Resident Coordinator Country Profile
1. Country: Cambodia
2. Duty Station:
a) Location: Phnom Penh
b) Classification:
c) Family or Non-family: Family
3. Required Language(s): English
4. Languages that would be an asset: French, Khmer
5. Country Situation: No phase
6.
6. Will there be additional coordination functions, e.g. Humanitarian Coordinator? Cambodia is prone to a wide range of disasters. Floods, landslides and drought regularly cause substantial social, economic and environmental damage. In the context of great disaster risks and inadequate local capacity to respond to a major disaster, the international community and government agencies are increasingly focusing on disaster planning and preparedness. The RC is expected to lead and coordinate the preparedness activities of UN Country Team members and relevant humanitarian actors and in particular to ensure that UN Country Team contingency plans are established and regularly updated. In 2012, OCHA supported the UN Country Team in identifying and prioritizing preparedness actions considered crucial in filling existing gaps in in-country capacities and preparing a $4 million CERF proposal. Under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator, it is anticipated that at the end of 2013, the UN Country Team and the National Disaster Management Authority will be better prepared to respond in a timely and appropriate manner.
Should international humanitarian assistance be required in the country, the RC will be expected to lead and coordinate humanitarian actors’ response in support of national efforts. If a major crisis should occur, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator may designate the RC as Humanitarian Coordinator.
7. Is RC also the Director of UN Information Centre? NO
8. Is there an SRSG or other Special Envoy of the SG assigned to the country?
The UN Human Rights Council appointed the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Cambodia in March 2009S/he makes periodic visits to the country. The latest fact-finding mission by the Special Rapporteur on May 2012 noted, amongst other things, land grabbing and confiscation of livestock; destruction of homes and property; damage to burial grounds; and, physical aggression and intimidation, including the use of firearms against specific individuals and communities.
9. List all represented UN Funds, Programmes and Agencies (incl. Regional bodies):
· FAO
· IFAD
· ILO
· IMF
· IOM
· OHCHR
· UNAIDS
· UNAKRT
· UNCDF
· UNCTAD
· UNDP
· UNESCO
· UNFPA
· UN HABITAT
· UNHCR
· UNICEF
· UNIDO
· UN Women
· UNODC
· UNV
· WFP
· WHO
· World Bank
10. Inter-Agency Task Forces and/or UN Theme Groups operational in the Country:
UN Theme Group on AIDS
UN Theme Group on Gender
Inter-agency MDG Advisory Committee
UN Country Team (UNCT)
Operations Management Team (OMT)
Security Management Team (SMT)
Crisis Management Team (CMT) – Avian Influenza specific
UN Disaster Management Team (DMT)
The UN remains directly involved in advancing aid effectiveness priorities through its support for and participation in the Partnership Initiative led by the Government, facilitating and co-charing nine out of 19 Technical Working Groups in partnership with the Government and further refinement of aid effectiveness principles including facilitation of development partners community forum on “Enhancing Policy Dialogue”.
11. Status of Development Planning Instruments:
-UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2011 – 2015
The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF 20011 – 2015) has drawn from national priorities to establish five domains of intervention in Cambodia:
(i) Economic Growth and Sustainable Development; (ii) Health and education; (iii) Gender equality; (iv) Democratic Governance; and, (v) Social Protection.
The new UNDAF 2011-2015 remains fully aligned with the Cambodian Government’s Rectangular Strategy Phase II and the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2009-2013, which underwent a mid-term review in 2011. UNDAF planning and review cycles allow for harmonisation around sector-oriented key programme based approaches, most notably those present in Education, Health, HIV & AIDS and support annual cycles of review and formulation of Joint Monitoring Indicators (JMI) to monitor implementation of the NSDP and attainment of the CMDGs. UN contribution to ODA is validated annually in concert with other development partners including non-government organisations. This aligns with Government-led annual aid effectiveness reporting and formulation of the Multi Year Indicative Financing Framework (MYIFF). The UN continues to speak with one voice at key donor and Government meetings including the Government Donor Coordinating Committee (GDCC). The Cambodia Development Cooperating Forum (CDCF) was postponed in 2011. In 2011 the UN spoke on behalf of the development partner community on issues of mutual priority around national development planning, human development, maternal health and social protection. – update for 2012?
