Sida's work in Cambodia
Democratic development is regressing in Cambodia. Due to the political situation, Sida's development cooperation focuses on strengthening human rights, democracy and a rule of law that treats all citizens equally before the law and complies with laws and regulations. Sida only cooperates with non-governmental civil society organisations. Sida will phase out its development cooperation in Cambodia in 2024, following a government decision.
Sida’s support in Cambodia 2023
Why do Sida work in Cambodia?
Human rights violations
Democratic space continues to be limited. There are restrictions on freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom of association and demonstration, and violations in the judicial system. Threats against human rights and environmental defenders are increasing, as are disinformation and digital repression.1
Widening gaps and low participation of women
Economic growth has partially reached people living in poverty, but inequalities in the country are growing.2 Few women participate in politics and an increasing number of children suffer from malnutrition.
Corruption hinders development
Corruption in Cambodia remains high. It has decreased since 2019 but is still widespread and is a major obstacle to democratic and economic development.3
Examples of what Sida contribute with
Strengthening democratic development and human rights
Sida helps ensure that civil society NGOs, human rights organisations and activists have greater opportunities to participate in and influence democratic processes and work to increase respect for human rights, especially for the most vulnerable in society. They create space for dialogue between different social actors, contribute to independent and reliable information, and strengthen the population’s knowledge of democracy, human rights, gender equality and the rule of law. Sida also works to ensure that independent media can carry out their work and contributes via legal aid and other technical support to a legal system that treats people equally.
More girls finish school
97 per cent of all children are currently enrolled in primary school, but many do not complete the nine years.4 Long-term support from Sida has helped more children attend school and improved the quality of education. The aid has contributed to more girls completing primary school and to strengthening gender equality issues in the education sector.
Contributes to reducing corruption
Sida supports non-governmental organisations that combat corruption. The assistance has contributed to improved legislation, whistleblower protection systems and a mobile app where citizens can scrutinise politics and report suspicions of corruption. The app has increased transparency in politics and reduced corruption. Sida has also supported information campaigns on how to report abuses.
Development cooperation in Cambodia
Cambodia’s population and society are still deeply wounded by the Khmer Rouge and its leader Pol Pot’s reign of terror and genocide from 1995 to 1979. In the early 2000s, after the end of the civil war, the political situation was more stable with a strong economic recovery.
In recent years, democracy has declined. For example, during the 2023 elections, the main opposition party was prevented from participating, resulting in all but five seats in parliament belonging to the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).
In 2020, the Swedish Government decided that development cooperation should focus on strengthening respect for human rights, supporting democracy and a rule of law that treats all citizens equally before the law and complies with laws and regulations. Sida’s development cooperation in Cambodia is implemented solely in cooperation with civil society organisations and other non-state actors.
Democracy is weakened in Cambodia, freedom of the press and demonstration is limited and human rights are violated. The judicial system is inadequate and people are not treated equally before the law. Trust between people is low.
Sida supports non-governmental organisations that strengthen respect for human rights and work for democratic development and a justice system that treats all people equally. Here are some examples of programmes and projects that Sida supports:
Through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Sida contributes to preventing conflict and monitoring the respect of human rights. Sida’s support helps to increase and protect the rights of the most marginalised people: young people, indigenous peoples and other ethnic minorities, LGBTI persons, children and persons with disabilities. OHCHR works with governmental organisations, the judiciary and civil society, such as human rights defenders. They provide technical and financial support to strengthen dialogue between civil society and ministries to improve laws and increase citizens’ ability to influence and participate in society and politics.
Through OHCHR, Sida also helps people become more aware of their rights and their importance.
People living with a disability have difficulty entering the labour market. Through the project “An inclusive labour market in Cambodia”, Sida is helping to make it easier for them. Through the project, Cambodia’s employment service has become better at conducting a dialogue with job seekers and potential employers to assess the job seeker’s need for adaptation. The Cambodian employment service has also strengthened its capacity to register job seekers with disabilities and match job seekers with potential employers.
The project is a collaboration between the Swedish Public Employment Service (AF), Finn Church Aid (FCA) and NGOs in Cambodia. The project has influenced the government to improve support for persons with disabilities, for example by increasing its own knowledge and skills about persons with disabilities and their rights. The project promotes the establishment of a labour market programme for persons with disabilities. This would improve their chances of finding work.
Sida, together with other donors, is supporting BBC Media Action’s Klahan9 SPACE project, which empowers women and men aged 15-30 to participate in decisions that affect them and their communities. Available both online and offline, the programme provides access to more knowledge and skills, increasing their engagement and amplifying their voices.
Corruption is widespread in society, although it has decreased since 2019. It is possible for citizens to report corruption but the fear of being questioned and facing legal sanctions is high. Corruption remains a major obstacle to democratic and economic development. Access to independent news has decreased as the state has shut down several media companies. This contributes to increased self-censorship among journalists and reduces public access to information. It limits the ability to hold those responsible accountable for crimes committed.
Patriarchal norms and traditional gender roles are deeply rooted in Cambodia. The number of women in politics has decreased. Only three women are ministers in the government. There are few women in the media sector. Violence against women is a social problem and women do the majority of unpaid work in the home and family. LGBTI people can generally live relatively openly but the law is lagging behind.
Sida supports non-governmental organisations in Cambodia working to increase gender equality, to hold those responsible accountable for crimes committed, to improve anti-discrimination laws and to reduce corruption. Here are some examples of programmes and projects that Sida supports:
Male violence against women is widespread and is considered acceptable in certain situations. Sida supports Diakonia and about ten organisations working to increase gender equality and respect for human rights. This is done, for example, through local platforms for dialogue on equality and gender roles.
Vulnerable communities, workers and human rights defenders also get access to legal, social and technical support to continue their work for democracy and human rights.
Women’s representation in the media is low, and reporting on issues related to violence against women is severely lacking.
Female journalists are more vulnerable than their male colleagues, and rarely have access to the same networks to discuss safety and press freedom. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) runs the project “Strengthening Media Development and Freedom of Expression in Cambodia” which strengthens freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom of information to create a free, safe and independent media landscape. Women journalists are part of a network and can participate in meetings and learn more about security issues. The project includes research on gender equality in the media that has highlighted barriers and provided recommendations on how to increase the number of women in the media.
The Women’s Media Centre creates better conditions for female journalists to work in a male-dominated industry and contributes to the visibility of female journalists in the country. At the project launch event, more than 50 representatives from the media, civil society and development partners had the opportunity to hear stories from women journalists about the difficulties they face in their profession.
Despite significant progress, access to quality higher education and research remains a major challenge. Much of the expertise needed for the country’s socio-economic development is lacking.
The aid supports research collaborations between universities in Cambodia and Sweden and contributes to giving young Cambodians the opportunity to do research. Here are some examples of programmes and projects supported by Sida.
Most lecturers and students at universities in Cambodia say there are barriers to their research. The Young Researchers Programme (YRP) is a one-year programme that gives between 10 and 20 students and teachers the opportunity to conduct research each year. The programme is successful, the young researchers are often contacted for interviews, and their articles are well disseminated.
A serious problem in Cambodia is the lack of higher education for its citizens. Sida supports the country’s largest university, Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), and its collaboration with six Swedish universities. The support includes education at doctoral and master’s level and the construction of laboratories, IT and libraries. The project will enable the university to offer high quality postgraduate education and research opportunities.
Since 2020, Cambodia is part of the strategy of Asia and the Pacific Region.
Updated: January 3, 2024