Author

Samheng Boros

Cambodia’s Contributions to ASEAN Since 1999

by Samheng Boros November 13, 2022

written by Samheng Boros

Written by, H.E Samheng Boros

Cambodia assumed the role of ASEAN Chair in 2002, only three years after joining the Association, and the country demonstrated its ability and capacity to carry out its mandate.

Cambodia has helped to reduce tensions in the South China Sea (SCS) by successfully completing the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), a landmark document that embodies ASEAN and China’s collective commitment to promote peace, stability, mutual trust, and confidence in the region.

Cambodia hosted the first Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Summit to strengthen GMS cooperation. To enhance ASEAN-India cooperation, Cambodia hosted the first ASEAN-India Summit.

During its second chairmanship in 2012, Cambodia successfully hosted the 20th and 21st ASEAN Summits in Phnom Penh.

On the economic front, slowing economic growth in the United States, concern about the fiscal cliff, and the EU debt crisis added to the region’s economic and financial uncertainties.

In this context, it was the ASEAN Chair’s responsibility to ensure that ASEAN continued to move forward despite ongoing regional problems and disputes. Cambodia did this successfully in 2012 to boost ASEAN’s credibility and cohesiveness.

Cambodia, for example, presided over the long-awaited ASEAN Human Rights Declaration and the Bali Concord III Plan of Action (2013-17), which outlined a common platform for ASEAN’s external relations.

Just after the 21st ASEAN Summit, Cambodia successfully hosted the first ASEAN Global Dialogue.

ASEAN also officially launched the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, agreed to establish the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre in Cambodia, and launched the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) between ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand, with Cambodia serving as chair.

Cambodia also convinced the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Brazil, the first Latin American country, to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

Cambodia facilitated the adoption of the Joint Statement on the 10th Anniversary of the DOC, which reaffirms ASEAN and China’s joint commitment to promoting peace, stability, and mutual trust and confidence through the DOC’s continued implementation.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers also approved ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles on the SCS, paving the way for ASEAN and China to begin negotiating a Code of Conduct (COC).

Cambodia officially assumed the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on October 28, 2021, for the third time since joining the group in 1999.

As ASEAN Chair in 2022, Cambodia has been actively involved in expanding and strengthening cooperation and partnership in all forms and fields, including socio-economics, trade, investment, and politics, with friendly countries, development partners, and international communities, in both national and regional frameworks, particularly by organizing dialogues involving all stakeholders.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has accepted Timor Leste as its 11th member in principle in Phnom Penh, under Cambodia’s chairmanship in 2022. The half-island country, officially known as Timor Leste, will also be granted observer status at high-level ASEAN meetings, the bloc announced after a regional leaders’ summit in Phnom Penh.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (R) shakes hands with visiting Timor-Leste’s President Jose Ramos-Horta in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Oct. 20, 2022.

“In the future, ASEAN must strongly promote the values that have made ASEAN successful over the past five decades.” “It is the result of hard work and perseverance that we must all cherish in order to continue to record success in the future,” said Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, at the opening ceremony.

During the meeting in Cambodia’s capital, the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) adopted a number of statements aimed at further promoting cooperation for post-pandemic recovery and addressing key challenges together.

The three documents adopted at the meeting were the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on ASEAN’s 55th Anniversary, the ASEAN Leaders’ Vision Statement on ASEAN A.C.T: Addressing Challenges Together, and the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on ASEAN Connectivity Post-2025 Agenda. The meeting was presided over by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen.

Under Cambodia’s chairmanship, ASEAN developed a number of frameworks, strategies, and policies, as well as expanded partnerships with countries other than the United States and China. ASEAN is remaining neutral in this competition and does not wish to take sides. ASEAN wishes to collaborate with all countries.

Cambodia wishes to see true sustainable and inclusive peace, stability, and prosperity in the ASEAN region and throughout the world, with respect for each country’s sovereignty, compliance with international laws and adherence to multilateral mechanisms based on dialogues with stakeholder participation and joint efforts to address challenges in a peaceful, open, understanding, and patient manner.