Setting priorities within the UNDAF 2011-2015 remains linked to associated advocacy needs and communication priorities, prompting joint programming and strategy development, strengthened partnership and UN positioning/leadership and greater alignment and harmonization with national strategies and development priorities.
12. Key political and socio-economical issues significant for UN System Development Assistance - Future Opportunities and Challenges for the UN System
Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy with King Norodom Sihamoni as Head of State, reigning since 2004. Politics are dominated by the Cambodia Peoples Party (CPP)-led Government under Prime Minister Hun Sen. While the last multi-party legislative elections in 2008 were generally peaceful, with the CPP winning 90 of 123 seats, there were concerns regarding the impartiality of the electoral administration and the use of state resources by the ruling party. Also, concerns linger over freedom of expression against the ruling CPP.
The Government’s relations with the UN have generally been cooperative. However, the UN has come under attack in the past due to its role and responsibilities related to public advocacy on certain key issues.
On elections, following a request from the Cambodian Government in 2011 requesting UN electoral assistance for the local elections of June 2012 and general elections of 2013 , the UN decided that it could only offer limited assistance in civic/voter education, especially for marginalized groups, women and the youth, or support to electoral media and access to information. The limited electoral assistance project targeted towards civil socity participation, agreed to by the Government, is being implemented by UNDP.
The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) was created in 2003 by the Cambodian Government and the UN but is independent of them. A Cambodian court with international participation and applying international standards, the ECCC handles two categories of perpetrators for crimes committed between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979: senior leaders of Democratic Kampuchea and those believed to be most responsible for grave violations of national and international law. The ECCC is currently handling four cases and has achieved significant success. The conviction of Duch in Case 001 and the completion of the proceedings to international standards was internationally acclaimed. Case 002 against the surviving senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge is proceeding well. Two other cases are under investigation. A Special Advisor to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal assists the ECCC.
Cambodia holds the ASEAN chair in 2012. In July 2012, the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) ended in acrimony over China's assertive role in the South China Sea, failing to agree on a concluding joint statement for the first time in its 45-year history. China has been accused of using its influence over Cambodia (as the ASEAN chair) and several other ASEAN members to block regional-level discussions on the issue and attempts to agree on a binding maritime Code of Conduct to manage the dispute.
Cambodia and Thailand have long been at loggerheads over the Preah Vihear. The latest dispute erupted as Thailand blocked Cambodia's move to list the temple as a World Heritage Site in 2008, resulting in a series of military skirmishes. In April 2011, Cambodia asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to interpret the scope and meaning of the 1962 ruling to create a clear understanding of territory boundaries near the temple. It also asked the court to grant provisional measures to demilitarize the area while waiting for the judgment. On 18 July, the ICJ gave an order on provisional measures, defining a provisional demilitarized zone around the disputed area of the Temple and requesting both Cambodia and Thailand immediately withdraw their military personnel currently present in that zone. The Court also requested that Cambodia and Thailand continue their cooperation with ASEAN and, in particular, allow the Indonesian observers appointed by that organization to have access to the provisional demilitarized zone. In July 2012, press reports indicated that Cambodia and Thailand withdrew their troops from the disputed border area. According to the same reports, 485 Cambodian troops and an undisclosed number of Thai forces pulled back from the demilitarized zone. However, neither party has confirmed this to the UN.
The civil society activity remains limited due to capacity constraints, fear, scarcity of institutionalized mechanisms and insufficient access to information. Selective application of the law has eroded trust in public institutions, including the courts.
The National Strategic Development Plan 2009 – 2013 underwent a mid-term review in 2011 and remains aligned to the Rectangular Strategy Phase II, which calls for continued reform, an enabling environment for investment and an average annual growth rate of 7 percent to achieve a continued reduction in the poverty rate of 1 percent per year and continued improvements in the social sectors. The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) coordinated external assistance US$1.2B, which amounts to about 50 percent of the total national budget and 9.4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Grant support accounts for approximately 75 percent of total disbursements of aid.
Cambodia MDG achievements were updated in 2011 indicating further positive steps forward in CMDG attainment. It remains unlikely that Cambodia will achieve its CMDG targets of reducing overall poverty levels to 19.5 percent by 2015. The ongoing vulnerability of Cambodians to natural and economic shocks dominated dialogue at the highest level of the Government. This prompted high-level dialogue on coordinated responses to natural disasters, such as the 2011 floods, and prompted Government’s continued development of its National Social Protection Policy.
