the short documentary about the work of Epic Arts, visit GIZ Cambodia’s YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/gizcambodia

01 April 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – GIZ partner COrAA (Cambodian Organic Agricultural Association) presented their diverse organic produce lines at the recent Cam-Inter Fair from 29-31 March 2013. The fair took place at Diamond Island (Koh Pich).

Several members of COrAA displayed certified foodstuffs such as rice, vegetables, fruits and pepper. Also on display were wild grape wine, textiles made from organic cotton as well as nutritional supplements prepared from Moringa. COrAA certifies organic products based on its Standards for Organic Crop Production and the Standards for Chemical-Free Crop Production.

For more information see www.coraa.org
The association is assisted by GIZ technical adviser Winfried Scheewe (second from right).

April 2013

Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia While Cambodia’s under-five mortality rate declined from 83 deaths per 1000 live births in 2005 to 54 in 2010, the neonatal mortality rate has stagnated during the same time frame (28 deaths/1000 live births in 2005 and 27 deaths/1000 live births in 2010). Neonatal deaths now account for more than half of all under-five deaths in Cambodia. The most common causes include infection, birth asphyxia and preterm deliveries.

Simple health procedures can save newborns lives

Preventative measures such as thorough drying, skin to skin contact, properly timed cord clamping and early breastfeeding have been show to save newborn’s lives. Additionally, ventilation of non-breathing babies within one minute after birth, or within the vital “golden minute” also contributes to saving newborns at risk of post-natal death..

Immediate and thorough drying stimulates breathing and prevents hypothermia. Amongst many other benefits, sustained skin-to-skin contact initiates colonization of the newborn with maternal flora. Delaying cord clamping reduces the risk of anemia in preterm infants, and intraventricular hemorrhages. Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding can prevent more than 95% of neonatal sepsis deaths.

Hands-on coaching sessions improve medical response

Emphasizing the need to reduce neonatal mortality, Cambodia’s Ministry of Health requested WHO’s support to strengthen immediate newborn care in Kampong Cham province. In 2011, Dr. Howard Sobel (WHO) and Ms. Chris Newsome (pediatric nurse, RACHA), developed a 2-day training and piloted it in Kampong Cham province.

Based on the success of the pilot, the Ministry of Health decided to roll-out this training nationwide. Training of trainers for the Provincial Health Department and Operational District staff from all provinces is ongoing and will be finalized in 2013. Three facilitators and 5 co-facilitators from Kampong Thom province have already been trained in December 2012.

The Immediate Newborn Care (INC) coaching sessions are very hands-on. There are no lectures and all information is provided to participants in the form of questions. Evaluations during the training include written tests (pre- and post-test), measures of hand hygiene (using Glow Germ – see image) and demonstrations of the sequential steps. At the end of the second day, each participant has to demonstrate that he or she is able to carry out all steps of immediate newborn care in the correct order and in the correct time frame.

The steps for the breathing and non-breathing baby are assessed in two separate demonstrations and role-plays. If the participant is able to repeat the correct steps during a follow up supervision visit at the health facility, he or she will be given a certificate of successful course completion.

GIZ support contributes to 4 coaching sessions – 40 midwives trained

With the technical and financial support of the GIZ Rights Based Family Planning and Maternal Health project (Muskoka), the INC facilitators in Kampong Thom conducted 4 coaching sessions at the Baray Santuk referral hospitals in February and March 2013. A total of 40 midwives successfully demonstrated mastery of the sequential steps that may save a newborn’s life. Evaluations during the training include written tests (pre- and post-test), measures of hand hygiene (using Glow Germ) and demonstrations of the sequential steps.

Nine coaching sessions ahead for 2013 – 130 medical professionals await training

With 9 additional coaching sessions planned in 2013, a total of 130 midwives and doctors will become proficient in correct immediate newborn care in Kampong Thom province. Giving health care workers the skills they need to provide all newborns with the care they require in the first minutes of life is a big step towards increasing the chances of survival for these precious new lives.

For more information please contact:

Dr. Klaus Hornetz

Email: [email protected]

Tel: + 855 23 72 63 44

Author:

Karin Stubenbaum
GIZ MCH Advisor, Kampong Thom

10 April 2013

Phnom Penh, Cambodia During a recent study visit to Germany, Cambodian officials from the National Audit Authority, the Senate and Parliament had the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge on how the close cooperation between the German Parliament and the German audit authority enhances transparency and accountability in the use and management of public resources.

Mr. Juergen Lehmberg, Team Leader of the GIZ project supporting the National Audit Authority in Cambodia, said during the study

visit “We expect that some of the best practices we have seen from German institutions will inspire participants to reflect on how similar models can be applied in Cambodia to make management of public funds more transparent and meaningful for all citizens”.

The Cambodian delegation visited Germany on March 18-27, 2013 and comprised Her Excellency Som Kimsuor, Audit General of the National Audit Authority; H.E. Chea Chet, Chairman of the Commission on Economy Finance Banking and Audit of the Senate; and H.E. Khek Sam On, member of the Commission on Economy Finance Banking and Audit of the National Assembly.

The Cambodian National Audit Authority was founded in 2000 to audit the Government’s budgeting and to guarantee proper management of public funds. The GIZ National Audit Authority Project began in 2006 with the goal of improving transparency and reliability of the Cambodian public finance system, including the implementation of regulations as part of the Second Strategic Development Plan of the Cambodian National Audit Authority.

Further information:

Mr. Juergen Lehmberg
Team Leader of the GIZ Support to the National Audit Authority Project

Tel: (+855) 12 333 101

Email: [email protected]

01 October 2018

Government officials from Ministry of Economic and Finance (MEF), Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Tourism (MoT), business representatives, and experts from GIZ, B. Braun Melsungen AG, DFDL, and Partner at Sarin & Associates, participated in the workshops to share experiences and exchange information on PPP, and investment climate of Cambodia.