H.E Samheng Boros is Minister attached to the Prime Minister , Royal Government of Cambodia and Chairman of National Social Assistance Fund Board (NSAF) and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY).

November 13, 2022 2 comments

Boros Opinion Piece Opinion Piece

Using Sport and Arts to Make a Difference

by Samheng Boros November 6, 2022

written by Samheng Boros

With an emphasis on the value of sports for people with disabilities

Written by, H.E Samheng Boros

Sports provide an opportunity for all people to improve not only their physical health, but also their mental well-being, providing both immediate and long-term health benefits. Disability sports and recreation activities, like other disability services, are increasingly becoming powerful tools for positive change in our society, and there are more options available.

Persons with disabilities frequently face societal barriers, and disability elicits negative perceptions and discrimination in many societies. Persons with disabilities are generally excluded from education, employment, and community life as a result of the stigma associated with disability, depriving them of opportunities essential to their social development, health, and well-being.

In some societies, people with disabilities are often considered dependent and incapable, fostering inactivity and causing people with physical disabilities to have limited mobility beyond the cause of their disability. Sport can help reduce disability stigma and discrimination by changing community attitudes toward people with disabilities by emphasizing their abilities and decreasing the tendency to see the disability rather than the person.

Sports allows people without disabilities to interact with people with disabilities in a positive way, forcing them to rethink their assumptions about what people with disabilities can and cannot do.

Sport as a Basic Human Right

The World Health Organization endorsed the concept that physical activity and sport can influence health and functional ability as a daily component of everyday life for all individuals, including those with disabilities.

The adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was a critical step in ensuring that the rights of people with disabilities around the world were recognized and implemented. The Convention, which was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2006, was one of the quickest treaties ever negotiated at the United Nations.

In Cambodia, people with disabilities participate in team sports and socioeconomic assistance programs. The Royal Government of Cambodia is committed to achieving gender equality by allowing women with disabilities to compete and demonstrate their physical ability. Sport can help to reduce gender stereotypes and negative perceptions of people with disabilities.

Private social enterprises like Phare Circus, a well-known Cambodian entertainment brand, MEDHA Cambodia’s first all-female drum troupe, who have captured the public’s attention with their highly skilled performances of an art form traditionally reserved for men also employ disabled artists. Another esteemed organisation Epic Arts works with people of all abilities and backgrounds through our Inclusive Education, Community, and Social Enterprise Programs to change perceptions and attitudes on a personal and public level.

Cambodia and Paralympic Games

Cambodia made its Paralympic Games debut in the Summer Paralympics in Sydney in 2000, sending a men’s volleyball team, and has competed in every Summer Paralympics since then.

At the 11th ASEAN Para Games in Solo, Indonesia, the Cambodian Paralympic team won 7 gold, 10 silver, and 11 bronze medals. It is an incredible achievement, given that the Kingdom will host the games for the first-time next year.

Cambodian athletes competed in 11 sports. 28 medals were won by the athletics, boccia, men’s sitting volleyball, women’s wheelchair basketball, table tennis, chess, and swimming teams.

During a recent meeting with Paralympic delegates at the Peace Palace, Prime Minister Hun Sen stated that his chairmanship of the National Paralympic Committee of Cambodia was aimed at promoting and encouraging people with disabilities, as well as providing hope to Cambodia’s disabled people.

Motives for Participation and Persistence in Involvement

Many more studies are now being conducted to investigate the motivations for people with disabilities to participate in sports.

To promote sports among people with disabilities, they must be encouraged to join regular mainstream sports clubs in their own communities in order to gain access to coaching, sporting facilities, and the social interactions that club provides.

Sport can also help people with disabilities become physically and mentally stronger, reducing dependency and increasing independence. These skills can be transferred to new arenas such as employment and advocacy work, assisting in the development of self-sufficiency.