Cambodia remains vulnerable to natural disasters, floods and droughts and is required to remain vigilant against the threat of pandemics and other infectious diseases to humans and animals with a strong focus on disaster risk reduction anticipated in the coming years.
Public Financial Management Reform continued to move ahead and Public Administration Reform was dominated by the need for compensation reform and dialogue around the Government’s Priority Operating Costs (POC) scheme, which commenced on 1 July 2010 following cancellation of the Merit Based Pay Initiative (MBPI) and salary supplements in late 2009.
13. Highlights of Collaborative UN Assistance
The consistent good will and positive approach of the UN Country Team towards cohesion and UN Coordination and a step-wise approach to UN Reform has been central to the advancement of the UN in Cambodia.
Joint programmes, most notably the UN Joint Support Programme aligned to the national AIDS response and those undertaken with support from the MDG Achievement Fund, have aligned UN resources with national priorities for Culture Industry Development and Children, Food Security and Nutrition. Joint commitments to support eradication of gender-based violence and community-based drug treatment commenced joint programme planning.
Youth remains a priority for the UN in Cambodia given substantial human development concerns linked to the high proportion of young people and high levels of youth unemployment in the country. Cambodia is an overwhelmingly young country with young people aged between 10-24 years of age making up 34.8 percent of Cambodia’s population. As part of the UN response to these emerging issues, drafting of a joint UN youth strategy commenced in 2011and compliments UN support of Government’s launch of the first National Youth Policy that will take place in 2012. These priorities continue to position youth as a cross cutting issue in the UNDAF 2011-2015.
2012 will be an opportunity for the UN Country Team to advance its priorities for UN Reform to implement the UNDAF 2011-2015 with reference to the annual monitoring dialogue with the Government, and to sharpen focus on the CMDG attainment and off-track CMDGs. The 2012 work plan prioritizes harmonization in programme delivery, operational continuity, aid effectiveness and UN coordination. It provides space to prioritise the cross-cutting issues of Gender, Youth, HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, and develop strategic responses to the 2011/2012 identified advocacy points of Food Security and Nutrition; Maternal Health and Youth.
14. Key Elements of Current Year’s UNCT/RC Work Plan
The UNCT will collaborate under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator and the Royal Government of Cambodia and in partnership with other development partners, the private sector and civil society. The UNCT’s efforts will focus on an active resource mobilization strategy predicated on the importance of ongoing dialogue with partners and Government, particularly in key breakthrough areas.
Some specific highlights within the 2012 work plan include:
UNCT contribution to the National Development Plan and attainment of the CMDGs sees continued commitment to support the Ministry of Planning and the TWG for Planning and Poverty Reduction; further strengthening of the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2009-2013 monitoring and evaluation framework following finalisation and dissemination of the NSDP Mid Term Review; and centralised and localised monitoring of CMDGs.
Aid Coordination management will increase the UN’s support for use of Government systems and harmonization of national budget, development planning and Official Development Assistance management; active participation in informal donor coordination meetings and facilitating Government Partner response to Harmonisation and Alignment for results; continued leadership of international health partnership at the country level; leadership in coordinated responses to the Global Food Crisis; preparation of the 2012 Cambodia Economic Forum; and, collaboration with the Government to shape post-Busan priorities.
Alignment of the UN programme cycle with the national development cycle focuses on the coordinated implementation of the UNDAF and its alignment with Cambodia’s development agenda inclusive of programme based approaches; development of a robust UNDAF monitoring and evaluation framework utilizing new technologies and tools through UNDAF/Devinfo incorporating reference to national datasets and UN specific indicators. UN Gender and HIV/AIDS Theme Groups will align with Government priorities for HIV/AIDS programming and establishment of a programme based approach for Gender. To target resources and partnership opportunities to meet development results, resource mobilization strategy development will continue as will concept development in priority breakthrough areas within the UNDAF including: Food Security and Nutrition; Gender Based Violence; Social Protection; Community Based Drug Treatment; and, Localised Monitoring of the MDGs. The UNDAF will continue to be reviewed jointly and annually in partnership with Government being the catalyst for annual dialogue with Government, CMDG attainment and next steps in UN cohesion and reform.