Each workshop was divided into 4 sessions followed by panel discussion: (1) Investment trends in the healthcare and/ tourism sector; (2) PPP legal framework in Cambodia; (3) PPP potential in the Cambodian healthcare and/ tourism sector; (4) Example of a successful PPP in the healthcare and/ tourism sector, and Panel Discussion: How to Promote PPP in the Healthcare and/ Tourism Sector?

According to the presentation of H.E. Mr. Sam VONGSY, Head of Central PPP Unit at MEF, “PPP is a contract (often long-term) between a government entity and a private entity for providing a public asset or service in which:

the private party bears significant risk and management responsibility;
the private party’s remuneration is often linked to performance, with a strong overview by the public sector; and
in return the government allows the private party to collect revenues from revenue-based payment, availability-based payment or hybrid payment.

Participants received valuable information and practical example on successful cases of PPP from the key speakers. A new PPP law is currently being drafted and expected to be released by mid of 2019, followed by Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to provide detailed guidelines on implementing PPP projects.

As a result from the workshops, the Government entity encourages investors to examine the Public Investment Program 2016-2018, and the Tourism Sector Development Plan to identify potential projects in which the MoH and the MoT would require investment, and propose whether they could be achieved through a PPP. It is important that there is a clear mechanism or strategy paper on PPP in healthcare and tourism sectors once the law on PPP is adopted. Private sector is encouraged to actively participate in providing inputs to Ministries starting from the PPP project identification stage to project implementation stage. On the other hand from private sector’s perspective, the formalizing a public-private forum will increase the opportunities for the public and private sectors to work together, improve the regulatory environment and lead to increased opportunities. Experts also suggested that development partners should get involved in PPP development in Cambodia through the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and line Ministries.

ASEAN-German Cooperation Project “Support to the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI)” supports implementing ASEAN agreements including Trade in Services……… The project operates in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam until November 2018.

For more information, please contact GIZ IAI Advisor Ms. Dalin Seng ([email protected])

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Focus Group Discussion in Phnom Penh
(Photo by Mr. Ly Chanvathanak)

04 October 2018

Under the new “law on regulation of health practitioners”, promulgated by the Cambodian Ministry of Health in December 2016, which aims to protect the health and safety of members of the public, by providing mechanisms to ensure that all health practitioners are qualified, competent and fit to safely practice their profession. The Cambodian Councils of nurses (CCN) and Cambodian Midwives Councils (CMC) are responsible for the implementation of the law and for establishment of the system for licensing/re-licensing health professionals. The councils introduced the concepts of CPD (Continuous Professional Development) as the requirement for initial licensing and re-licensing of healthcare professionals.

GIZ Social Health Protection Project and its Public Private Partnership in Health Project, “Improving Occupational Safety and Health of Healthcare Workers in Hospitals in Cambodia” support the CCN and CMC to improve the skills of nurses and midwives (and thus quality of healthcare) through the award of CPD credit points, as part of the re-licensing process for healthcare professionals. One of the areas that the CCN and CMC asked the projects to support is to develop innovative ideas in CPD policy development, including incorporation of e-learning alongside with face to face training to increase the reach of CPD requirements. While the idea of e-learning holds promise in general; however, the lack of experiences of these methods in Cambodian health sector, the potential acceptability of this form of training by Cambodian nurses and midwives is little known. Thus the projects support the study conducted jointly with CCN/CMC to assess whether e-learning in general is acceptable to Cambodian nurses and midwives and whether the specific e-learning materials (hand hygiene) developed by Aesculap Academy (AA) in English are suitable for use by Cambodian nurses and midwives.

The study is relied on information gathered during four focus group discussions using a 60 minutes hand hygiene video developed by AA to show (original in English with Khmer simultaneous translation by a Khmer translator and facilitator) to participants, then followed by focus group discussion using semi-structured questionnaires with 45 Cambodian nurses and midwives, from six national hospitals in Phnom Penh and two provincial and district hospitals in Kampot and Kampong Thom provinces, which provided different levels of complementary packages activities (national level, CPA3 and CPA 2). Total 45 individuals: 27 nurses (15 male, 12 females) and 18 midwives(all female) were identified based on their availability, their convenience, their involvement in routine clinical works and their willingness to participate in the study.

Focus Group Discussion in Kampong Thom
(Photo by Mr. Ly Chanvathanak)

The main findings showed e-learning method is a suitable and acceptable approach as one of the CPD tools in Cambodia for a re-licensing system. In general, e-learning provided much more benefits (with the same effectiveness as traditional methods) to health workers, compared to traditional face to face training, including saving time (for travel), saving cost (for food, accommodation and cost that are related to their absence from workplace) and convenience (they can select time, place and pace for their study). Some participants were willing to pay to participate in e-learning programs. However, there are some barriers identified such as their low level of English proficiency, lack of high speed internet access, low level of computer skills and internet technology skills, posed challenges to the roll out of this method. For the specific hand hygiene e-learning video developed by AA, there are some complaints on the 60 minute length which seems too long, while some other complaints of the Western style and culture of the instructor in the video as well as their low English proficiency.

In summary, participants showed great interest in the AA e-learning approach as a potential training tool for CPD in Cambodia. However, low levels of English proficiency, limited experience with internet technology and lack of high speed internet outside Phnom Penh were seen as possible barriers to the successful introduction of E-learning in health setting in Cambodia. At minimum, the e-learning materials should be dubbed or subtitled into Khmer to ensure they are well understood by Cambodian audience. It was also noted that having a local TOT trainer at participating hospitals to provide technical support would facilitate the implementation of an e-learning approach.

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