Sport has a profound impact on the person with a disability by empowering them to realise their full potential and advocate for social change. Sport allows people with disabilities to learn important social skills, gain independence, and become change agents. Sport teaches people how to communicate effectively, as well as the value of teamwork and cooperation, as well as respect for others.

Furthermore, by improving the inclusion and well-being of people with disabilities, sport can assist in achieving community development goals.

For example, sports-based opportunities can help achieve the goal of universal primary education by reducing stigma that prevents children with disabilities from attending school; promote gender equality by empowering women and girls with disabilities to acquire health information, skills, social networks, and leadership experience; and lead to increased employment and lower levels of poverty and hunger by reducing stigma and increasing self-confidence.

“When you fail, you learn a lot about yourself and come back stronger. There are no rules in life. Having an opportunity in life is important, but what you do with that opportunity defines you.”

November 6, 2022 0 comments

Boros Opinion Piece Opinion Piece

A more rational approach to Public-Private Partnership

by Samheng Boros October 30, 2022

written by Samheng Boros

Written by, H.E Samheng Boros

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are becoming a more popular approach to fund significant infrastructure projects. Compared to standard procurement options, these arrangements have a substantially higher level of private-sector participation, with the purpose of increasing the project’s efficiency and effectiveness across its entire life cycle, from development to the end of the operational phase.

PPPs can also stretch the cost of a project over a longer time period, freeing up public funding for investment in areas where private involvement is either impossible or inappropriate.

History

PPP is not a new concept; it has existed for centuries, particularly in France throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. However, over the last two decades, several governments have initiated PPPs in order to delegate responsibility for infrastructure development and delivery of public services to the private sector.

Since the 1990s, PPP has grown in popularity in a number of countries. PPP has been a common method for governments to engage private actors in the delivery of government infrastructure and services in order to improve quality and provide better value for money.

As governments seek to upgrade infrastructure and address the difficulties of climate change, among other objectives, the necessity for private-sector participation has grown. Governments can tap the genuine knowledge of private enterprises by considering and pricing risk in a comprehensive and transparent manner.

Setting the optimal level of private-sector engagement and risk transfer will result in more projects being completed on time and on budget, better use of government resources, and benefits to the constituency of end users for these project, society at large.

PPP in Cambodia

Infrastructure development is a critical factor in Cambodia’s ability to sustain and leverage economic growth. Cambodia has invested in infrastructure using funds from three main sources: the national budget, the budgets of development partners, and a small portion of the budget from the private sector.

Cambodia prioritises private participation because the private sector is a growth engine, and has recently chosen an alternative method of financing public infrastructure investment, the so-called PPP mechanism—which is neither privatisation nor public traditional sourcing.

Cambodia has promoted and encouraged the private sector to participate in public infrastructure investments since the first mandate of the national assembly was legislated in 1993, by establishing necessary policies—triangle strategy, rectangular strategy, national strategic development plan, public financial law, and Cambodian industrial development policy—and legal instruments, as well as other necessary measures to strengthen and broaden partnerships with all partners.

PPP projects in the energy, road, and airport sectors have been implemented in Cambodia since the 1990s using the BOO, BOT, and Maintenance-Operate-Transfer (MOT) models.

For Cambodia, the PPP investment regime has resulted in the construction of the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport ($1 billion), the Orussei Hydroelectric Power Plant ($558 million), and the Stung Tatay Hydroelectric Power Plant ($540 million), to name a few.

Public and Private Partnership Regulations

Furthermore, in order to establish clear mechanisms for successful PPP project implementation, Cambodia developed its Policy Paper on PPP in 2016. Since then, PPP in Cambodia has been implemented under the Public-Private Partnerships for Public Investment Project Management investment framework.

