Speeches Shim
This year we mark the 70th anniversary US-Cambodia diplomatic relations and an appreciation for the importance of the environment is yet another tie that binds Cambodians and Americans. USAID has supported environmental conservation programs for more than a decade in Cambodia. Our program currently targets the two major biodiversity-significant landscapes of Prey Lang and the Eastern Plains. Our efforts have contributed to the protection of key critical endangered species in those landscapes. We work closely with communities, government ministries, local authorities, and NGOs to help protect Cambodia’s national heritage. But we need the general public’s help. The youth, the private sector, and commitments from all stakeholders are critical if we are to successfully protect Cambodia’s remaining forest, wildlife, and biodiversity.
USAID is proud to support these civic tech tools developed as part of the One Window for Citizens project or OW4C. This project is a three-year effort that uses technology to provide Cambodian citizens clear, transparent information on public services available to them through the government’s One Window Service Offices. We understand that technology alone is insufficient to achieve impact. We know that we need to work directly with communities to provide information on public services as well as social accountability measures such as the community scorecard. In its first year, the project works in Battambang but will expand to Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap in its second and third years.
Yesterday we marked World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. It is an annual event designated to shine a light on victims of human trafficking and promote their rights. This is a global goal to which the U.S. government is deeply committed. While we work on this issue around the world, Cambodia is one of the few countries where USAID has a robust, standalone anti-human trafficking project.
USAID has supported labor rights in Cambodia for more than two decades. We are proud of that support. Our Labor Rights in Cambodia Project is the newest phase in our support for workers. It is a five-year project with an ambitious set of objectives, including assisting independent trade unions in their efforts to represent and provide benefits to their member workers in the garment, construction, food and services, hotel and hospitality industries, as well as workers in the informal economy, from tuk tuk drivers to entertainment workers.
On behalf of USAID, the EU, UNICEF, and Save the Children Hong Kong I would like to recognize the importance of these guidelines in strengthening Cambodia’s child protection system to better support vulnerable children and families.
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