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Canada’s Commitment
Results
Country Profile
Canada’s Commitment
The UN-brokered Paris Peace Accords of 1991 and the final surrender of the Khmer Rouge in 1998 saw the end of decades of conflict and civil strife for the people of Cambodia. Since then, the country has worked hard to ensure that peace and stability are sustained—and future development secured.
In Battambang, workers carry sand that is sold to
make cement. CIDA supports private sector
activity in Cambodia through the promotion
of rural development.
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As a signatory to the Paris agreements, Canada is helping Cambodia strengthen its institutions and rebuild its human resource base. Through CIDA, Canada has contributed $133 million in Official Development Assistance (ODA) since 1991—including almost $10 million in 2004-05. These contributions have focussed on land management and administration, landmine clearance, peace building, civil society development, elections support, and assistance to the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) for the development of democratic institutions.
Additional ODA resources for Cambodia are being directed towards the building of a concentrated country program. CIDA’s strategic objectives here focus on two core development sectors:
- Promoting improved governance, particularly by rebuilding public sector capacity and institutions and strengthening democratic processes and practices;
- Supporting private sector development through the promotion of rural entrepreneurship, particularly by leveraging Canadian expertise in land management and administration.
CIDA’s programming responds to development needs identified by the RGC. Through the National Strategic Development Plan, CIDA is working to improve the quality of life for all Cambodians by reducing poverty and inequality. Activities under the plan also build on Canada's leadership in the international movement to ban landmines by continuing to support mine-action programs in Cambodia.
Cambodia has been identified as one of 25 development partner countries – a group of countries where the bulk of Canada's bilateral (country to country) aid program will be focused.
This country is a member of La Francophonie.
 Results
CIDA-supported initiatives in these core sectors have produced positive results for Cambodians.
- CIDA’s support to the Ministry of Land Management is helping Cambodia implement transparent land-administration reform—particularly in the areas of dispute-resolution mechanisms, land titling and registration, land valuation and national policies—with the ultimate aim of providing property rights for Cambodians.
- The Cambodia Canada Legislative Support Project, delivered through the Parliamentary Centre, is strengthening the analytic and legislative review capacities of Parliamentarians, Parliamentary Committees and the Secretariats of Cambodia’s National Assembly and Senate. Legislation is now subject to more informed debate and revision. In addition, MPs now interact more meaningfully with their constituents and the rest of society.
- Through micro-financing systems, improved land use, mine-risk education programs and community-based approaches, Geospatial Inc. is supporting agricultural development in mine-affected areas.
- Agriteam Canada’s work to develop an Agricultural Market Information System will improve Cambodian farmers’ access to marketing services—with positive effects on their productivity and incomes.
Country Profile
Since the restoration of peace, Cambodia has made considerable economic progress. The country boasts an annual economic growth of 7 percent and has reduced the number of people living below the national poverty line from 47 percent (1994) to 35 percent (2004). Cambodia has also seen modest improvements in most social indicators. Improved labour standards and working conditions have also helped keep the vital garment industry buoyant.
But progress is fragile. Cambodia remains an aid-dependent country with weak governance systems, and limited public sector institutional capacity. Much-needed political reforms are proving difficult to implement. While this is unsurprising given the country’s recent history, it does hamper the pace of the country’s development. However, by formulating an internationally-supported strategic framework (National Social Development Plan 2006-2010), that places good governance at its core, the Cambodian government has demonstrated a long-term commitment to work with the international community towards the eradication of poverty and sustainable development of its people.
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