The new Law on Public and Private Partnership (the “PPP Law”) was enacted in Cambodia on November 18, 2021, to replace the 2007 Law on Concession. This Law aims to promote just management and implementation of public-private partnership (“PPP”) projects in a way that is effective, efficient, long-term, transparent, and responsible.

Cambodia’s government is actively working with organisations such as the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF), Swiss Contact, and UNCTAD to improve PPP standards.

GATF-directed projects are intended to leverage private sector expertise to assist governments in implementing the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement. It will provide a more conducive trade environment for private sector enterprises to improve domestic and cross-border operations, demonstrating how successful PPP can assist developing countries.

Invest in Cambodia for greater benefits and growth

Cambodia’s economy is one of the fastest growing in the world. The government has implemented programmes to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on businesses and people’s incomes, as well as to assist the economy’s recovery. Growth is expected to reach 5% in 2022 and 6.3% in 2023. Cambodia has seen significant development over the last two decades, reaching lower middle-income status in 2015 and aiming towards upper middle-income status by 2030, according to the World Bank.

October 30, 2022 0 comments

Boros Opinion Piece Opinion Piece

Before the next crisis, social security must be strengthened.

by Samheng Boros October 23, 2022

written by Samheng Boros

Written by, H.E Samheng Boros

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the largest economic downturn since the 1929 Great Depression. The pandemic and the measures put in place to safeguard people resulted in a downward cycle, eventually forcing an additional 115 million people into extreme poverty.

The reality is that we have been surprised to discover that 61% of the global workforce is still made up of informal or insecure workers with little or no recourse to social protection. 55 percent of the world’s population, or 4 billion people, do not have any sort of social security, while another 26 percent are only protected against some types of economic insecurity.

According to the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) World Social Protection Report, low-income countries would require less than USD $78 billion to implement social protection measures, including healthcare, for 711 million people.

Expanding coverage and improving the conception and execution of social protection programmes such as child benefits, cash transfers, maternity and parental leave benefits, and pensions can have a significant impact on the most vulnerable households. It can assist individuals in staying out of poverty during times of change, challenge, and crisis.

When the economic crisis escalated, many countries, including Cambodia, implemented social protection measures to help citizens stay afloat.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has spent 2,613 billion Riel, or $653 million, on its cash transfer programme to help those affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Throughout that time, the programme aided nearly 750,000 families. Since the program’s inception in June 2020, financial support has been distributed to the needy and vulnerable.

The COVID-19 Cash Transfer Programme for Poor and Vulnerable Households is one of the instrumental interventions launched by the Kingdom of Cambodia in the spirit of proactivity, realism, and responsiveness to provide social protection to poor and vulnerable households in order to reduce their vulnerabilities during the pandemic.

This emergency action has served to alleviate the burden on the lives of the poor and vulnerable households who hold equity cards across the country, in both urban and rural areas.

The COVID-19 cash transfer programme had a strong positive impact on human development aspects and socioeconomic indicators such as food security, children’s education, savings, debt repayment, productivity, healthcare, and gender empowerment.

Macroeconomic modeling also indicated that the programme contributed to GDP growth of 0.55% in 2020 and 0.45% in 2021, poverty reduction of 2.7% in 2020 and 3.4% in 2021, and unemployment reduction of 0.57% in 2020 and 0.62% in 2021.

In Cambodia, approximately 750,000 families have benefited from the cash transfer programme, which represents the Royal Government’s efforts and high attention to help ease the burden of citizens who have been severely affected by the pandemic by leaving no one dying of hunger and without attention.

Indeed, social protection should be viewed as an investment because it leads to the development of human capital, has significant multiplier effects in the local economy, and contributes to inclusive growth and resilience in times of crisis.

Social security is critical for ensuring people’s well-being, dignity, and rights, as well as supporting their families. In addition to programs, better access to suitable long-term care is required to meet people’s needs. As a result, social protection must be strengthened before the next crisis.

Photos: Samheng Boros Facebook page & National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Cambodia

October 23, 2022 0 comments

Boros Opinion Piece Invest In Cambodia Must Read Opinion Piece Technology

Digital transformation is key to enhancing Cambodia’s education sector.

by Samheng Boros October 16, 2022

written by Samheng Boros

Written by H.E Samheng Boros

The future of education is brighter than ever. The pandemic’s two years created the stage for newer possibilities and unique learning perspectives.

The COVID-19 outbreak has pushed digital transformation in Cambodian higher education. This phenomenon presents an excellent opportunity for the Cambodian education system to adapt and improve the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in the classroom. It has also transformed the game in education globally, with the adoption of e-learning becoming a must for all educational institutions rather than an option.

Prior to the pandemic, online classes and hybrid learning were not common in Cambodia. On-campus education was the standard, and few educational institutions were eager to invest in online learning resources and the Learning Management System (LMS).

However, after more than two years of the pandemic, everything has changed and gone online. Online learning, meetings, workshops, and seminars have become ubiquitous in educational and non-educational settings. Students and teachers have gotten accustomed to them.

Schools and institutions in Cambodia can now conduct online classes with greater confidence and efficacy. Educational administrators and leaders have gained a greater knowledge of online and blended learning delivery and are more inclined to implement change into their pre-pandemic environment.

In 2020 The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport launched a new Digital and Distance Learning Center in order to accelerate the digital transformation of education and develop instructors’ capacity with emerging technologies.

Google Classroom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Quizlet, Kahoot, Zoom, and other online learning apps are becoming increasingly popular among Cambodian students and teachers.

Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, have made a tremendous impact on educational tools and institutions, reshaping today’s educational landscape and predicting the future of education. Artificial intelligence, in particular, has the potential to transform the educational system by enhancing institutional competitiveness and empowering teachers and students of all capacities.

Despite research pointing to the problems Cambodian students had in continuing their education through online learning, there is no doubt that students involved in online learning during the pandemic experienced numerous online learning platforms and resources. This gives students a sense of confidence in using technology to help them study even after the pandemic has faded.

The experience of creating and conducting lessons and classes remotely or digitally is invaluable. The insights gathered from such ad hoc efforts and experiences will have a positive impact on assumptions, beliefs, and attitudes regarding e-learning and hybrid learning in both schools and universities.

Overall, the pandemic has provided an opportunity for Cambodian education to enhance technology integration in mainstream classrooms. This is critical for adopting blended learning in the classroom. The digital revolution of education has the potential to allow the sector to catch up with educational development in neighboring countries. In this context, the digitalisation of education, facilitated by rapid technological advancement, is a welcome phenomenon that must be capitalised upon.

Photos: SEA Globe and medium.com

October 16, 2022 1 comment

Boros Opinion Piece Guests Posts News Opinion Piece Sustainability The Better Asia

Economic development necessitates social protection which includes Social Security and Social Assistance.

by Samheng Boros September 28, 2022

written by Samheng Boros

Written by H.E Samheng Boros

The Royal Government of Cambodia’s primary priorities are to uphold peace, political stability, and national security. These are very important prerequisites to achieving the economic development that would allow Cambodia to rise once again and establish itself as a developed country.

Since the beginning of the economic recovery, the Royal Government has paid special attention to a number of social protection programs with the intention of enhancing human resource capacity and protecting the dignity of its citizens.

Cambodia worked assiduously and constructively to enhance its image after the total restoration of peace in 1998. The nation’s efforts to start developing each distinct economic sector have been successful. The people of Cambodia have benefited from peace, political stability, and rapid economic growth, with an average annual growth of 7.7% during the past 20 years.

The Royal Government’s vision and goal is to raise Cambodia to a high-income country by 2050 and an upper-middle income country by 2030. In this context, the Royal Government firmly acknowledges that the social security (job related insurance) system plays a significant role in promoting “economic progress with equality and inclusiveness.”

Social security is not a new thought. The security of people from unexpected life circumstances has long been legitimised into policy settings in many countries. In order to achieve or maintain an adequate standard of living and good health throughout their lives, women, men, and children can benefit from a number of policies known as social protection.

By supporting productive labor markets, reducing people’s exposure to risks, and boosting their ability to defend themselves against hazards and disruptions or losses of income, a collection of policies and programs known as social protection are designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability.

There are five main components of social protection: Labor markets, Social insurance, Social assistance (cash transfer programs), Micro- and area-based community protection programs and Child protection.

In Cambodia interest in social protection has increased. The government has launched numerous social protection schemes. One of these social protection initiatives is the NSSF, which has greatly benefited workers in the formal sector, particularly those in the apparel industry. According to the NSSF, 80,000 female garment workers received $7.9 million in maternity benefits through this scheme in 2020 alone.

Approximately 300,000 female employees in the formal and informal sectors who gave birth between January 2018 and March 2022 received cash assistance totaling $30.1 million, according to the National Social Protection Council. Additionally, this program helped at least 560,000 households with IDPoor cards in 2020.

At the height of the Covid-19 outbreak in Cambodia, some of the temporarily laid-off garment factory workers also received assistance in the form of cash-based transfer programs. Additionally, there are programs for vulnerable primary and secondary students to get scholarships and meals at school.

Research is required to gather information on advanced techniques to better comprehend the social and economic effects of various pandemic containment strategies.

The assessment of actions implemented by governments utilizing a variety of techniques, including social protection, is also vital to take into account.

While immediate social protections are essential during a pandemic crisis, governments must plan for long-term measures to speed recovery and policies to attain greater income security in the months and years to come. Cambodia is following this path.

Photos: Samheng Boros Facebook page & National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Cambodia

September 28, 2022 0 comments

Inflation and social protection system in Cambodia.

by Samheng Boros August 8, 2022

written by Samheng Boros

Countries in the world are experiencing steep hikes in the prices of commodities caused by inflation, especially gasoline, food and daily household products. This is a big issue that impacts livelihoods of people especially low income families and vulnerable groups because lower-income households tend to spend a large share of their budgets on food and other basic needs, they are significantly affected by higher and more volatile food prices. It will worsen if and when this develops into a regional or global economic recession.

Cambodia is no exception, we witnessed the increase of gasoline and some daily household items price caused by shortage of supplies due to the on-going Russian-Ukraine conflict and global trade supply chain challenges. As of today, we are fortunate that under the leadership of the royal government of Cambodia, Cambodia has been able to manage the impacts of these global issues on the vulnerable population.

Recently the gasoline price has gone down 15% coupled with effective social protection programs implemented by various ministries and agencies of the government, an effective and efficient social protection Cambodia system in which National Social Assistance Fund is part of it, have been able to provide a strong level of protection and support to low income families and vulnerable groups to avoid food shortage and other inflation impacts on people’s livelihoods.

We hope that the world and Cambodia will avoid a potential economic recession. We must continue to strengthen the resiliency of the Cambodian economy and her people through our collective efforts and solidarity between the government, the people of our nation, private sector as well as development partners and CSOs.

August 8, 2022 2 comments

Newer Posts

Older Posts

Samheng Boros

Samheng Boros

Cambodia’s Contributions to ASEAN Since 1999

Using Sport and Arts to Make a Difference

With an emphasis on the value of sports for people with disabilities

Sport as a Basic Human Right

Cambodia and Paralympic Games

Motives for Participation and Persistence in Involvement

A more rational approach to Public-Private Partnership

Before the next crisis, social security must be strengthened.

Digital transformation is key to enhancing Cambodia’s education sector.

Economic development necessitates social protection which includes Social Security and Social Assistance.

Inflation and social protection system in Cambodia.

The Better Cambodia

Top Categories

Useful Links

Newsletter

Latest News

Are you sure want to unlock this post?

Are you sure want to cancel subscription?

Newsletter!